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The Writer's Account of His Book - John 20:30-31
 question asked long ago, and often repeated is as to why we have four Gospels. The answer to that enquiry was given by Origen when he said; There are not four Gospels, but a four-fold Gospel. This means that to an understanding of the Person and mission of our Lord, each evangelist, inspired of the Holy Spirit, has given one phase of revelation. This being so we cannot compare them in the sense of discriminating between their values. Each has its own distinctive revelation.
 evertheless, there is a common and justifiable consciousness that in the Gospel according to John we arrive at an ultimate unveiling. Dr. Arthur T. Pierson once suggested that the four Gospels in the order in which we now have them, follow the line of the old Hebrew encampment. Matthew surveys the Theocracy in its entirety. In other words, the whole camp is seen surrounding the King. In Mark we find ourselves in the outer court, in the place of service and sacrifice. In Luke we have passed into the Holy Place, where stood the seven-branched candlestick of witness, and the table of shewbread, or communion. In John we enter within the veil, into the Holiest of all. If this warranted figure of speech be allowed, it at once becomes evident that any approach to this Gospel must be that of reverence and awe.
 he work is evidently that of a poet, but it is none the less remarkable for its systematic structure; and we begin by recognizing that structure. The complete treatise is found in the first twenty chapters, so far as verse twenty-nine. This is immediately followed by a foot-note in chapter twenty-verses thirty and thirty-one (Joh_20:30-31), in which the writer accounts for his own book. Then there is an Epilogue, or Postscript in chapter twenty-one. The terms epilogue, or postscript, do not suggest anything of secondary value, but refer merely to the literary structure. In the last analysis, chapter twenty-one continues and completes the movement ending in verse twenty-nine of chapter twenty (John 20:29). Our first study is concerned with the writer's account of his book, as found in the footnote, chapter twenty, verses thirty and thirty-one (John 20:30-31). Every one will agree that when a writer interprets his own book, we must give attention to his interpretation if we are to hope to understand his book.
he foot-note runs thus:
"Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name."
 n these words the writer gives the reason for the writing, and incidentally reveals the method. Why did he write it?" These are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name."
hen incidentally he shows how he did his work, or rather, reveals the principle underlying the writing. From many signs he has made a selection.
hree words then will help us to gain the value of this foot-note. One of them is found in the foot-note itself, and the two others result from the finding of the one. The first word is the word "Signs." The next word is Selection. The word is not used by the writer, but the fact is revealed. John is careful to point out that he has not told all the story of Jesus. This does not profess to be a life of Jesus. Neither does it profess to give all the signs available. "Many other signs. . . not written"; but "these are written." Notice the contrast. Many not written; these written. John has made a selection. Selection then reveals the method of John. The third word I would use is the word Significance. The significance of the signs, as John saw it. The signs were selected to produce conviction, "that ye may believe," and a spiritual result, "and that believing ye may have life."
he word "signs" is arresting. We must understand what that word means, as we find it here. There are three words used in the New Testament in the realm of what we commonly designate the supernatural; "Powers, Wonders, Signs." On the day of Pentecost, Simon Peter preaching, employed them. I will not quote them from the King James Version, nor from the Revised. The Old Version began with the word "miracles," which is not correct. The second word may be so rendered, but not the first. The Revised has it "mighty works," and then puts in the margin the true rendering "powers." "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God unto you by powers and wonders and signs." In writing his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul, referring to apostolic work, names "signs . . . wonders . . . powers." The same three words, but in another order. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, referring to Satan, he uses the same three words. He says he wrought with powers and signs and wonders falsely. Note that little word "falsely." It qualifies the activity of Satan. But we are in the same realm of ideas. The things that Jesus did; the things His apostles did; the things that the devil does.
ow what do the words mean? "Powers" refers to operations producing results. "Wonders" describes the effect produced by the power when it operates. "Signs" refers to the value of the thing done, which has produced wonder. We have in these three words a complete revelation, a complete philosophy of what we are pleased to call the supernatural.
he word miracles comes from the Latin miraculum, derived from the Latin mirari, which simply means to wonder. In the life of our Lord, we may take anything which we describe as miraculous,-turning water into wine, that is John's first; the raising of Lazarus, that is his last,-and they were operations which could only produce wonder or astonishment. In the presence of every such manifestation the astonished observer would recognize power, or energy. The wonder would be created by ignorance of the power producing the result. Therefore, it is a miracle, a wonderful thing. The last word reveals the value of it; it is a sign, proving something. Jesus went about, and God through Him wrought powers, that is the fact; wonders, that is the effect; signs, that is the value.
sign then is something that proves something else. A sign is infinitely more than a symbol. A symbol can be capriciously chosen to represent that with which it has no inherent connection. That is never true of a sign in the New Testament sense of the word. Let me illustrate that. The maple leaf is the symbol of Canada. But the maple leaf is not the sign of Canada. Why not? Because we have seen maple leaves in other lands. But if we could find a plant which grows in Canada, and nowhere else, that would be a sign. That is the meaning of sign in the New Testament, always. Moreover, a true sign is always a proof of God; while false signs prove Satan.
n John's Gospel he never uses the word "powers," never calls the things Jesus did, "powers." In the Book of Revelation, he does use the word; but in the Gospel, and the letters he never employs it. It is also true that he never uses the word "wonders." He does record in the fourth chapter of the Gospel that Jesus once said to the men in Cana, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe." John's use of the word implicates powers and wonders, but he does not use the words. As he calls to mind all the things that Jesus did and said, noting their power, noting their wonder, he is emphasizing their significance and value.
n this statement there is an arresting limitation. The writer speaks of "Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book." The things done and said were done and said, for the most part, in the presence of the crowd. John is referring to the fact that there were those who saw and understood. It is possible for Jesus to perform a miracle, and for the crowd to see it, but not to understand it. John was emphasizing the fact that there were other witnesses, who did see the signs, and grasped their meaning.
 ohn-who certainly was an old man when he wrote the Gospel-was going back in memory over the three and half marvellous years with Jesus, remembering the crowded days, and the incidents of all those wonderful days; and from them all he made a selection of signs, and grouped them in this marvellous piece of writing, and that with a very definite purpose.
nd so we come to the declaration of purpose. Why did he write? "These are written that ye may believe." There are two uses of the same verb in that passage. "That ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name." In this double use of the verb, we have revealed the two sides of the faith that brings men into life. The first quite patently is intellectual conviction, "that ye may believe"; that is that you may be convinced. Of what? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. But more; "And that believing ye may have life." That implies more than intellectual conviction. That is belief as volitional surrender to the thing of which the mind is convinced. As a matter of fact, we never really believe anything until we surrender ourselves to it. It is possible to say every Sunday, "I believe in God the Father Almighty." Do we? Saying it in the sanctuary does not prove it. The life through the week proves the reality of the faith affirmed, or disproves it. Intellectual conviction is not saving faith; but apart from it there can be no saving faith. We must have the facts, and grasp them intellectually, and then yield to them.
 egin with the intellectual. What does he say is to be believed? In order that we may believe something about Jesus. It is very arresting that John uses that name for our Lord more than any other writer. In the Revised Version we find that Mark calls our Lord, "Jesus" only thirteen times. Luke calls Him "Jesus" eighty-eight times. Matthew calls Him "Jesus" one hundred and fifty-one tin es. John calls Him "Jesus" two hundred and forty-seven times. That is quite mechanical, but it is revealing. In other words, all through this Gospel, John is keeping us face to face with the human Jesus, Jesus as He was known. His eyes were ever on Jesus as known in the days of His flesh. This is admittedly the Gospel of our Lord's Deity, and yet this Gospel keeps me close to His humanity more than either of the other Gospels does. Matthew? I am in the presence of government all the way through. I am impressed with authority. Mark? I am in the presence of the suffering Servant stripped of His dignity. Luke? I am in the presence of Man in an ideal perfection that almost frightens me. But in John I feel I can handle Him, and get close to the human. He never lets me get away from the human.
ut in Him there was more than the human. "These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ." Let us pause there. In this Gospel he calls Him Christ twenty-one times, three of them in connection with the name Jesus. Where he says the law came by Moses, grace and truth by Jesus Christ, he links them. He never links them again until recording the prayer of our Lord in chapter seventeen, verse three (John 17:3), "Him Whom Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ." He does so finally in this foot-note, "that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ." Three times only they are thus linked together.
he first purpose of the writing is to prove that Jesus is the Christ. That was the question in all the years of our Lord's public ministry to the people among whom He exercised that ministry. Is He the Christ? There came a day when they asked our Lord specifically; "If Thou art the Christ, tell us plainly." It was the question that divided men; some saying, Yes, and others, No. John now says, I have gathered up these things to prove that Jesus is the Christ, that you may believe it.
 hat else? "The Son of God." The title Christ refers to His office. The designation Son of God, refers to His Person. He speaks of the Man of Nazareth, and remembers that he had looked into human eyes, been conscious of the touch of human hands, had put his head on the bosom of Jesus, and felt the beating of His human heart. Yes, but he had gathered up signs that prove the deepest fact, that this Jesus is the Son of God. Not a Son of God, but the Son of God.
hat phrase, occurring here in the foot-note, must be interpreted by the writer's use of it in the earlier part of his book. In that book we find the first reference to the Sonship of Jesus in the eighteenth verse of chapter one (John 1:18), at the close of the prologue. "No man hath seen God at any time"; but "the only begotten Son Who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." That is the first reference of John to the Sonship of Jesus.
here are two renderings of that reference to Sonship. Admittedly it is difficult to decide between them; and the difficulty is created by a difference in the manuscripts. There are many which read, "the only-begotten Son Who is in the bosom of the Father." But there are also many which read, "God only-begotten." In either case the significance is the same. The word "begotten" marks Sonship, even if the manuscripts which read, "God only begotten" are correct. It is Sonship, and Sonship of a peculiar nature. Every subsequent reference to the Sonship of Jesus must be interpreted by this. He is repeatedly referred to as the Son, or Son of God, in fact twenty-four times; and always we must interpret by that strange, myopic word, "the only-begotten Son of God," or "God the only begotten." That is what John means at the end.
ow, if the great question of the hour in the ministry of Jesus was that of His Messiahship, the profounder question was the one that Jesus asked, What do you think of the Messiah, Whose Son is He? They told Him, "The Son of David." Then He said, How did David call Him Lord? when he said; "Jehovah said unto my Lord." How did David call Him Lord, if He was only his son? Christ's great question was that, Whose Son is He? The question of men was, Is He the Messiah? But the deeper question was, Whose Son is the Messiah? John says, I have gathered these signs that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He is the Son of God. That was the purpose intellectually of this book.
e may state this in another and arresting way. John says in effect: "Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that ye may believe" that Simon Peter was right at Caesarea Philippi. What did Simon Peter say at Caesarea Philippi? Jesus had asked, Who do you say that I am? Peter replied: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father Who is in heaven." Long years after John, the poet, the friend of Simon, sat down, and said in effect, Simon was right that day. Let me gather out the signs. He gathered them, and grouped them; and wrote his treatise and said, These are written that you may believe that Simon was right, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
nd so we reach the end, "that believing ye may have life in His name." If being intellectually convinced, we act in accordance with the conviction, what then? We have life. That is the way into life; life in His name. Intellectual conviction is not enough. By volitional surrender only, can we pass into life.
 inally, this word life is arresting. The word John uses for life is the Greek word zoë. There are other words which stand for life. There is the word pneuma for spirit; psuche for mind. There is another outstanding word, bios. But John uses neither of these. Moreover, it is true that all the New Testament writers, when referring to the life that comes through Jesus, use that word zoe. In classical Greek, zoe simply means the life principle. It is used of insects, of worms, of men, or of God. Bios was supposed to be a higher word, meaning life on a higher level. We have the thought of the two words in our words biology and zoology. When we speak of zoology to-day we are referring to animal life. The other word we use of human life, and all its higher forms. The New Testament employs the word which refers to life simply. In Greek there are two words that stand in antithesis, zoe and thanatos, life and death. In the New Testament throughout zoe is used for life. The Bible recognizes that death is the result of sin; so when sin is absent, or dealt with and put away, life is restored, in which there is no room for death. Zoe therefore becomes sinless life, life completely realizing the ideal, with no thanatos, no death. That is what Jesus meant when He said, " He that believeth on Me . . . shall never die." Thus Christianity has taken hold of the word which is of the simplest in its original intention, and filled it with sublimity. We enter into life that has no antithesis in death, that is, eternal life. We enter into that when we are convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and when we answer our conviction by trusting everything that is suggested by that, trusting the great and eternal implicates that are there.
hus we have considered the writer's account of his book, and so are prepared to study it in harmony with its declared purpose.
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