CONTENTS
PART I
THE FOURTH GOSPEL IN COMPARISON WITH THE
FIRST THREE GOSPELS.
INTRODUCTION, pp. 3-8.
CHAPTER I
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST THREE GOSPELS AND THE FOURTH, pp. 9-46.
1. Duration of Jesus Ministry, 9 f.; 2. Scene of Jesus' Ministry, 2-13;
3. The Classes of people amongst whom Jesus moved, 13-16; 4. Course of
Jesus' Ministry, 16-18; 5. Jesus' works of wonder, 18-25; 6. The
general picture of Jesus, 25-30; 7. Genuine human characteristics in
Jesus? 30-33; 8. Development of Jesus in the course of his work, 33-35;
9. Form of Jesus' discourses, 35 f.; 10. Subject of Jesus' discourses,
37-39; 11. Demands made by Jesus in his discourses, 40-43; 12.
Misunderstandings as regards Jesus' discourses, 43-46.
CHAPTER II
ATTEMPTS TO RECONCILE THE FIRST THREE GOSPELS WITH THE FOURTH, pp. 47-68.
1. Earlier attempts to reconcile them completely, 47-49; 2. Modern
attempts to reconcile them approximately, 49 f.; 3. Use of the
Synoptics by Jn., 51 f.; 4. Is Jn.'s purpose simply to supplement and
correct? 52 f.; 5. Jn.'s purpose not merely to supplement and correct,
53-57; 6. Are several journeys of Jesus to Jerusalem presupposed in Mt.
xxiii. 37? 57-61; 7. Is Jesus relationship to God in Mt. xi. 27 the
same as in Jn.? 61-66; 8. Inaccurate recollection on the part of the
Apostle John? 67 f .
CHAPTER III
DECISION AS TO WHICH is THE MORE TRUSTWORTHY: THE STORY OF THE FIRST THREE
GOSPELS OR OF THE FOURTH, pp. 69-139.
1. Reasons for favouring Jn., 691; 2. Preference for the Synoptics on
the whole, 71; 3. Influence of Jesus with his hearers, 71 f.; 4. Course
of Jesus' public work, 72 f.; 5. Jesus style of speaking, 73 f.; 6.
Misunderstandings as regards Jesus' discourses, 74; 7. Repetitions in
Jesus' discourses, 74 f.; 8. Leaves in Jn. wrongly arranged? 75 f.; 9.
Careless description in Jn., 76-78; 10. Colourless descriptions in Jn.,
78 f.; 11. The picture of John the Baptist, 79 f.; 12. Injudicious
reliance on the Synoptics, 81-83; 13. Astounding nature of the miracles
of Jesus in Jn., 83 f.; 14. Are miracles possible? 84-88; 15. Must we
believe in miracles? 88-93; 16. Silence of the Synoptics as to the
miracles in Jn., 93 f.; 17. The miracles in Jn. symbolic, 95-100; 18.
The Feeding a fact for Jn. in spite of all? 101-106; 19. Are the other
miracles facts for Jn.? 106-110; 20. Traditions known only to Jn.?
110-112; 21. Amplification of the story of Lazarus on the basis of Lk.,
112-115; 22. Other amplifications in Jn., 115-117; 23. Divergence as to
Jesus' death, 117-119; 24. Day of Jesus' death according to the
Synoptics conceivable, 119-126; 25. The day of Jesus' death
artificially fixed in Jn., 126-130; 26. The story of Jesus'
resurrection, 130-134; 27. Introduction of conditions of a later
period, 134-136; 28. Precise statements of time in Jn., 136-138;
Conclusion, 1381
CHAPTER IV
FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL AND THEIR ORIGINS, pp. 140-166.
INTRODUCTION, p. 140.
1. Revelation through "the Word" (the Logos), 141 f.; 2. The Logos as
reason, 142-144; 3. Jesus as Logos in the New Testament Epistles,
144-146; 4. Mingling of religions at the time of Jn., 147 f.; 5.
Gnosticism, 148-151; 6. The Prologue of the Fourth Gospel, 151-154; 7.
Jesus as Logos throughout the Fourth Gospel, 154 f.; 8. Suppression of
human traits in Jesus, 156-158; 9. Kingdom of God and Kingdom of the
Devil according to Jn., 158 f.; 10. Children of God and of the Devil,
159 f.; 11. Softening of the opposition, 160-162; 12. Difference
between Jn. and the Gnostics, 162-164; 13. Jn.'s leaning to the
teaching of the Church, 164 f.; Conclusion, 165 f.
PART II
ORIGIN AND VALUE OF THE GOSPEL, EPISTLES, AND REVELATION OF JOHN.
INTRODUCTION, p. 169.
CHAPTER I
AUTHOR OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL AND DATE AT WHICH IT WAS WRITTEN, pp. 170-203.
1. Papias' teacher in Ephesus: John the Elder, 170-173; 2. Polycarp's
teacher in Ephesus: John the Elder, 173 f.; 3. The Apostle John not in
Ephesus, 174 f.; 4. Confusion of the two Johns, 175-177; 5. Early death
of the Apostle John (in Palestine), 177 f.; 6. Result as far as the
Fourth Gospel is concerned, 178 f.; 7. The Testimony of the beloved
disciple, 179-181; 8. Further witness of the author to himself (Jn.
xix. 35), 181-183; 9. No deception in writing under pseudonyms,
183-185; 10. Chapter xxi. an appendix from another pen, 186 f.; 11. The
real picture of John the Apostle, 187 f.; 12. Mistakes as to the
condition of things in Palestine, 188 f.; 13. John the Elder not the
writer of the Fourth Gospel, 189 f.; 14. What kind of person was the
Fourth Evangelist? 190 f.; 15. Date at which the Fourth Gospel was
composed, 191 1; 16. The Apostle is not mentioned as the author until
after the year 170 A.D., 192-194; 17. Value of these "external
evidences," 194-196; 18. The Gospel not used before 140, 197 f.; 19.
Used without recognition in the years 140-170, 199; 20. Conclusion as
to the "external evidences," 199 f.; 21. Mention of Bar Cochba's
insurrection in Jn. v. 43, 200 f.; 22. The Fourth Gospel not the work
of several authors, 201-203.
CHAPTER II
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN, pp. 204-212.
1. Main purpose: to oppose the Gnostics, 204 f.; 2. Agreement with
Gnosticism, 206; 3. Nature of the opposition to Gnosticism, 207 f.; 4.
The Epistle not by the author of the Gospel, 208-210; 5. Date of
composition, 210 f.; 6. Secondary purpose: recommendation of the Fourth
Gospel/ 211 f.
CHAPTER III
THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLES OF JOHN, pp. 213-217.
1. Purpose of the two Epistles, 213 f.; 2. Address of the two Epistles,
214 f.; 3. Author of the two Epistles and date of composition, 215-217.
CHAPTER IV
THE "REVELATION" OF JOHN, pp. 218-232.
1. Various interpretations, 218 f.; 2. Combination of separate
fragments, 219 f.; 3. A Leaflet on the fate of Jerusalem, 221; 4.
Prophecy concerning Rome and the First Beast, 222-225; 5. The Number
666, 226 f.; 6. Time of composition, 227; 7. The author not the author
of the Fourth Gospel, 227 f.; 8. The author not the Apostle John, 228
f.; 9. The author John the Elder? 229-231; 10. Spirit of the book, 231
f .
CHAPTER V
SPIRIT AND VALUE OF THE GOSPEL AND EPISTLES OF JOHN, pp. 233-258.
1. Admission of the Gentiles into the Christian body, 233-235; 2.
Struggle with the Jews, 235 f.; 3. Appreciation of Montanism and
Gnosticism, 236 f.; 4. Ideas about the state after death, 237; 5. Jesus
the Son of God and Logos in heaven, 238 f.; 6. Emphasis on the Church,
239-241; 7. Jesus as a divine being upon earth, 241 f.; 8. Why did Jn.
write a Gospel? 242 f.; 9. Some special ideas of abiding value, 244 f.;
10. Communion with God, 245 f.; 11. Redemption through Jesus, 246-253;
12. Spiritualising of materialistic ideas, 253-255; 13. Final
appreciation, 255-258.
APPENDIX, pp. 261-280.
Note to page 248, 261-269. Note to page 250, 270-277. Books
recommended, 279 f.
INDEX . . . . . pp. 281-285
BIBLICAL PASSAGES EXPLAINED . . . . . p. 287
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