C. H. Dodd (1884-1973) was an influential New Testament scholar. In his book The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel, he makes a simple observation: The Gospel of John introduces its characters whereas Mark expects his readers to know who he is talking about.
For example,
- “And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness” (Mark 1:4)
- “There was a man sent from God whose name was John” (John 1:6)
And,
- “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mark 1:9)
- “In the beginning was the Word . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1-14)
What’s the significance?
John explains his characters because he is writing to a non-Christian audience who don’t know basic Christian teaching. They haven’t heard of “John the Baptist” so instead of merely naming him, John introduces him with the phrase, “There was a man sent from God who name was John.”
Additionally, the logos or “the Word” was a concept used extensively by both Greeks and Hellenistic Jews, such as Philo (20 BC – AD 50). It denoted the rational principle ordering the universe or God’s thought and power in action. So by referring to Jesus’ as the logos, John was appealing to a broad audience. He does, however, make a shocking claim about the Word for all readers: “the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14).
Dodd also includes John 20:31 in his argument:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (NIV)
While the Greek can be translated as “continue to believe,” Dodd asserts that the author’s intention clearly shows that he is in the first place writing to non-Christians.
If Dodd is right, and I think he is, John’s intended audience makes his work unique among the Gospels. What about Matthew and Luke? Many believe Matthew was writing to a Christian audience, albeit Jewish Christian. And Luke explicitly begins:
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (1:1-4)
In light of these findings it’s not surprising that copies of the Gospel of John are frequently given to non-believers.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.