NT156 Understanding Easter: The Significance of the Resurrection
NT202 A Survey of Jewish History and Literature from the Second Temple Period
NT211 Introducing the Gospels and Acts: Their Background, Nature, and Purpose
NT221 The Wisdom of John: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Johannine Literature
NT222 Introducing the Epistles and Revelation: Their Setting and Message
NT301 The Gospels as Ancient Biography: A Theological and Historical Perspective
NT314 Book Study: The Gospel of Matthew in Its Jewish Context
NT332 A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Romans
NT340 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: The Gospel for Jew and Gentile
NT348 Book Study: Paul’s Letters to the Colossians and Philemon
NT364 Book Study: James
NT390 Jesus as Rabbi: The Jewish Context of the Life of Jesus
NT395 Perspectives on Paul: Reformation and the New Perspective
Book Study: The Gospel of John (NT323) is an application-based study of John’s Gospel. It encourages the student to read the Gospel as an ancient text written to a group of Jewish Christians in the Diaspora. The study reflects on the purpose of the book, which is to inspire and build faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and to demonstrate that committing to this faith will bring eternal life.
Identify the various witnesses throughout John’s Gospel
Illustrate the variety of ways John’s Gospel keeps pressing forward to Jesus’ passion
Describe the dualism in John’s Gospel
Explain the general sense of “the Jews” throughout John’s Gospel
Illustrate how John’s Gospel uses three key Jewish festivals
Describe the “remnant” theology of John’s Gospel
Describe the nature of sacramentalism in John’s Gospel
Illustrate the use of misunderstanding and irony throughout John’s Gospel
Analyze the theology of the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel
Summarize the range of Jesus’ “I am” statements
Illustrate how John’s Gospel talks of unity between the Father and the Son and between Jesus and believers
Explain and illustrate what it means to “believe” in John’s Gospel
Summarize the arguments for date, authorship, and audience for John’s Gospel
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
Introduction
Using the Clause Participants Section in the Bible Word Study Tool
What Is John?
Why Did John Write?
Using Greek Searching to Discover the Form of Faith in John’s Gospel
How John Wrote: Elements of His Plot, Part 1
How John Wrote: Elements of His Plot, Part 2
How John Wrote: Elements of His Plot, Part 3
How John Wrote: Elements of His Plot, Part 4
Seven Exegetical Questions
Major Narrative Divisions
Prologue: Introduction
Prologue: Historical-Cultural Background
Prologue: Setting, Characters, and Key Terms
Prologue: Theological Ideas
Creating a Syntax Query to Discover the Greatness of Grace
Gospel of John’s Christology
John the Baptist’s Testimony about Jesus
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
John and Jesus’ Disciples: Historical-Cultural Background
John and Jesus’ Disciples: Characters and Function
John and Jesus’ Disciples: Key Terms and Theological Ideas
Filtering a Bible to Display Only Verses on a Specific Topic
Wedding at Cana: Setting in the Larger Narrative
Exploring John’s Chronology with Inline Searching
Wedding at Cana: The Story and Its Meaning
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Historical-Cultural Background of John 2
Function and Theology of John 2
Nicodemus Visits Jesus: Setting
Nicodemus Visits Jesus: Insufficient Faith
John’s Final Testimony to Christ
Nicodemus: Historical-Cultural Background, Part 1
Nicodemus: Historical-Cultural Background, Part 2
Nicodemus: Function in the Larger Framework of John
Nicodemus: Key Terms and Theological Ideas
Gospel of John’s Theology of Discipleship and the Church
Jesus and the Woman of Samaria
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son in Galilee
Historical-Cultural Background of John 4
Theological Ideas of John 4
Gospel of John’s Theology of Salvation
Introduction: Jewish Festival Cycle
Using Different Tools to Study Feasts in the Gospel of John
Jesus and the Sabbath: Introduction
Jesus and the Sabbath: Historical-Cultural Background
Jesus and the Sabbath: Theology
Event: Jesus Testing His Disciples
Teaching: Jesus Teaching about True Discipleship
Response: The Disciples Responding to Jesus
Function of John 6
Key Terms of John 6
Using the Clause Search to Find Instances of God Gathering Israel
Theological Ideas of John 6
Gospel of John’s Sacramentalism
Jesus and the Festival of Tabernacles: Introduction
Festival of Tabernacles: Conflict over Jesus’ Identity
A Pause: Woman Caught in Adultery, Part 1
A Pause: Woman Caught in Adultery, Part 2
Festival of Tabernacles: Rejection of Jesus’ Self-Revelation
Festival of Tabernacles: Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind
Festival of Tabernacles: Jesus as the Good Shepherd
Festival of Tabernacles: Summary
Searching for the “I Am” Statements in John
Festival of Tabernacles: Key Terms
Festival of Tabernacles: Theological Ideas
Festival of Dedication: Historical-Cultural Background
Festival of Dedication
Festival of Dedication: Function and Theological Ideas
Death and Resurrection of Lazarus: Context and Characters
Death and Resurrection of Lazarus: Function
Jesus’ Impending Death: Place in the Larger Framework of John
Jesus’ Impending Death: Function and Key Terms
Jesus’ Impending Death: Theological Ideas
Gospel of John’s Theology of Atonement
Using the Bible Sense Lexicon to Find Animals Used for Sin Offerings
Private Preparation: Context
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
Gift of Bread for a Betrayer
Jesus’ Words about His Departure: Part 1
Jesus’ Words about Abiding and Loving
Jesus’ Words about His Departure: Part 2
Jesus’ Words about His Departure: Function
Gospel of John’s Theology of the Holy Spirit
Finding the Trinity Using an Inline Search and Visual Filters
Jesus’ Prayer before His Arrest
Jesus’ Prayer before His Arrest: Function and Theology
Jesus’ Arrest, the Priest’s Interrogation, and Peter’s Denial
Pilate’s Interrogation and Jesus’ Kingdom
Jesus’ Crucifixion, Death, and Burial
Jesus’ Crucifixion, Death, and Burial: Function and Theology
Jesus’ Post-Resurrection Appearances
John’s Epilogue
Jesus’ Post-Resurrection Appearances: Function
Using Factbook and Visual Copy to Create a Custom Bible Introduction Presentation
Gospel of John: Jesus and the Beloved Apostle
Gospel of John: Old Look/New Look
Gospel of John: Authorship
Researching the Reliability of John’s Gospel with the Factbook
Gospel of John: Audience and Date
Gospel of John: A Jewish Gospel
Review
Title: NT323 Book Study: The Gospel of John
Instructor: Joel Willitts
Publisher: Lexham Press
Publication Date: 2015
Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
Courses: 1
Video Hours: 11
Dr. Joel Willitts is an associate professor in the biblical and theological studies department at North Park University. After graduating with a BS, he spent seven years in youth ministry in Texas, Florida, and Illinois. He earned a ThM (2000), an MPhil (2002), and a PhD (2007) from Cambridge University in England.
He has a wide breadth of experience within both the church and academia. Dr. Willitts has researched and published books, essays, and journal articles on the New Testament’s Jewish context. He is currently working on a Galatians commentary, a book on Jesus as the Davidic Son, and a book about sexual abuse.
Dr. Willitts’ passion for the local church has remained strong throughout his education and professional life. He is a fellow at the Center for Pastoral Theology, a group that promotes theology in and for the local church. He has been married to his wife, Karla, for 20 years, and they have six-year-old twins, Zion and Mary. They live in Saint Charles, Illinois.