THE KING’S BUSINESS 121 Studies in the Gospel According to John —Continued R. A. TORREY [These Studies are for careful study, not rapid and heedless reading] II* The Public Ministry of Jesus leading Those Who Were of the Truth to Believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God.—Ch. 1:19-50.
1. The Testimony of John the Baptist ( 1 :1 9 - 3 4 ) . V . 19. “And this is the record (ra th e r, witness) of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou ?” J o h n begins his sto ry o f th e life of th e L o rd Jesu s a t th e sam e p o in t th a t M ark begins his w ith th e m in istry a n d testim ony o f Jo h n th e B ap tist (see M ark 1 :1 -8 ; cf. A c ts 1 :2 2 ; 1 0 :3 7 ; 1 3 :2 4 ). Jo h n , how ever, m akes no m en tio n o f Jo h n th e B ap tist’s p re a ch ing o f re p en tan c e as d o M atthew , M ark a n d L u k e ; fo r Jo h n w as n o t con c e rn ed w ith a full re p o rt of th e B ap tist’s m inistry b u t only th e re p o rt o f his testim ony to th e L o rd Jesus as th e h e ra ld o f th e com ing Christ. H ow ev er, J o h n th e B ap tist’s p re a ch in g o f rep en tan c e is im p lied in v e rse 23. N e ith e r does Jo h n tell th e sto ry of Jesu s’ b ap tism b y J o h n th e B ap tist— th a t sto ry h a d a lre a d y b e e n fully to ld b e fo re Jo h n w ro te his G o spel a n d is n o t c o n n e c t ed w ith th e o b je c t J o h n h a d in m ind in w riting his G ospel. H ow ever, J o h n ’s a ccoun t ev id en tly p re su p po ses th a t th e circum stances o f th e b ap tism o f Jesu s b y J o h n th e B ap tist w e re w ell known. T h e “and” w ith which v e rse 19 begins, a t first sight seem s stran g e a t th e beg inning o f a n en tirely new section o f th e G ospel, b u t it is n o t strang e w hen one com es to stu d y it, b u t natu ral. It show s how closely th e h isto ry is
J o h n ’s in tro d u c tio n (o r p ro lo g u e ) closes w ith verse 18 a n d w ith verse 19 th e h isto ry o f th e w o rd s an d w o rk s o f th e L o rd Jesu s begins. T h e re a re seven m ain divisions to th e G o sp el: F irst, T h e P ro logu e o r In tro d u c tion which w e h av e ju st finished (Ch. 1 :1 -1 8 ). Second, T h e section which w e a re ju st beginning, an d which closes a t th e end of th e tw e lfth ch ap te r, an d which sets fo rth th e Public M inistry o f Jesus, le ad in g tho se w ho a re of th e tru th to b elieve on H im as th e Christ, th e Son o f G o d (C h . 1 :19— 1 2 :5 0 ). T h ird , Jesu s’ R ev e la tio n o f H im self A lo n e W ith H is D isciples on th e N ight B efore th e Crucifixion, le ad ing H is disciples to m o re th o ro u g h ly an d intelligen tly b e liev e on him (Chs. 13 - 17 ). F ou rth , T h e S to ry o f th e C ruci fixion of Jesus, a fulfillm ent of p ro p h e cy a n d a g ro u n d o f faith (Chs. 18 a n d 1 9 ). F ifth, T h e R esu rrection o f Jesus, th e Full a n d Decisive P ro o f T h a t H e Is th e Christ, th e Son o f G o d (Ch. 20 ). Sixth, A p p e n d ix (ch. 2 1 :1 - 2 3 ) . Seventh, N o te o f E n d o rsem en t W hile J o h n W a s Y e t A liv e (Ch. 2 1 :2 4 -2 5 ). T h e re a re v ario u s subdivisions to these m ain divisions of th e Gospel. W e w ill ta k e up th e se subdivisions as w e com e to them .
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