The Ambiguity Of The Gospel According To John

The Gospel according to John varies from the synoptic gospels in multiple ways. A notable variant discussed by scholars is that the Gospel according to John utilizes literary devices much more freely, and it is “the most overtly interpretive.” The Prologue, unique to John, uses symbolism liberally, and countless interpretations about it have arisen. Due to the ambiguity of the passage, notable theologians have analyzed in depth the implications the Gospel makes on Christianity. Some topics discussed in the Prologue are the relationship between the Word and God, the Word’s meaning, the Light’s meaning, and the dual nature of Christ; through comparing traditional views to modern, one can derive a clearer understanding of the Gospel. Specifically,
Henry agreed with Saint Aquinas that the life of man is much greater and nobler than any other creature, but, opposing Saint Aquinas, he believed that while other creatures were created by God, only man received the Light and let it shine through him. Continuing, Henry took the stance that the darkness mention in John 1:5 is man himself after the fall., He progressed by explaining that the darkness that encompassed man was also his sins and errors in faith. That implies that when Christ the Light was incarnated, He banished the darkness from fallen man and, subsequently, enlighten the
Robert Dean Kysar, a Johannine scholar of the 1900s, suggests that the Prologue discusses the existence of Christ, the Word, beyond human comprehension and imagination. This analysis is only indirectly discussed for a brief moment in the traditional sources above, and, with that, Kysar reminds the reader of the spiritual awe one experiences when reading scripture. Kysar, drawing from other parts of scripture, also suggests that with Christ’s dual nature, He was not presented as a victim but the Lord when under persecution from Pontius Pilate. This shows Christ’s full acknowledgement of His dual nature, and His boundless love for mankind. Herman Ridderbos, a theologian and biblical scholar of the 1900s, discussed the structure of the Prologue, and proposed that the Word and Light were not upon the earth and shining through man until the Son was incarnated. This belief contradicted Saint Aquinas’s understanding, but still reiterated man’s fallen nature, which was discussed by both Saint Aquinas and Matthew Henry. Ridderbos also directly connected the Word and Light as parts of Christ, something not stated by either traditional