The Truth of St John

Propers for St John's Day

Sermon for St John's Day

The world of Biblical Scholarship is sometimes a strange place to be for Christians. If you are a certain type of scholar, you don't talk about Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you talk about the three Synoptic gospels and the Fourth gospel. Why?

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You will hear some scholars say, "well, we don't really think John wrote that gospel." They give all kinds of reasons based on very scientific observations about how the texts were written and how the gospels were copied and translated through the centuries. There are some biblical scholars who say that the gospels have been tampered with to make it appear that Jesus is God. On what basis do they make this claim? All too often, their reasoning is that miracles don't happen and therefore all reports of miracles must be faked. They think that science shows that people can't rise from the dead. This colours all their views.

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Of course, this makes it difficult for Christians to spread the gospel. If the Bible is shown not to be true, then we are fighting a losing battle. 

It's at this point we meet St John.

St John tells us categorically that he is telling the truth in his letters. We should believe him. St John is the only apostle to have lived into old age. Indeed he has his own disciples like St Polycarp and St Irenaeus who write and pass on his teaching. 

St John shows us that Christianity is more than the Bible alone. St John speaks of things that Jesus says and does that aren't written down. He shows us that the Bible is part of the Church and, the moment you take it out of the Church to take it to.bits, you lose the message it conveys. 

The message of the Church is found in the Bible, but that message is about seeking to be part of the Church and seeking to make God the most fundamental part of your life, not making detailed analysis as to whether the Bible is true based on the type of ink St Paul used.

St John tells us what he has seen and heard. He tells us that he is always close to Jesus, even leaning his head upon the Lord's breast. He is even embarrassed to name himself in his gospel as if it will make him seem more important than he is.

The gospel he writes points outside itself. Indeed, the whole Bible points outside itself. It cannot be of any value in the hands of those who do not believe. The Bible will convince them of nothing unless the Holy Ghost decree it. The only thing a good evangelist can do is tell the truth.

This is why we need to learn what the truth is. We have a faith that seeks understanding and it is as we search that we tell the truth as we find it. This is what St John does and his gospel leads our faith to a better sight of Our Lord.

And when He shall appear, we shall be like Him because shall see Him as He is.