What you'll learn

Understand the background surrounding this wonderful Gospel as well as how the writing relates to us today.
Describe the different overarching themes that tie the Gospel of John together.
Explain the elements of the Gospel of John that are so important to embrace today.
Delineate the similarities and differences between the issues of today that overlap with the issues Jesus spoke about in this Gospel.
Develop a broader understanding of what it means to be a King Jesus follower in a countercultural way.
Appreciate the importance of having a robust understanding of the seven overarching themes that the Gospel of John identifies.

Course content

7 sections • 71 lectures • 6h 17m total length

Welcome to Themes in the Gospel of John1:38
Introduction to the Course with Prof. N.T. Wright2:36
John 1:1-18 KNT1:37
Reading of John 1:1-18 KNT2:16
Session One: How is Justice Done?9:44
John 12:20-33 KNT1:23
Reading of John 12:20-331:54
Session Two: Putting Things Right15:09
John 16:1-15 KNT1:36
Reading of John 16:1-152:05
Session Three: Holding the World Accountable16:13
Comprehension Assessment on the Theme of Justice
Practice Exercises #1: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions1:36

John 2:1-11 KNT1:17
Reading of John 2:1-11 KNT1:34
In Cana of Galilee, Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding, the first of his signs. The disciples believe in him.
Session Four: How Do We Build Healthy Relationships?6:20
John 17:14-26 KNT1:32
Reading of John 17:14-262:02
Session Five: Healing Broken Relationships14:50
Explore how the gospel heals broken relationships through Jesus’ love, the foot washing at the last supper, and the command to love one another, guiding believers toward unity.
John 15:1-17 KNT1:45
Reading of John 15:1-172:25
Session Six: A New Way of Being Human in Relationships12:28
Explore how the church heals relationships across ethnic, class, and social boundaries through love and unity, modeling a new way of being human.
Comprehension Assessment on the Theme of Relationships
Practice Exercises #2: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions0:54

John 2:13-22 KNT1:04
Reading of John 2:13-221:25
Session Seven: What is Spirituality?16:13
Explore how modern culture longs for spirituality beyond materialism, and how the gospel of John presents true spirituality as a gift rooted in Jesus's overflowing love, not private feeling.
John 4:7-26 KNT2:23
Reading of John 4:7-262:39
John 7:37-44 KNT0:52
Reading of John 7:37-441:09
Session Eight: Living as Genuine Humans in New Creation20:26
John 5:1-18 KNT1:38
Reading of John 5:1-182:12
John 20:1-31 KNT3:19
Reading of John 20:1-182:29
Reading of John 20:19-230:55
Reading of John 20:24-311:30
Thomas doubts until Jesus invites him to inspect his wounds, then proclaims faith. Jesus blesses those who believe without sight and indicates these signs lead to life in his name.
Session Nine: Spirituality at the Intersection of Heaven and Earth17:25
Comprehension Assessment on the Theme of Spirituality
Practice Exercises #3: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions1:09

John 11:17-46 KNT2:35
Reading of John 11:17-463:38
Session Ten: What is the Role of Beauty?14:01
John 13:1-17 KNT1:46
Reading of John 13:1-172:21
Session Eleven: Glory as a Vehicle for Beauty12:40
Explore how the gospel of John frames glory as both divine radiance and authority, revealing Jesus as walking temple and source of beauty through love, resurrection, and new creation.
John 18:33-40 KNT1:09
Reading of John 18:33-401:32
Pilate questions Jesus about being king, and Jesus declares his kingdom is not of this world but founded on truth. The crowd rejects him and asks to release Barabbas instead.
Session Twelve: Beauty and the Human Vocation15:40
The lecture argues that beauty belongs in worship and culture, portraying art, music, and liturgy as signposts to the gospel and a call for Christians to be world makers.
Comprehension Assessment on the Theme of Beauty
Practice Exercises #4: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions0:59

Session Sixteen: What is Truth?13:08
John 19:1-16 KNT1:47
Reading of John 19:1-162:25
Session Seventeen: The Spirit of Truth in God's New World13:47
Explore how John presents Jesus as the embodiment of grace and truth, the Spirit of Truth empowering believers to inhabit the new world and become truth tellers within creation.
John 10:1-18 KNT1:57
Reading of John 10:1-182:38
Session Eighteen: Speaking the Truth to Power14:52
Comprehension Assessment on the Theme of Truth
Practice Exercises #6: Processing Ideas and Probing Questions1:03

Requirements

This course only requires a desire to learn about the New Testament. No other materials are required.

Description

The Gospel of John has been a favorite of many readers of the New Testament and is full of beauty, mystery, and, occasionally, surprises. Jesus, in this Gospel, points to a new way of living. It is the Kingdom of God way of life. This way of life was in contrast to the normal Roman way of living in the first century A.D as much as it is in contrast to what most people in the twenty-first century experience.

The course approaches the Gospel of John in a way that looks at seven key themes. These themes bind the Fourth Gospel together in a manner that allows us to see this 'new way of living' as possible for followers of King Jesus. In so doing, we then apply these themes to the current era in order to ask ourselves questions about how we are putting them into practice. In a way, this is the story of how to live out being the presence of God on earth through the indwelling of God's spirit.

Students will encounter these seven themes through understanding many biblical references which Prof. Wright explains. The course is not an 'exegetical' walk through the text. Rather, the explanation of cultural and historical background of our era is explored to help us apply the Gospel of John to today's world. This makes the study very application oriented.

Who this course is for:

This course is for students with an interest in the New Testament writings, particularly the Gospel of John, likely written towards the end of the First Century A.D.
This course is designed to enable the student to discover what the Gospel of John highlights as vital to our understanding of this beautiful Gospel.
Anyone with an interest in the Bible will be encouraged by this course.

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Justice in the Gospel of John (Lectures 1-3)12 lectures • 58min

Relationships in the Gospel of John (Lectures 4-6)10 lectures • 45min

Spirituality in the Gospel of John (Lectures 7-9)16 lectures • 1hr 17min

Beauty in the Gospel of John (Lectures 10-12)10 lectures • 56min

Freedom in the Gospel of John (Lectures 13-15)8 lectures • 48min

Truth in the Gospel of John (Lectures 16-18)8 lectures • 52min

Power in the Gospel of John (Lectures 19-21)7 lectures • 42min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: