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Gospel according to John

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Rylands Library Papyrus P52, preserving verses from John 18
Rylands Library Papyrus P52, preserving verses from John 18

Gospel according to John is a book of the four Gospels centered on Jesus as the eternal Word made flesh who reveals the Father and gives divine and sacramental life.[1]

Place in the Catholic canon

Gospel according to John is received by the Catholic Church as inspired and canonical Sacred Scripture.

Within the canon, the book belongs to the four Gospels. Its proper meaning is read within the unity of the whole Bible, the Church's living Tradition, and the coherence of revealed truth.

Content and theology

The book principally treats Jesus as the eternal Word made flesh who reveals the Father and gives divine and sacramental life. Its historical setting, literary forms, and compositional history are proper subjects of disciplined scholarship; no disputed modern authorship theory is itself an article of Catholic faith.

Catholic reading

The Church receives the book as the word of God in human words. Its literal sense grounds authentic spiritual and typological readings, and its fullest Christian interpretation is governed by the revelation of the Father in Jesus Christ without erasing Israel, the human author's meaning, or salvation history.[2]

References

  1. Back to citation USCCB Bible: Gospel according to John — Approved biblical text, introduction, and study notes.
  2. Back to citation Dei Verbum — Dogmatic constitution on revelation, inspiration, and interpretation.