Literary Devices in Gospel of John
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
The Gospel of John is set entirely in the Roman province of Judea sometime between the years 28 and 33 CE (source, p. xxxviii). Who cares? Well, Jesus and his disciples lived and worked right sma...
Genre
The Greek word for "gospel" is evangellion, which roughly means "good news." And that's what all four of the gospels claim to share: the good news that God has sent Jesus into the world.
A gosp...
What's Up With the Title?
This one's not too tough. The title lets us know that the story we're about to read is a gospel (see "Genre" for more on that) and that it was written by someone named John. Oh, except that this go...
Trivia
There's some stiff competition, but John 3:16 might be the most famous verse in the entire Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not...
Sex Drugs And Violence Rating
Peter cuts off a guy's ear. Jesus is beaten and whipped. Jesus is hung on a cross to die. The Gospel of John doesn't actually give us any of the gruesome details, but the young'uns might be a...
Allusions
The Grapes of Wrath It's no coincidence that Jim Casy shares the same initials as Jesus. This former preacher turns himself in to save another man and is later killed while advocating for worker's...