The query of authorship in regards to the fourth Gospel has been a topic of intensive scholarly debate for hundreds of years. Conventional attribution assigns the Gospel to John, the son of Zebedee, considered one of Jesus’s twelve apostles. This ascription is predicated on early church custom and inner clues inside the textual content itself, such because the “disciple whom Jesus beloved.” Nevertheless, the id of this determine stays a degree of rivalry amongst biblical students.
The notion that the person who baptized Jesus authored the Gospel bearing the title “John” lacks vital help. Scholarly consensus largely rejects the proposition, citing variations in theological perspective, writing model, and total goal between the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), which prominently function the baptizing determine, and the fourth Gospel. Moreover, the baptizer’s position within the fourth Gospel is distinct and subordinate to that of Jesus, suggesting a unique authorial intent.