er in the narrative proper or
in the quoted words of the Lord, is very frequent. The following
examples will illustrate this: "In the beginning was the word and the
word was with God and the word was God." "The light shineth in
darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not." "I am the Good
Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth his life." "Jesus then, when he saw
her weeping and the Jews that were weeping with her." "If I bear
witness of myself my witness is not true. There is another that
beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth
of me is true." Let the student gather a list of all such repetitions.
(4) _Parallelism_, or statements expressing the same or similar
truths, such as the following are common. "Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you"; "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let
it be afraid"; "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never
perish." This parallelism, which at the same time becomes repetition,
is seen in the way a subject or conclusion is stated and, after
elaboration, restated in a new and enlarged view, thus teaching the
truth in a gradually unfolding beauty and force. An illustration is
found in the statement, "I will raise him up in the last day," 6, 39,
70, 44. (5) _Contrasts_. The plan is more simple and more easily seen
all along than is that of any other of the Evangelists. On the one
hand, he shows how love and faith are developed in the believer until,
in the end, Thomas, who was the most doubtful of all, could exclaim,
"My Lord and my God." On the other hand, he shows the unbeliever
advanced from mere indifference to a positive hatred that culminated
in the crucifixion. This purpose is carried out by a process of
contrasting and separating things that are opposites, such as (a)
Light and darkness, (b) _Truth_ and falsehood, (c) Good and evil, (d)
Life and death, (e) God and Satan. In all of these he is convincing
his reader that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.

Characteristics and Purpose.

1. It Is a Gospel of the Feasts. Indeed, if subtract from it those
miracles and teachings and other works performed in connection with
the feasts, we should have only a few fragments left. The value of the
book would be destroyed and the most beautiful and the profoundest
teachings of the gospel lost.

The student will do well from the following list of feasts to endeavor
to group around each all that John records as occurring in connection
with it