Season 2: Episode 38
Did the Author of John Know the Other Gospels?
Date Aired: 10/22/2023
At first reading, the Gospel of John feels a world apart from the other gospels. The language is different, there are new stories (see our episode on “the woman taken in adultery”) and Jesus speaks about himself in bolder terms (“I am the resurrection and the life”; “I am the light of the world.”) That has led some scholars to argue that the author of John didn’t know the Synoptic Gospels and was instead working from other sources, probably oral traditions about Jesus circulating in the first century CE. Our guest doesn’t buy it. Mark Goodacre, creator of the pioneering biblical studies podcast NT Pod, argues convincingly that the author of John not only knew the other gospels, but wrote his version in direct response to them.
Listen to the episode on the Biblical Time Machine website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Disclaimer: The Society of Biblical Literature is not responsible for the content of this podcast. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Society of Biblical Literature, its members, or its staff.
