Raymond E. Brown

Raymond E. Brown, The Community of the Beloved Disciple.
Phase 2: When the Gospel was Written - Johannine Relations to Outsiders, p. 59-91

(Detailed summary)

We have already suggested that the pre-evangelical period of the formation of the Johannine community extends from the 50s to the 80s. This chapter aims to present the Johannine view of a variety of non-believers in the eyes of the community. This view adapted to the arrival of pagans in the community, and we can perceive a certain universalism in phrases such as: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life... but that the world might be saved through him " (Jn 3:16-17). But this does not prevent him from categorizing the human race into believers and non-believers: "Whoever believes in him is not judged; whoever does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (Jn 3:18). And of course, believers refer to the Johannine community, and people "outside" belong to the world of darkness. No other gospel defines its relationships in such strong terms of opposition.

However, we should not think that this community defines itself negatively in opposition to others. Rather, it defines itself as a communion (koinōnia) (1 Jn 1:3), where members consider each other brothers and sisters and where the call to love one another is a central commandment (Jn 13:34). Even the vision of a high Christology contributes to this idea, for the fact that Jesus saw the Father reveals that he is a God of love and that it is through love that he gave himself through Jesus (Jn 3:16). Such an understanding of God and Jesus requires Christians to behave in a way that reflects them: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35).

Some biblical scholars see in the fourth Gospel an elitist group that developed an esoteric and opaque language that became unintelligible to outsiders. This exaggerates the difficulty posed by John's literary devices. When he presents a dialogue, the interlocutor who does not understand Jesus' language reflects those whose eyes are earthly and find Jesus completely incomprehensible. John knows that the reader is more intelligent than the interlocutor in the dialogue. But at the same time, he challenges the reader to go further than Nicodemus or the Samaritan woman. The fourth gospel is not the manifesto of an elitist group seeking to set itself apart from "outsiders." Its purpose is to invite the Johannine community itself to a deeper understanding of Jesus, for he is from God and therefore remains beyond what human beings can grasp. It is therefore not surprising that the theme of incomprehension runs throughout the Gospel.

The question that interests us now, and which is more relevant than that of his opponents, concerns the relationship of Johannine believers with a variety of non-believers and with other believers. The fourth Gospel gives us an answer only indirectly, through clues drawn from a polemical and conflictual context.

Non-Believers Detectable in the Gospel
1. I: The World
  
  A sentence such as John 3:5 ("For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life") gives the impression of a favorable attitude toward the world. But more often than not, the term refers to those who have rejected the light.
  - Jn 7: 7: "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil."
  - Jn 9: 39: "Jesus said, 'I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.'"
  - Jn 12: 31: "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out"
  - Jn 14: 17: "This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you."
  - Jn 16: 20: "Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy"
  - Jn 16: 33: "I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!"
  - Jn 17: 9: "I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours"
  Some biblical scholars have identified the "world" with "the Jews." However, while the Prince of this world is often associated with Satan, considered the father of the Jews according to John 8:44, the concept of "world" is much broader. While opposition from the Jews dominates chapters 5-12, opposition from the world dominates chapters 14-17. This fact suggests a certain chronology in the opposition. Indeed, we have seen that it is in chapter 12 that the Greeks come to Jesus, at the moment when the break with the Jews is complete, while the Johannine Christians are expelled from the synagogue. That the opposition shifts from "the Jews" to "the world" suggests that the Johannine Christians now face the unbelief of the pagans. And this rejection goes beyond Christology, as indicated in 1 Jn 2:16: "For everything in the world -the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- does not come from the Father but from the world."
  
  That Jesus came to be rejected by the Jews in particular and by the world in general had a tragic impact on Johannine thought ("he came to his own, and his own did not receive him," Jn 1:11). Jesus was perceived as a stranger on earth, and it is by returning to the Father that he returns home (Jn 17:5). Johannine Christians view their situation in the same way ("If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, since my choice has drawn you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you," Jn 15:19). And so, ultimately, the dwelling place of Johannine Christians is also in heaven ("When I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me, so that where I am, you may be too," Jn 14:3). In short, this feeling of rejection produced a growing sense of alienation, so that the community felt like strangers in this world.
  
  Can we go further in determining the geographical and chronological location of this community? Tertullian tells us that the pagans were furious to see the brotherhood in Christian communities where people called each other "brother" and "sister." But the question remains: had this struggle between the community and the pagans reached the intensity of persecution? Biblical scholars have suggested that the Gospel was written in Asia Minor around 95-100 AD and reflects the persecution of the Roman emperor Domitian (reigned 81-96). But this would reflect the same period proposed for the writing of Revelation. However, the attitude toward Pilate and the emperor in the fourth Gospel does not have the bitter tone toward Rome that is found in Revelation; at most, there was harassment by local Roman authorities in connection with the synagogue-church conflict. What is clearer is that at the time of the Gospel's writing, the community must have spent enough time with non-Jews to realize that many of them were no more willing to accept Jesus than "the Jews," and that the term "world" was appropriate to describe this opposition.
2. Group II: The Jews
  
  The expulsion from the synagogue took place some time before the writing of the fourth gospel. But that does not prevent the fact that Johannine Christians continued to be persecuted, even killed by "the Jews." This means that even though they moved to live in an environment dominated by pagans, that environment also had synagogues. And we know that after Yavne, the Jewish authorities followed the lead of the Pharisees, who were very harsh towards deviants. There are several regions where synagogues of some importance can be found to explain the hostile interactions with Johannine Christians. On this point, the virulent attacks in Revelation against the synagogues of Asia Minor in Smyrna and Philadelphia reinforce the idea of Ephesus as the location of the Johannine community.
  
  Some biblical scholars have suggested that the fourth gospel was written as a missionary tract to convert Jews. This is an untenable position, as it confuses the past history of the Johannine community with the situation in which the gospel was written. Of course, the fourth Gospel contains traces of ancient discussions between Christians and Jews that include topics also found in other New Testament writings, such as violating the Sabbath and thereby violating the Law of Moses (Jn 5:16), the resurrection of Jesus (Jn 2:18-22), the incredible nature of the Eucharist (Jn 6:52), and Jesus' lack of education (Jn 7:15). Nevertheless, the dominant debate in the fourth Gospel concerns the divinity of Jesus. And the arguments of the Christian position were perfected through subsequent disputes, which led to the expulsion of the Johannine Christians from the synagogue. When Jesus says that no one can come to him unless it is granted by the Father (Jn 6:37, 39, 44-65), this means that there is no longer any real hope in Johannine circles of being able to reach the Jews.
  
  Thus, even though the Johannine Christians no longer sought to convert Jews, there are several reasons why the details of the old debates were retained. First, any religious group that has separated from another group will retain the arsenal of arguments that led to this position and that will be useful for the education of new generations. Second, as we will see later, there were Jews in the synagogues who secretly believed in Jesus. So this arsenal of arguments could be used to give them courage and to openly confess Jesus, even if it meant being expelled from the synagogue.
3. Group III: The Adherents of John the Baptist
  
  We have seen that the Johannine community has its roots among the disciples of John the Baptist. So it may seem surprising to find a number of negative statements about him in the fourth Gospel.
  - Jn 1: 8: "He himself was not the light"
  - Jn 1: 15: "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me"
  - Jn 1: 20: "I am not the Messiah"
  - Jn 3: 30: "He must increase, but I must decrease"
  - Jn 10: 41: "John performed no sign"
  But everything becomes clear when we read this passage from John 3:22-26 in an autobiographical way, where John the Baptist's disciples are indignant that Jesus is making more disciples than their master: This means that when the fourth Gospel was written, there were disciples of John the Baptist who did not believe in Jesus, and therefore the writing of the Gospel constitutes an apologetic against them.
  
  It must be acknowledged that no synoptic account has as many reservations about John the Baptist. This can be understood in light of Acts 18:24 - 19:7, where Apollos and a group of twelve disciples had only received the baptism of John the Baptist; they had to receive catechesis on Jesus. Thus, in Ephesus, where the fourth gospel was probably written, the Baptist movement was very much alive. Furthermore, we learn from the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions (a 3rd-century apocryphal work) that the sectarians of the Baptist claimed that their master was the Messiah, not Jesus. All of this provides us with clues that there were probably disputes in Ephesus between Johannine Christians and disciples of John the Baptist. This would explain why in the fourth gospel there is an effort to correct an erroneous portrait of the one presented as the precursor of Jesus, but without directly attacking him and his disciples, as he did with the group of unbelievers, no doubt in the hope of seeing them convert. John 3:22-26 presents the unbelieving disciples of John the Baptist as jealous and envious, but does not present them as hating Jesus. This lack of severity can be explained by the fact that the Johannine community has its origins among the disciples of the Baptist.
Other Christians Detectable in the Gospel

The Johannine writer tells us quite clearly that there were a number of people who believed in Jesus but who, in fact, were not true believers.
1. Group IV: The Crypto-Christians (Christian Jews inside the synagogue)
  
  Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God (Jn 12: 42-43)
  
  The man born blind (John 9) personifies the Johannine community, a community that shows little tolerance for those who refuse to make the difficult choices it has made. His negative comments about non-believing "Jews" also apply to crypto-Christians; by not daring to confess their faith publicly, they show that they do not truly believe in him. Like "the Jews," crypto-Christians have chosen to be recognized as disciples of Moses rather than disciples of "this man" (Jn 9:28). Nevertheless, by inserting so many scriptural references, the fourth Gospel still seems to hope to change their minds and lead them to leave the synagogue.
  
  What was the Christology and ecclesiology of this group? We can only speculate that, in their view, the radicalism of the Johannine Christians led to an unnecessary and tragic expulsion from the synagogue. These crypto-Christians probably did not share the high Christology of the Johannine community and did not accept the idea of exalting Jesus above Moses or discarding the cultic heritage. For them, Jesus was a Jew who evolved within the synagogue itself, just like James and Peter. And their expulsion from the synagogue was due as much to the radicalism of the Johannine Christians as to the intransigence of the synagogue. By remaining silent, they were not guilty of cowardice in their eyes, but were setting an example of prudence. Their goal, therefore, would have been to work from within to bring the leaders of the synagogue to greater tolerance towards Christians.
  
  The history of Crypto-Christians reflects the choices that people who embraced the Gospel had to make, torn between breaking away from their social milieu and working stubbornly within it to bring about change.
2. Group V: The Jewish Christian Churches of Inadequate Faith
  
  This was a group of Jewish Christians who had left the synagogue (or had been expelled from it), who were publicly known as Christians and formed churches, but toward whom John remained hostile at the end of the first century.
  1. A first example is given to us in Jn 6:60-66:
    60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not believe and who was the one who would betray him. 65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." 66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. (Jn 6: 60-66)
    
    The context of this passage is that Jesus has just left the synagogue and is talking to people whom John calls "disciples." These disciples find it difficult to accept what he has said about the bread of life, which is his flesh given to be eaten, and his blood shed to be drunk, in order to have life. Jesus replies that his words are Spirit and life, and that no one can believe without the action of the Father. From then on, several disciples left him. Here we have Jewish Christians who were not considered true believers by John, because they did not share his vision of the Eucharist.
  2. A second example is given to us in Jn 7: 3-5:
    
    3 So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing, 4 for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)
    
    John's assertion that Jesus' brothers did not believe in him is surprising at the end of the 1st century, given that James, the "brother of the Lord," received a vision of the risen Jesus and was a figure of authority in the church of Jerusalem (Gal 1:19), that other brothers of Jesus succeeded him in Jerusalem, and that members of his family were prominent figures in Palestine in the 2nd century. This is not simply an echo of a historical memory in which, at the very beginning, Jesus' family reacted badly to his ministry (see Mk 3:21, 34-35; 6:4). If, for example, he presents Jesus' mother in an unfavorable light because of her interference at Cana (Jn 2:1-11), he takes pains to save her image by presenting her as a believer at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25-27). Why does he not do the same with Jesus' brothers? It should be remembered that the "brother of the Lord" was followed during his lifetime by Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who were much more conservative than Peter and Paul (Gal 2:12), and that after his death he became the hero of 2nd-century Jewish Christians who gradually separated themselves from the "Great Church."
  3. A third example is given to us in Jn 8: 31-59:
    
    31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?"... 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham, yet you look for an opportunity to kill me because there is no place in you for my word. 38 I declare what I have seen in the Father's presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father." 39 They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did... 44 You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies... 48 The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"... 52 The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?"... 57 Then the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am." 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
    
    We are probably dealing with Jewish Christians who were greatly irritated by the Johannine community because of its high theology and its mixture of Samaritan elements. This may be an echo of debates between conservative and less conservative Jewish Christians around the notion of the "seed of Abraham," a notion perceived by conservatives as very physical, which led them to doubt that the Johannine Christians were truly descendants of Abraham, given the presence of Samaritans. But for John, Abraham's physical descendants did not guarantee that these Jewish Christians were truly Abraham's descendants, since Ishmael, Abraham's son, was born a slave and was considered illegitimate by contemporary Jews. But it is with the Christological question ("before Abraham was, I Am") that the debate reaches its turning point: they want to kill Jesus, echoing the figures of Ishmael and Cain (Jn 8:44), two men who killed or threatened their brothers, a thinly veiled allusion to the attitude of Jewish Christians towards the Johannine community. Thus, in John's eyes, failure to recognize the true character of Jesus means that these "Jews who believed in Jesus" are no better than "the Jews."
  4. A fourth example is given to us in Jn 10: 12:
    
    The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
    
    Who is the mercenary? He is defined as the shepherd of the flock, which refers to the leader of a Christian group, probably a Jewish Christian church. The wolf would refer to the Jews who want to bring Christian Jews back to the synagogue. Thus, these leaders did not make enough effort to distance Christians from the community in relation to Jews, because, deep down, they did not really accept the Johannine thesis that Judaism had been replaced by Christianity.
  5. What conclusions can be drawn from these four cases? All of these churches probably included Christians who claimed the support of James and the Lord's brothers, who insisted on the importance of physical descent, who professed a low Christology, and who rejected a high sacramental understanding of the Eucharist. But is the existence of such churches possible at the end of the 1st century? For in the 2nd century, there is abundant evidence of Jewish Christians who adhered to the main principles of Judaism, to a low theology, and to a separation from these churches of Christians converted from paganism. A great testimony is given to us by Ignatius of Antioch who, writing to the churches of Asia Minor, attacks Jewish Christians who venerate Jesus as a teacher but are not prepared to admit that his person disrupts the unity of the Godhead, who gather for the sacred meal to experience brotherhood rather than a sacrament. Also, in John, we would have a portrait of these groups two decades earlier, precisely because Johannine theology forced the earlier arrival of this conflict between Johannine Christians and Jewish Christians.
3. Group VI: The Christians of Apostolic Churches
  
  This group is represented by Peter and the other members of the Twelve (Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Judas-not-Iscariot, Nathanael), and for this reason, they are called "apostolic." John would not have called them that, as he avoids the term "apostle," but they would certainly have seen themselves that way, as the idea of the Twelve Apostles was widespread in the second third of the first century. The fact that John chose Peter and the Twelve to represent them suggests that this group was of Judeo-Christian origin. In John 12:20, Philip and Andrew are involved in the scene where the Greeks want to see Jesus, a scene that shows openness to pagans. Thus, the apostolic community and the Johannine community had a similar ethnic composition, with a mixture of Jews and pagans.
  1. A separate group
    
    Did John want to symbolize a special and distinct group through the figures of Peter and the Twelve? We have a number of clues. The first comes from John 6:60-69, a passage about the bread of life, which we examined earlier. A first group of disciples who left the synagogue are unable to continue following Jesus when he speaks of his body being given as food; for John, these are Judeo-Christians with inadequate faith. In contrast, the Twelve, represented by Peter, say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6:59). This scene symbolizes Christians with a more adequate faith.
    
    But how can we know whether this last group of Christians does not represent all the others, including those of the Johannine community? The key to answering this question lies in the effort made in the fourth Gospel to elevate the figure of the beloved disciple above Peter and make him its hero:
    - In John 13:23-26, he rests against Jesus' chest, and Peter must turn to him for information.
    - In John 18:15-16, he is able to accompany Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, and it is he who allows Peter to enter.
    - In John 19:26-27, he is at the foot of the cross with Jesus' mother, while Peter is on the run.
    - In John 20:2-10, he beats Peter to the tomb.
    - In John 21:7, he recognizes Jesus standing on the shore and informs Peter of his identity.
    - In John 21:20-23, when Peter, somewhat jealous, asks Jesus about the fate of the beloved disciple, he is answered: "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me."
    Such a contrast between the beloved disciple and Peter is not accidental. The two men express the contrast between two communities, the Johannine community and the one that venerated Peter and the Twelve, which we have called the apostolic community.
  2. The perception of this group
    
    What was the attitude of the Johannine community toward the apostolic community? In a way, it was favorable. In the discourse on the bread of life, these apostolic Christians accept Jesus' difficult words (Jn 6:59). At the Last Supper (Jn 13:1), they are among "his own" whom Jesus loved to the end and for whom he prayed (Jn 17:9, 20), because they kept his word (Jn 17:6) and were hated by the world (Jn 17:14). Likewise, they are witnesses to Jesus' resurrection (Jn 20:19, 24), and Peter, their spokesman, will glorify God through his death (Jn 21:19).
    
    However, the apostolic community does not represent the fullness of the Christian vision. The apostles scatter and abandon Jesus when he is arrested (Jn 16:32), while the beloved disciple remains with Jesus at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:26-27). Simon Peter denied Jesus (Jn 18:17, 25) and had to be restored three times by Jesus (Jn 21:15-17), while there was no need for restoration for the beloved disciple. At the empty tomb, the beloved disciple understands the significance of the clothes left there, while Peter understands nothing (Jn 20:8-10). During the miraculous catch, the beloved disciple recognizes Jesus (Jn 21:7), but Peter does not. Thus, the Johannine community claims to have a deeper Christian understanding than the apostolic community.
  3. Christological comparison
    
    It is on the Christological level that the distinction between the two groups is made. Even if the Christology of the apostolic community seems high enough to accept Jesus' words about giving his flesh to eat, it is not yet high enough for the fourth Gospel. Thus, when the disciples say, "Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you. That is why we believe that you came from God," Jesus replies, "Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming, and now it is here, when you will be scattered, each going his own way, and you will leave me alone" (Jn 16:29-32). Even the post-Easter scene with Thomas indicates that the faith of the Twelve needs improvement (Jn 20:24-29). In fact, Thomas' final confession ("My Lord and my God") perhaps expresses what apostolic faith should be.
    
    To be more precise, what John believes is missing from apostolic Christology is faith in Jesus' pre-existence and his origin from above. For him, to affirm that Jesus is the Son of God means that he is always at the Father's side (Jn 1:18), that he does not belong to this world (Jn 17:14), but to the divine world (Jn 3:13, 31). Nowhere in the other Gospels do we find any indication of a belief in the pre-existence of Jesus or anything equivalent to a phrase such as, "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn 8:58).
  4. Comparison in terms of ecclesiology
    
    There is also a certain demarcation between the two communities in ecclesiological terms. In the works of the New Testament, and particularly in Matthew and Luke/Acts, emphasis is placed on continuity with the testimony of the apostles Peter and the Twelve. In the fourth Gospel, on the other hand, no attention is paid to the "apostles," because what is important is fidelity to the testimony of the beloved disciple. Furthermore, in Matthew and Luke/Acts and in the apostolic letters, there is a growing institutionalization of the churches with an interest in different functions. But in John, the importance of the institution is relativized, and rather than using the image of the body and its members as in Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, the image of the vine and its branches is used, emphasizing the importance of the branches remaining in the vine; the disciple must keep the commandment of love.
    
    Another aspect that distinguishes the two ecclesiologies concerns the period after the disappearance of the great witnesses such as Peter, Paul, and James of Jerusalem in the 60s. For the apostolic community, church leaders had to remain faithful to what the apostles had taught without changing anything (Acts 20:28-30; Titus 1:9). For the Johannine community, after the departure of the beloved disciple (John 21:20-23), the teacher was now the Paraclete, who would remain forever in anyone who loved Jesus and kept his commandments (John 14:15-17); he is the guide to the whole truth.
    
    Finally, it should be noted that, unlike Matthew 28:19 ("make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit") and Luke 22:19 ("This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me"), John's Jesus does not ask for the institution of baptism or the Eucharist. For Matthew and Luke, the sacraments are linked to ecclesial life, while for John, the sacraments are the continuation of the power of Jesus manifested during his ministry, when he opened the eyes of the blind (baptism as illumination) and fed the hungry (the Eucharist as food).
  In short, there is no controversy in the ecclesiology of the Johannine community vis-à-vis the apostolic community. Rather, there is a kind of warning against doctrinal succession, the institutionalization of roles, and sacramental practice: we must not forget the essential, the living presence of Jesus in Christians through the Paraclete.
Was the Johannine Community a Sect?

To ask whether the community was a sect is to ask: did this community break communion (koinōnia) with other Christians? We have seen that the Johannine Christians were hostile towards the Jews (group II), but they were not alone in this, as we see in Paul and Matthew. Similarly, they were not alone in condemning crypto-Christians (group IV) and Christians with insufficient faith (group V).

But it is true that the Johannine community emphasizes, on the one hand, a sense of alienation: their Jesus is a stranger who was not understood by his people and is not even of this world. On the other hand, it emphasizes a sense of superiority by displaying a deeper theology: the beloved disciple, hero of the community, is the object of Jesus' special affection; implicitly, it is asserted that Johannine Christians are those who best understand Jesus, and they are guided by the Paraclete. To say the least, this community developed a particular style, marked by abstract symbolism (life, light, truth) and a technique of incomprehension among various characters.

That being said, despite a sectarian tendency, the community's attitude toward the apostolic Christians (group VI) proves that it had not really become a sect and had not broken communion with them. For, judging by the scene of the Last Supper, it considered them to be those whom Jesus considered "his own" and who practiced the commandment to love one another (Jn 13:34). Their hope for the future was expressed in Jn 10:16: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must bring them also; they will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd." This hope is also expressed in Jn 17:21: "May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us."

History teaches us that the wider church eventually adopted the Christology of Jesus' pre-existence. Apostolic Christians recognized that Johannine language was not really an enigma and that his words were not foreign: his theology simply reflected an acceptable variation of tradition.