John 20:30,31

CONCLUSION

John 20:30-31. “Then, indeed, Jesus truly performed many other miracles in presence of His disciples, which have not been written in this book; but these have been written, in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you may have life through His name.” Matthew wrote for the Jews in Judea, fifteen years after the ascension of our Lord. Mark wrote for the Romans, serving as Peter's amanuensis, in Rome, thirty years after the ascension of our Lord. Luke wrote for the Greeks, while serving as the amanuensis of Paul, in Greece, twenty-five years after the ascension. John wrote for the Christians, while at Ephesus, near the end of his long and useful life, about sixty-five years after the ascension of our Lord. While the first three give a continuous history, John's Gospel is much detached, as he aimed at nothing but salient, vital, spiritual truth, as he here says that he wrote just what is necessary to salvation. You all remember, the sum and substance of John's Gospel is perfect love.

Notice the last verse of John's Gospel, in E. V., chapter 21, verse 25: “But there are many other things, so many as Jesus did, which if they were written every one, I do not suppose that this world could contain the books written.” Of course, you have always looked upon this as an extravagant statement. While it is safe to conclude that only a tithe of our Savior's miracles and preaching has come to us in the four Gospels i. e., the salient and essential truths, the multum in parvo yet you know that if everything had been written, a table a yard square would very conveniently contain the books. Let me settle all solicitude about this verse by simply stating to you that it is not in the original, but has evidently injudiciously been interpolated by a subsequent hand.