Page "Gospel of John" Paragraph 163

According to the majority viewpoint for most of the 20th century, Jesus ' teaching in John is largely irreconcilable with that found in the Synoptics, and scholars consider the Synoptics to be more accurate representations of the teaching of the historical Jesus.

The teachings of Jesus in John are distinct from those found in the synoptic gospels.

Thus, since the 19th century many historical Jesus scholars have argued that only one of the two traditions could be authentic.

J. D. G. Dunn comments on historical Jesus scholarship, " Few scholars would regard John as a source for information regarding Jesus ' life and ministry in any degree comparable to the synoptics.

" E. P. Sanders concludes that the Gospel of John contains an " advanced theological development, in which meditations of the person and work of Jesus are presented in the first person as if Jesus said them.

" Sanders points out that the author would regard the gospel as theologically true as revealed spiritually even if its content is not historically accurate and argues that even historically plausible elements in John can hardly be taken as historical evidence, as they may well represent the author's intuition rather than historical recollection.

The scholars of the Jesus Seminar identify the historical inferiority of John as foundational to their work.

Geza Vermes discounts all the teaching in John when reconstructing his view of " the authentic gospel of Jesus.