Can the Holy Spirit be contained? Can the spirit of the holy gospel be formed into a word? Logos?
When can a Revelation of Truth be formed, codified, foramalized, and made lawful by creating forms such as rules and organizational structures? If so, are the structures themselves the ‘spirit of the Revelation,’ or are the guidances and forms manifested pointing the Way?
In the first century of our era, the peoples of Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and areas throughout the Mediterranean world hotly debated these and other questions.
The fourth gospel, The Book of John, is said to be a “Book of the World”, not of the church. Why is this so? It is the most ‘spiritual’ and is not considered one of the ‘synoptic’ gospels (“together”).
The Book of John was said to come out of the writings of John the Elder, a direct disciple of Jesus, and his community, The Johannine Circle. Many scholars conclude, based on their findings, that the Book of John was written by his disciples, the Johannine Community, after his passing early in the first century.
What then sprang up was a debate, to put it mildly, not only within the Jewish community but flowing into the Egyptian and Greek world of who and what this new ‘messianic’ messenger’s true Revelation was. Was Jesus (Lesous, Yeshua, Yehoshua, Iesus…) God, the son of God, or a messenger of God? The Jews had no central church or synagogue, nor was there any central organized body of society other than the ‘state.’ So, was now the new religion of ‘Christ’ to be formed into one? The Book of John seems to suggest otherwise.
Despite its differences, Johannine’s ecclesiology is seen as more spiritual and less ecclesiastic (having to to with a church). There is no clear indication that the Johannine community rejects apostolic foundations, church offices, or sacramental practices. The Fourth Gospel cautions against the potential pitfalls of institutional developments, stressing the essential presence of Jesus within believers through the Paraclete. Every institution or structure must be to replace this fundamental connection.
Read more on the early formation and debates raised by Jesus and his world-transforming Revelation.
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