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John 1:1-19 Top-down Gospel message
1. John 1:1-19 Top-down Gospel message
The bottom-up, forward chaining is used by most people. But not by John. He uses top-down, backward-chaining reasoning. The beginning of the Gospel of John is written in a top-down backward chaining way.
2. Top-down vs. bottom-up
The use of top-down backward-chaining thinking and logic in problem solving is essential to computer science thinking.
C if B if A (top-down backward chaining)
A then B then C (bottom-up, forward chaining)
Most other people use bottom-up forward-chaining thinking and logic and problem solving which is, in most cases, not the best way. The most common problems with this way of thinking is that the goal may not be clear, one may not get to the goal, one may deviate from the goal, and one may do extra work in trying to get to the goal.
3. Gospel message: bottom-up
Believe in Jesus to get to God! (forward-chaining, bottom-up reasoning)
Why should we believe Jesus?
How do we know that the message, the Bible, is true?
How do we know that Jesus is the correct, and only, path to God?
How do we know we will get there?
How do we avoid a lot of extra work to get there?
... and so on ...
4. Backward chaining method
How about using the backward chaining method? (top-down reasoning)
There is a creator God.
God created time and space and everything in it, including us.
God can send us a true message which can be authenticated.
God can enter the creation and interact with us.
God can tell us how to have fellowship with him and other believers.
5. Gospel message
If the top-down, backward chaining, deductive method of thinking about problem solving is so good, why does the Bible not use this method in presenting the Gospel message?
How does the Bible present the Gospel message?
6. Synoptic Gospels
Someone started the following and it got repeated enough times that people accept it without thinking. On just a little thought, it does not really make sense.
Matthew was written to the Jews.
Mark is the Gospel of a servant.
Luke was written to the Gentiles.
John is the Gospel of a mystic.
Synoptic means "
same" and "
view" where the "
same" is not an analogy but, rather, "
together". Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the "
synoptic" gospels.
The synoptic gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Matthew: bottom-up (chronologically, in Greek, recorded what Jesus said)
Mark: bottom-up (chronologically, from what Peter told Mark and what Mark remembered)
Luke: bottom-up (chronologically, historically, by Luke, from what people remembered some 20 years later, could be, with Acts, required documentation for trial of Paul in Rome)
John: organized very differently. Why?
7. Synoptic Gospels
Matthew was a tax collector and is written to the Jews. The skills of a tax collector included remembering details and taking shorthand, so many believe that Matthew's discourses of what Jesus said are close to the actual words of Jesus. In writing to the Jews, Matthew provides many Old Testament prophecies of Jesus.
Mark is the writer of the Gospel as related to Mark by Peter for publication. Mark appears to add a few personal touches, as was usually done, and probably with the permission of Peter. The Gospel of Mark is often taken as a Gospel of servant-hood, laking a genealogy as in Matthew and Luke. My personal preference is that Peter thought like a scientist, making many observations, making conclusions based on those observations, and leaving out parts that were either assumed to have been known or not relevant for what he was trying to say.
Luke was a physician for Paul. Medical practice was not like we know it today. As a physician, one could often not do much to help the patient. What one could do is ask questions, listen, console, and do limited things to help. Such skills made for an excellent historian. Luke appears to have sought out, questioned, and collected stories that he could verify. If a story is in the other Gospels but not Luke, it does not mean they are untrue. It means that Luke either did not know about them or could not personally verify their validity.
John is sometimes considered a mystic. On the other hand, John approaches problems and explains them in what today is considered a top-down backward-chaining approach that is embodied in the computer/information science of today.
8. John
The bottom-up, forward chaining is used by most people.
But not by John. He uses top-down, backward-chaining reasoning.
The beginning of the Gospel of John is written in a top-down backward chaining way.
9. John 1:1
There is a God.
KJV: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Greek: εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος
10. John 1:2
KJV: The same was in the beginning with God.
Greek: ουτος ην εν αρχη προς τον θεον
11. John 1:3
God created time and space and everything in it, including us.
KJV: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Greek: παντα δι αυτου εγενετο και χωρις αυτου εγενετο ουδε εν ο γεγονεν
12. John 1:4
KJV: In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Greek: εν αυτω ζωη ην και η ζωη ην το φως των ανθρωπων
13. John 1:6
God can send us a true message which can be authenticated.
KJV: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Greek: εγενετο ανθρωπος απεσταλμενος παρα θεου ονομα αυτω ιωαννης
14. John 1:12
KJV: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Greek: οσοι δε ελαβον αυτον εδωκεν αυτοις εξουσιαν τεκνα θεου γενεσθαι τοις πιστευουσιν εις το ονομα αυτου
15. John 1:14
God can enter the creation and interact with us.
KJV: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth.
Greek: και ο λογος σαρξ εγενετο και εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν και εθεασαμεθα την δοξαν αυτου δοξαν ως μονογενους παρα πατρος πληρης χαριτος και αληθειας
16. John 1:16
God can tell us how to have fellowship with him and other believers.
KJV: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Greek: και οτι εκ του πληρωματος αυτου ημεις παντες ελαβομεν και χαριν αντι χαριτος
17. How John writes
It becomes clear that John writes in a top-down backward-chaining problem solving style as used in modern computer/information science (informatics).
Other important writings of John are organized in the same way.
18. Continuing
To continue, one should determine the true purpose of life which John presents in a top-down backward chaining manner at the start of the letter of 1 John.
19. End of page
