John 20:31

Context

Chapter 20 of the Gospel of John recounts the appearances of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene and to the disciples. The climax of the chapter is the scene in which the doubting Thomas confesses, "My Lord and my God" (20:28). Jesus then says, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (20:29).

The narrator next states that Jesus performed many other signs that are not written in this book (20:30). "Signs" is the Gospel of John's term for Jesus' miracles, understood as markers that point to their meaning. In this verse the narrator then declares the purpose for which the book was written. Here "ye" refers not to characters within the narrative but to the readers of the book. Many scholars regard 20:30–31 as the original ending of the book and chapter 21 as an epilogue added later. Others, however, hold that chapter 21 was part of the book's design from the beginning.

Interpretation

• Evangelistic reading: This view holds that the Gospel of John was written to lead those who do not yet believe to faith. Some scholars, including D. A. Carson, are known to have argued that it was an evangelistic work aimed at Jews and at Gentile proselytes to Judaism in the orbit of the synagogue.
• Faith-strengthening reading: This view holds that the book was written to help an already believing community persevere in faith. It identifies the original readers as believers who were facing expulsion from the synagogue (9:22; 16:2).
• Christological reading: This view holds that the two titles "the Christ" (the promised Messiah) and "the Son of God" summarize the Christology (the teaching about who Jesus is) of the entire book, which begins with "the Word" in chapter 1 and culminates in Thomas's confession.
• Present-life reading: In the Gospel of John, "life" means eternal life. This reading holds that eternal life is not merely granted in the future but begins now, when one believes (5:24; 17:3). "Through his name" is understood to mean relying on the person and authority of Jesus.

Debates and Issues

Greek manuscripts differ in the form of the verb translated "that ye might believe."

• Most manuscripts have the aorist form, which is sometimes taken to mean "that you may come to believe."
• Some early manuscripts, including Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, have the present form, which is sometimes taken to mean "that you may continue to believe."

This difference bears on the debate between the two interpretations above (evangelistic versus faith-strengthening). Many scholars point out, however, that the purpose of the book cannot easily be determined from the verb tense alone, and a mediating view that the book serves both purposes is widely accepted. Korean translations render both readings with the same expression, so the difference is not apparent in them. The order of the titles also varies among translations: the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul) renders the phrase as "the Christ, the Son of God" in the order "the Son of God, the Christ," while the New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders it as "is the Christ and the Son of God."

No significant controversy between denominations over this verse is known.

In the Korean Church

The verse is commonly cited in Bible study materials on the Gospel of John and in new member class curricula to explain the purpose for which the Gospel was written. It is also used as grounds for recommending that those reading the Bible for the first time begin with the Gospel of John. In addition, it is cited together with 1 John 5:13 in discussions of the assurance of salvation.

Related Passages

• John 20:30
• John 1:12
• John 17:3
• John 21:25
• 1 John 5:13