INTRODUCTION

In this presentation, the writer is dealing with the topic on Johannine Soteriology in which
the gospel writer John is describing majorly about the doctrine of salvation. Here, the writer’s
main concentration is on the presentation of John regarding the salvation by relating this to
Christology. The people are interested to know about the presentation of John because he
attracted his gospel with his purpose statement i.e, Ch 20:31, “but these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his
name”. End result of the belief is life for which it has to pass through a condition that, unless one
get salvation, an individual may not have life. So the main concept here is Salvation in which the
writer deals here in the paper, which is all about its meaning, characteristics, how John presented
it and soteriology in relation with Christology.

1. The Meaning of Salvation

According to John, “salvation is a bringing together of all men into one body in Jesus Christ”
(Jn. 11.52). Each man becomes part of that redeemed humanity insofar as he is united with the
ideal man Jesus”. Jesus called himself "Son of Man" in the sense that he is the inclusive
representative of the ideal humanity. It is the possession of eternal life. Even here, the source of
eternal life is Christ. 1

2. JOHANNINE SOTERIOLOGY
2.1. Key concepts of Salvation:
2.1.1. New Birth (3: 1-13)

Born again is a figurative expression which means ‘offspring out of water and that which
is in Spirit’. Here, we can see the conversation of Nicodemus and Jesus. John was actually
presenting that Nicodemus who did not understand the principle of Spiritual rebirth when he took
Jesus’s words in literal sense. So, he asked, ‘How can a man be born when is old?’ Jesus says
that, fleshly birth is one thing and spiritual birth is another thing for there is no confusion about
the renewal even though the spiritual state is invisible to the fleshly like the wind to the eyes.
The central importance of this principle of spiritual renewal is by divine re-begetting. The
principle for re-begetting for a person is accepting the offer of the light of the world as a gift by
1
https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/30-3-4_146.pdf/ 13/1/2019

1
divine grace for this will be completed in in receiving. Then the opportunity for re-birth is
offered in the honor of God’s justice and holiness. So that, he must be the atonement in human
behalf by passing wholly through this flesh world’s lowest state. The achievement of re-
begetting in the consciousness of his flesh life is attained by few of the people. The whole
principle of being born again indicates the sincerity of faith with a staying power beyond this
world and the individual human beings.2 The New birth is very important based on these reasons:

- It is impossible for his old nature of ours to enter the kingdom of God (Joh 3:5)
- It is impossible to worship God as a natural man, without being born of God the Holy
Spirit (John 4:24)
- In the natural and earthly realm, we are already dead spiritually and are in need of a
spiritual birth which comes only through God the Holy Spirit (John 3:6)
- Our salvation is being born of the Holy Spirit brings us to the realm of God (John 3:7-8)
- Apart from the New birth by the Holy Spirit, we cannot comprehend the light of God or
even behold that eternal light (John 9:4-5, 39)3
2.1.2. Occurrence of Salvation (3:9-13)

The occurrence of salvation was explained by the question of Nicodemus, ‘how can
salvation will be achieved?’ He wanted to know about this experience for he knew nothing in the
Judaism that would offer like this. It is true that Jesus’s words are paralleled by a promise in
Ezekiel as: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all the impurities
and from all your idols. I will give a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of
stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be
careful to keep my laws” (Ezek 36:25-38).

Proselytes in Judaism were washed completely and issued new clothing and then received
into the common wealth of the people of God; but the Israelites were regarded as sons of
Abraham and children of God by covenant from birth. Hence, Jesus was telling Nicodemus that
his descent from Abraham was not adequate ground for salvation. He would have to repent and
begin a new life in the Spirit if he expected to enter the kingdom of God (John 8:37-44).4

2
Alan Rudge, Gospel’s Encyclopedia (Delhi: ISPCK, 2002), 273-275.
3
Dr. Andrew J Losier, A Study of the gospel of John (N.P: N.p, n.d.), 35-36.
4
George R Beasley Murray, World Biblical Commentary: Vol. 36-John (Texas: Word Books Publisher,
1987), 47-48.

2
 2.2. Emphasis of Soteriology in John’s Gospel
2.2.1. Salvation is equal to life (5:39, 10:10)

The scholar named R Akiba witnessed that, his faith was particularly in the scriptures for
he quoted Deuteronomy 32:47, “the word is not an ‘idle’ thing for you”. He says that, we do not
know how to search it; you did not energetically occupy yourself with it. For this is your life. He
again raised a question that, when is it your life? When you exert yourself with it. Verse 39
constitutes a denial of this view in which it describes that scriptures don’t have life in them. The
scriptures were given by God to witness to the Christ. So that people might come to him and
through him they can gain the life of which they have given promise. “To search the scriptures
and reject their testimony to Christ is to frustrate the purpose of God in giving them”.5

2.2.2. Salvation is spiritual sight (9:25,37, 39)

This is the account of Jesus’s healing to a man who was born blind. After the healing, the
man’s witness was both courageous and consistent. He did not accept their unbelieving view of
Jesus. Instead, he affirmed the one thing he did know for sure is, he had been blind and the man
Jesus healed him. At this point, Jesus spoke plainly and identified himself as the divine son of
man. After seeing Jesus, the man who is healed worshipped and declared Jesus as a Lord in
whom he believed. This narrative demonstrates the reality that Jesus gives spiritual sight to those
who know and they lack it. But those who claim they did not need Jesus to open their eyes
remain in spiritual blindness. Jesus is not speaking about the restoration of physical sight but the
spiritual vision as well. That means, people must have spiritual sight that salvation is the only
way for us to the eternal life.6

2.2.3. Initial washing signifies salvation (13:10)

The symbolism in this commentary explains it in two ways, firstly, the whole body
cleansing which only needed to be completed by Jesus’s death (foot-washing). Secondly, they
had been ‘washing’ gives the meaning that they still needed the ongoing cleansing from the sin

5
George R Beasley Murray, World Biblical Commentary: Vol. 36-John (Texas: Word Books Publisher,
1987), 78-79.
6
Brian Wintle, South Asia Bible commentary (Rajastan: Open door publication, 2015), 1417-1418.

3
required of those who are walking in the light.7Cullman clearly gives two meanings for this
statement of Jesus: 1) bath made by which one is wholly clean which refers to the decisive
cleaning from the sin in baptism and 2) this has no part with Jesus because it is the cleansing
which is needful for sins committed subsequent to baptism and which reemitted through the Lord
supper.8

2.2.4. Spirit dealing with the obstacles of salvation (16:8-15)

Here, we can see three major aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit which are as
follows: 1. To the world- conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment, 2. To the disciples-
direction and truth, 3. To Jesus- revealing him more perfectly to and through those who represent
him. The obstacles of salvation in which the spirit is dealing are:

- The word ‘convict’ means to pronounce a judicial verdict by which the guilt of the culprit
is defined by justice. The conviction applies to the men in three areas: sin, righteousness
and judgment.
1) Sin: the essence of sin is unbelief for it is not simply a casual opinion but it is a total
rejection of God’s messenger and message. Even then, Spirit can convict him of
unbelief.
2) Righteousness: righteousness implies that there can be no sin for men should have an
awareness of the holiness of God before a person will realize his own deficiency.
There is an infinite gap between righteousness of God and the sinful state of man for
man himself cannot bridge. Salvation must be the awareness that a divine mediatory
if necessary.
3) Judgment: it refers to the condemnation of satanic self-will and rebellion by the
obedience and love toward the father exhibited by Jesus.
- The Spirit does not merely accuse men of sin but it brings incapable sense of guilt to
them so that they will realize their shame and helplessness before God.

7
Brian Wintle, South Asia Bible commentary (Rajastan: Open door publication, 2015), 1428.
8
George R Beasley Murray, World Biblical Commentary: Vol. 36-John (Texas: Word Books Publisher,
1987), 234-235.

4
 - The function of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ for it applies to make Jesus as central
to their thinking because he is the reality to people.9
2.2.5. Salvation is accomplished (19:30)

The statement of Jesus, ‘it is accomplished’ signifies the full completion of his earthly
work given by his father. It could mean that Jesus’s earthly life was over. The important truth is
that the death of Jesus meant the completion of that work of salvation for which he had come to
earth. He brought the salvation for sinners throughout the world and throughout the ages. John
presents that in such a way to bring out the accomplishment of the divine purpose.10

2.2.6. Salvation is deliverance from sin and death for it is above all (5:24)

Here, eternal life becomes the possession of the believer at the moment of acceptance.
The future judgment will only confirm what has already taken place. The assurance of salvation
began when the believer crossed over from the realm of the death into the sphere of the divine
sovereignty. This is the characteristic for which is life for all who enter it. Jesus gives eternality
to the spiritually dead to those who hear and believe him.11

2.2.7. Salvation in regard to Belief

The knowledge of God begins with an act of personal faith in Jesus Christ (Jn 1:12). This
involves acknowledging who Jesus is and is related to the purpose of the fourth gospel (20:31).
Belief does not depend on the actual physical seeing and hearing of Jesus alone. Believing
involves a new and different kind of seeing as illustrated by the incident of the man born blind.
When his physical eyes are opened and ultimately came to personal faith in Jesus (v.38). Since
the belief is ultimately of God’s enablement rather than a matter of human achievement. The
Greek word ‘Pisteuo’ which means ‘to believe’ occurred within first two chapters in the gospel
of John is 74 times out of 98 times. In chapters 13-21 used only 34 times in the entire gospel.
The expressions related to believing the gospel of John is all about belief which is equivalent to

9
Frank E Gaebelein, Expository commentary: Vol 9-John & Acts (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House,
1981) 157-158.
10
Leon Morris, Reflections on the gospel of John (Michigan: Bakers book house, 1988), 669-670.
11
George R Beasley Murray, World Biblical Commentary: Vol. 36-John (Texas: Word Books Publisher,
1987), 76.

5
the terms of ‘receiving (1:2)’ which means ‘believing in Jesus name’, ‘Knowing (17:8) and
‘seeing which means the blind man’s confession of faith (9:39).12

2.3.The universality of salvation provided in Jesus

2.3.1. Jesus is the savior of the world (4:42)

The reluctant trust of the Samaritan woman to the words of Jesus in which he came for us
and makes us to believe that He is ‘the savior of the world’. Many Samaritans were convicted
that Jesus was indeed the savior of the world (4:42). This is not a typical messianic designation
in the 1st century or Samaritan thought but it is with worldwide dominion. The term ‘savior of the
world’ indicates the promising approach for Jesus’s identity. By calling savior, it can be
recognized that ‘salvation is not only for Jews but it is for all the people. This figure of term has
a universal significance.13

2.3.2. Jesus offers salvation to everyone who believes (3:16)

This verse is a continuation of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. They express
the most important message of the gospel. The salvation is a gift received only by believing God
for it. The belief consists of accepting something, for the result of belief is that, one receives
eternal life. Eternal life is the new life that God is giving which is imperishable. Those who
receive this salvation, he is free from all the condemnation because he is approved by God.14

3. Soteriology in relation with Christology

3.1. Jesus is the source of eternal life (1:4)

1:4, ‘in him was life and that life was the light of men’. Christ is the ‘life’ and that is the
‘light of men’ in him God’s purpose and power are made available to men for it is their ultimate

12
Roy B Zuck, A Biblical Theology of the New Testament (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1994), 222, 224.
13
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 38-39.
14
Frank E Gaebelein, Expository commentary: Vol 9-John & Acts (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House,
1981), 30.

6
hope.15 Both light and life include the life and light which come to man in both creation and new
creation. It is concerned with the saving action of the logos-son for human kind.16

3.2. I am Sayings
3.2.1. Bread of life (6:35)

Jesus reveals himself as the bread that supplies or communicates life resulting in perfect
satisfaction and spiritual fullness. The ancestors ate manna in the wilderness and they died. That
was not authentic (genuine) bread from heaven. The manna was not itself ‘living’ but perishing
and could impart life only for a season. On contrary, Jesus being the living bread containing him
the very principle of life can impart life forever. Edwyn C Hoskyns says that, he who descended
from heaven is the bread of God given not only for the food of a fugitive who are Israelite people
but for the life of the whole world. Jesus is the food, enabling the world to meet life’s variations.
For this bread, which Jesus himself is, gives to the soul satisfaction that endures eternally and
rules out hunger and thirst completely. By his identification as the ‘bread of life’ or ‘living
bread’ (6:35, 41, 48, 51), Jesus reveals his true nature.17

3.2.2. Light (8:12)

Jesus is the light of the world that lightens in any darkness, beautifully matches himself
with the Messianic light of Isaiah 60:1. This heavenly light is not the sun, moon, stars, or any
other luminary but it is the lord. He is the everlasting light (Isa 60:19). William Temple supports
that the ‘light is both flows from life and issues in the life’. Jesus is the light in which it is the
eternal symbol of all that is divine, pure, and holy.18

15
Frank E Gaebelein, Expository commentary: Vol 9-John & Acts (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House,
1981), 29.
16
George R Beasley Murray, World Biblical Commentary: Vol. 36-John (Texas: Word Books Publisher,
1987), 11.
17
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 51-52.
18
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 52.

7
 3.2.3. The door of life (10:7)

Jesus is the gate and its keeper. This verse suggests that, Jesus opens the door for
mankind to God. Jesus is the door of the sheep. He is the only door through which the sheep can
come to the father (14:6). 19

3.2.4. The shepherd (10:11)

It describes the pastoral care of Jesus who is represented here as shepherd in this passage.
His devotion and sacrificial love are seen as the good shepherd who in order to rescue the sheep
and lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus reveals himself to be the promised shepherd. Jesus is
thus the model shepherd who tends his sheep with love and compassion.20

3.2.5. The resurrection and the life (11:25)

These words of self-declaration show that fellowship with Jesus is participation in the
divine life that triumphs over death. He is not only the bringer of life, but also the essential life
dwells in him. Therefore, he is raised from sin’s death and the life becomes so rich that it cannot
die and finds in death only the transition to a higher life. Jesus is the savior from spiritual death
for the one who lives and believes in him shall never die spiritually. Human beings will continue
to die physically, but Jesus as the resurrection will be enabling them to live beyond the grave.21

3.2.6. The way, the truth and the life (14:6)

Jesus is the truth, the ultimate and everlasting reality, for in him there is the actual
knowing of the father. He is the life, the spiritual life-giving person. He is the infinite, the way
through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand. Jesus is the new and
living way which God opens for all through the curtain into his divine presence. He is the real
and living way that leads to all real knowledge of God and alone leads to life. So, the one who
follows, Jesus has no need of any other truth. Jesus in his own person, ‘the truth’, becomes the
only medium whereby all can lay hold of the eternal reality. He gives the life, he reveals the
truth, he offers the light, and he shows the way all of which he is. Consequently, no one can

19
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 53.
20
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 53.
21
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 54.

8
reach the father except by perceiving the truth, participating in the life, and following in the way
revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

3.2.7. I am the vine (15:1)

The vine is a favorable symbol or designation for Israel in the Old Testament but sadly
she failed to bear the fruit that was expected (Psa 80:8-16, Isaiah 5:1-10, Jer 2:21, Eze 19:10-14,
Hosea 10:1, 14:7). In contrast to Israel in the Old Testament, as the vine which failed to produce
fruit that God has intended, Jesus as the new and true Israel which will fulfill her divine purpose.
A metaphor which John represented is of the vine and the branches. Just as a branch cannot bear
fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so a believer or disciple cannot bear fruit unless
she/he abides in Jesus (v.4). A branch must be attached to the vine in order to have access to the
essential nutrients that come through the stem, if it is to produce fruit. Similarly, a believer must
remain in Jesus in order to have access to whatever is necessary to produce fruit. To remain in
Jesus means to remain in fellowship with him and so believers are in a relationship with Jesus
they will be able to bear fruit (v.5). Jesus affirms that he is the true Israel. He calls himself as the
true vine, the genuine vine. This represents Jesus himself as the faithful remnant discharging the
purpose of God.22

3.3. Christological utterances

3.3.1. Lamb of God who takes away the sin away (John 1:29)

Here in this passage, the John sees that Jesus was approaching him and so he exclaimed
as “the lamb of God who takes away the sin” (v.29). There are three possible backgrounds for
the title ‘Lamb of God’, which are as follows:

1. Old Testament understanding:

a) The Passover lamb:

The theory that the background is the paschal sacrifice still has adherents who appeal to the
prominence given to the Passover in the fourth gospel. The Passover lamb of Exodus 12 as the
means of escaping God’s judgment. Their understanding describes that, Jesus is the true paschal

22
Cornelis Bennema, Excavating John’s gospel (Delhi: ISPCK, 2005), 163-165.

9
lamb offered at the appointed hour in the afternoon of Nisan 14 which is a significant agreement
with Paul’s statement that ‘Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us’ (1 Cor 5:7).

b) The Tamid:

Tamid offering is the daily lamb sacrificed in the temple. The suffering servant of Isaiah 53
who makes a guilt offering for the atonement of sin. But this argument is less defensible than the
Passover hypothesis. It is meant for the Jews about the Tamid sacrifice which conveyed no
redemptive idea whatever which it was part of Jewish ritual.

c) The Apocalyptic lamb

According to C H Dodd, the background of this view is not cultic and sacrificial but
apocalyptic. The victorious lamb of the apocalyptic traditions that will destroy the evil forces (1
Enoch 90; Rev 5:12, 6:16-17, 17:4). The ‘Lamb of God’ on the lips of an eschatological prophet
is the ‘Lamb’ of the apocalyptic writings. The ‘lamb of God’ is thus a synonym for the Messiah.
The significance of the lamb takes away the sin of the world by the eschatological act of dealing
with sin and evil at the end-time. It was a function of the Jewish Messiah to make an end of sin.23

2. Johannine background:

God’s son sent to accomplish his Father’s will to redeem the man kind. It may designate
the nature of the son who as God’s lamb will be the Father’s offering for sin. They suggest that,
the lamb supplied by God. John 20:31 states, the aim of the book is ‘that you may believe that
Jesus is Christ, the son of God, and the believing you may have life in his name’. the two clauses
unite Christology and Soteriology because ‘Christ is the son and that believing you may have
life’. It is not man who offers hope and salvation but God himself as the offer comes with
authority and assurance. It is not the Samaritan woman alone who announces Jesus to be the
‘savior of the world’. This statement expresses the work of Jesus for which the savior has come
to give life to human beings and this comes through his redemptive sacrifice upon the cross.24

23
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 44.
24
H Joseph Lalfakmawia, Re-reading the gospel of John (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 45-46.

10
CONCLUSION

Through this paper, the readers can understand that John presented Soteriology in a
simple way with logic and confrontality. In this gospel of John, Salvation is connected to the
key concept of belief, faith, sin, death and eternal life. As the ultimate purpose of salvation is to
have eternal life, John mainly focused on ‘belief’ for which salvation through it. He also used
Christology for Christ is the source of salvation. Without him, there is no axis to go father and
there is no salvation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bennema, Cornelius. Excavating John’s gospel. Delhi: ISPCK, 2005.

Beasley Murray, R George. World Biblical Commentary: Vol. 36-John. Texas: Word Books
Publisher, 1987.

Gaebelein, E Frank. Expository commentary: Vol 9-John & Acts. Michigan: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1981.

Lalfakmawia, H Joseph. Re-reading the gospel of John. Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013.

Losier, Dr. Andrew J. A Study of the gospel of John. N.P: N.p, n.d.

Morris, Leon. Reflections on the gospel of John. Michigan: Bakers book house, 1988.

Rudge, Alan. Gospel’s Encyclopedia. Delhi: ISPCK, 2002.

Wintle, Brian. South Asia Bible commentary. Rajastan: Open door publication, 2015.

Zuck, B Roy. A Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1994.

https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/30-3-4_146.pdf/ 13/1/2019

11