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The Nature of God in John's Gospel and Epistles

The Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles present a profound understanding of God's nature, emphasizing both His unity and the distinct roles within the Godhead, particularly concerning the Father and the Son. The existence of God is taken as a given in the biblical text, rather than argued for [9].

A foundational characteristic of God in John's writings is His spiritual essence. John 4:24 states, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and trueth" [4]. This declaration underscores that God is not confined to physical form and requires worship that is internal and sincere. This spiritual nature is intrinsically linked to God as the source of life. The "breed of God" (or bread of God) is described as that which "cometh doune from heave and geveth lyfe vnto the worlde" [1]. God is consistently portrayed as the author and preserver of natural life [10].

The unity of God is a recurring theme. The apostle John, in his writings, affirms that there is "one God and Father of all" [11]. This concept of one God is understood from the perfections of deity, as there can only be one eternal, infinite, omnipotent, and independent Being [11]. This unity extends to God's will, promises, and methods of grace [15].

However, John's writings also highlight the distinct personhood of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, while maintaining their shared divine nature. The Second Epistle of John speaks of "Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father" [2, 7]. This phrasing indicates a clear distinction between the Father and the Son, yet both are sources of grace, mercy, and peace. The Gospel of John further elaborates on this relationship, stating that "The Father and the Son are two separate persons with one purpose and nature" [14]. This shared nature is the basis for Jesus' divine power and is a "stunning expression of Jesus’ divinity" [14]. Jesus is described as being "in the form of God," reflecting the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person [12].

God's righteousness and justice are also central to His nature in the Johannine corpus. The Father is addressed as "O righteous Father" [13]. This righteousness is inherent in God's nature and is evident in all His purposes, promises, and works of providence and grace [13]. God's justice is understood as a perfection of His nature, whereby He is infinitely righteous in Himself and in all His actions, exercising this righteousness in His moral governance [8]. This includes imposing righteous laws and dealing righteously with His creatures [8].

The purpose of John's writings, particularly his first epistle, is to declare the "Word of Life" so that believers might have fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ [6]. This fellowship is achieved through Christ's atoning work and advocacy, and on humanity's part, through holiness [6]. The concept of being "of God" is crucial, as those who know God listen to His message, distinguishing the spirit of truth from the spirit of error [3, 5].

The nature of God in John's Gospel and Epistles thus presents a complex yet coherent picture of a singular, spiritual, righteous, and life-giving God, who exists as Father and Son, united in purpose and divine essence.

Sources

  1. John “John 6:33 (Tyndale) — For the breed of God is he which cometh doune from heave and geveth lyfe vnto the worlde.”
  2. II John “II John 1:3 (BSB) — Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, will be with us in truth and love.”
  3. 1 John “We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. -- 1 John 4:6”
  4. John “John 4:24 (Geneva1599) — God is a Spirite, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and trueth.”
  5. I John “I John 4:6 (DRC) — We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: John, First Epistle of — The fourth of the catholic or "general" epistles. It was evidently written by John the evangelist, and probably also at Ephesus, and when the writer was in advanced age. The purpose of the apostle (1:1-4) is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows that the means of union with God are, (1) on the part of Christ, his atoning work (1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10, 14; 5:11, 12) and his advocacy (2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness (1:6”
  7. 2 John “2 John 1:3 (NASB) — Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
  9. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  10. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Life, Natural — God is the author of -- Ge 2:7; Ac 17:28. God preserves -- Ps 36:6; 66:9. Is in the hand of God -- Job 12:10; Da 5:23. Forfeited by sin -- Ge 2:17; 3:17-19. Of others, not to be taken away -- Ex 20:13. Described as Vain. -- Ec 6:12. Limited. -- Job 7:1; 14:5. Short. -- Job 14:1; Ps 89:47. Uncertain. -- Jas 4:13-15. Full of trouble. -- Job 14:1. God's loving-kindness better than -- Ps 63:3. The value of -- Job 2:4; Mt 6:25. Preserved by discretion -- Pr 13:3. Sometimes prolonged, in answer to prayer -- Isa 38:2-5; Jas 5:15. Obedience to God, tends to p”
  11. Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 4:6: One God and Father of all,.... That there is but one God is the voice of nature and of revelation; and may be concluded from the perfections of deity, for there can be but one eternal, infinite, immense, omnipotent, all-sufficient, perfect, and independent Being; and from one first cause of all things, and the relations he stands in to his creatures: there is but one God, who is truly, and really, and properly God, in opposition to all nominal and figurative deities, and which are not gods by nature, and to the fictitious deities and idols of the nations; and there ”
  12. Philippians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Philippians 2:6: Who being in the form of God,.... The Father; being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. This form is to be understood, not of any shape or figure of him; for as such is not to be seen, it is not to be supposed of him; or any accidental form, for there are no accidents in God, whatever is in God, is God; he is nothing but nature and essence, he is the , the Jehovah, I am what I am; and so is his Son, which is, and was, and is to come, the fountain of all created beings nor does it intend any outward representation and resemblance of hi”
  13. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 17:24: O righteous Father,.... God is righteous in all the divine persons: the Father is righteous, the Son is righteous, and the Holy Spirit is righteous: he is so in his nature; righteousness is a perfection of it; he is so in all his purposes and promises; in all his ways and works of providence and grace; in predestination, redemption, justification, pardon of sin, and eternal glory. Christ makes use of this epithet, as containing a reason why he might justly expect that all his petitions and claims, on behalf of himself and people, would be regarded: the world hath not”
  14. John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 10:30: 10:30 The Father and the Son are two separate persons with one purpose and nature (1:1, 14; 14:9; 20:28). This is the basis of Jesus’ power to protect God’s flock (10:28-29) and a stunning expression of Jesus’ divinity.”
  15. Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 3:26: Seeing it is one God,.... God is one in nature and essence, though there are three persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; whence it appears, that he that is the God of the Jews, is also the God of the Gentiles, or there would be more gods than one; and that these are justified in one and the same manner, or God must be divided; for God, as he is one in nature, so he is one in will, in his promises, and in the methods of his grace: which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. The objects of justification are "the circ”
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