Gospel of John

Papyrus fragment of John's Gospel from AD 125, the earliest known partial copy.

The Gospel According to John (Greek: Τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγέλιον, to kata Ioannen euangelion) is one of the four canonical gospels in the Christian Bible. In the New Testament it traditionally appears fourth, after the "Synoptic Gospels" of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John begins with the witness and affirmation of John the Baptist and concludes with the death, burial, resurrection, and post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. Its author claims to have been part of Jesus' inner circle, but does not give his name. Tradition has identified him as John the Apostle, the youngest member of the group.

John's Gospel is noted for depicting certain doctrinal matters and historical events in markedly differently ways than in the other three Gospels, which were probably written a few decades earlier. The differences may be intended to show that Christianity had "matured" from its Jewish origins, and was no longer to be considered a junior sect of Judaism.

Gospel of John in Gunpowder Empire

As circulated in Agrippan Rome, the New Testament had only three Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Any observer from the home timeline would notice that the Gospel of John was conspicuously absent. In fact, in all Agrippan literature, there was no indication that its author had even been born in that alternate. Comparative Crosstime Bible Studies enthusiasts liked to research this mystery.