How many books did the Apostle John pen? From Whom did John get his material for writing those books? Let me show you why I believe that John was a Creationist.
The Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John is not one of the Synoptic Gospels. Why? (It isn’t a synopsis of the life of Christ.) What is the purpose of the Gospel of John? “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” If John’s purpose was to glorify the name of Christ, would you be surprised if he suggested things about Jesus’ Creatorship?
How does the Book of John begin? The specific words “in the beginning” are found 17 times in the Bible. 13 of those references speak of the beginning of certain days, or years, or events of human history. They speak about the beginning of the month, or the beginning of the exodus from Egypt. Was John referring here to the beginning of some event within recorded human history? Don’t you find it significant, that the New Testament book which was specifically written to prove the deity of Christ begins with the same words as the first book to describe Christ’s creative work? Just for your information, the only other reference to the very beginning is in Hebrews, the first chapter. At that place in Hebrews Paul’s purpose was the same as that of John’s Gospel. Hebrews 1:5 – “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” “In the beginning” in Genesis, in Hebrews 1 and in John 1 refers to the time of Creation – the actual beginning of things as we know them.
Now this next idea is somewhat mystical, but it is by no means difficult to understand. What does Genesis 1:1 say? – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” John 1:1-3 ? – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” The One Who is described as God in Genesis is described as “the Word” in John 1. And it’s important to remember that Genesis describes creation as coming at the voice or word of God. For example, “And God SAID, Let there be light. And there was light.” Does it take a new, special revelation from God to determine who the “Word” of John 1 is? Who is it? “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.” Whether or not someone wants to believe it, the Apostle John says that Jesus is the Word, the Creator. Who or what is the source of life? What is the source of light? John 1:3-4 – “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” How well do verses 10 and 11 blend with what we learned about the Creator in the Book of Genesis? “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Does that mean that there were none who believed that Jehovah or Christ was the Creator? “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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
What was John’s purpose in penning the gospel bearing his name? He chose to use 7 miracles to help him reach that purpose. What did he call those miracles? (Signs.) We might call most of the “signs” of the Bible “providential miracles.” What do I mean by that? But some Biblical miracles, and most of Jesus’ miracles, might be more clearly called “creative.” What do I mean by that? What did Nicodemus say when he came to visit Christ in John 3? (“No man can do these miracles….”) What was Jesus’ first sign (John 2)? (Water into wine.) How does this give evidence to Jesus’ Creatorship? In John 4:46-54 Christ healed a young man who was at the point of death – at a distance. The third sign was giving a man perfect limbs after being cripple for 38 years (John 5:5-9). The fourth was the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:5-14). The fifth was defying gravity or defying the properties of water (John 6:16-21). Then He made new eyes for a blind man (John 9:1-7). Then He restored Lazarus to life (John 11.) How do these give evidence that Christ is our Creator?
Why would Jesus’ expect people to believe what Moses wrote (John 5:46-47)? What did Moses write about Christ? Seven times John records Jesus saying “I am….this or that.” In themselves they are important revelations about Christ. What were they? (Bread, light, door, good shepherd, resurrection, way, vine.) Should we make much of the “I am ….” aspect of those statements? In the light of John 8:58 what should we think about Christ?
John’s Epistles.
How does I John 1 begin? (At the beginning.) Was John talking about the beginning of time that Jesus spent with the disciples? John’s epistles echo many of the things that he said about Christ in his gospel (light, love, truth, etc.). Does I John 1:5 shed any light on Christ Jesus’ Creatorship? Should Bible-believers acknowledge the existence of a devil named Satan? How closely related are the doctrines about Satan and Creation? Approximately when did Satan first sin against the Lord (I John 3:8, 10)? How many people in the Bible have the name “Cain?” Who was Cain? How closely connected to the history of Creation is the person called “Cain?” What is the likelihood that If someone believed evolution, that he would believe that Cain was a real, historical person. How much trust should we put in a New Testament writer who taught that Cain was an actual historical person, if he was just a myth (I John 3:12)? I John 5:19 says that “the whole world lieth in wickedness;” why is that case?
What does II John 10 say? What are some of the things that the Biblical doctrine of Christ include? What should we do if someone denies creation or that Christ is the Creator?
The Book of Revelation.
What does the word “genesis” mean? How does the Book of Revelation relate to Genesis in that regard? In Genesis we see Paradise lost, but what do we see in Revelation? Are there any direct quotes of Genesis to be found in the Book of Revelation? (No.) Are there any indirect references to Genesis in Revelation?
What is meant when Christ is called “the alpha” (Revelation 1:8 and 11)? What is meant when Christ calls Himself the One “which is, and which was, and which is to come” (Revelation 1:4? What is the meaning of Revelation 1:17-18? How does that relate to the subject of Creation? Does Revelation 2:7 relate to anything historical? Who was speaking to the church in Ephesus (Revelation 3:14)?
What was over the throne of God in Revelation 4:3 and what does that suggest? What are the cherubims? Where are we first introduced to them? Do you think it likely that cherubims might declare something about divine creation? What is the likelihood that the creatures of Revelation 4:8-11 are cherubims? What is the likelihood that the writer of this book believed in divine creation? What purpose did God have in creating this universe? (His pleasure.)
What does Revelation 14:6-7 say? Should a part of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ include His Creatorship?
Who are the dead mentioned in Revelation 20:13-15? What is this reference to “the sea?” What is the “tree of life” (Revelation 22:2)? What is the “curse” (Revelation 22:3) and how does that relate to creation?
Can we conclude from what he wrote that John the Apostle could have been called “John the Creationist?“