Study questions

Life-Study of John

1. A Foreward

  1. What is the central thought of the Scripture? Give some examples in the Gospel of John that reveal this central thought.
  2. What is the significance of the position of John's writings in the Scripture?

2. An Introduction to Life and Building (1)

  1. What principle is revealed in John 1:3? How can we apply this principle to our Christian life?
  2. What is the most important point in the first section of John 1?

3. An Introduction to Life and Building (2)

  1. Give two reasons that the Word became flesh as presented in this message.
  2. Define grace and reality.

4. An Introduction to Life and Building (3)

  1. Describe the five main points in the last section of John 1.
  2. What is the goal of the Lord being the Lamb and the Dove? Describe the process by which He accomplishes this goal.

5. An Introduction to Life and Building (4)

  1. What are the five items that God accomplishes in time in order to have humanity in eternity future as His dwelling place?
  2. Why is the Lord seen as a dove in relation to His anointing and our transformation? What is the ultimate goal of our transformation?

6. Life's Principle

  1. What is life's principle? How is this principle seen in the sign of changing water into wine?
  2. Define the principle of first mention and apply it to the cases in John.

7. Life's Purpose

  1. What are the two aspects of the Lord's dealing with the temple and how do they apply to our Christian life and church life?
  2. What are the two points that govern the gospel of John? How are they related to one another and how are they seen in chapters 3—17 of the Gospel of John?

8. The Need of the Moral People—Life's Regenerating (1)

  1. What is man's condition in each of the nine cases shown in John chapters 3—11?
  2. Why is regeneration the first need of man and what does it mean to be "born of water and of the Spirit"?

9. The Need of the Moral People—Life's Regenerating (2)

  1. What is the kingdom of God and why is regeneration the unique entrance into the kingdom of God?
  2. How does John 3:14 relate to Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 2:14?

10. The Increase of Christ and the Immeasurable Christ

  1. How can we become the increase of Christ (the bride of Christ)?
  2. What are the two signs of the Lord's presence in the church?

11. The Need of the Immoral—Life's Satisfying (1)

  1. In what ways did the Lord exercise His sovereignty in arranging to meet the Samaritan woman?
  2. What is the significance of the "water" in John 4:13?

12. The Need of the Immoral—Life's Satisfying (2)

  1. In typology, what are the two aspects of the worship of God? How do we apply these two aspects today in our experience?
  2. How do we know that the sinner was satisfied and that the Savior was satisfied in John 4?

13. The Need of the Dying—Life's Healing

  1. In John 4:43-46 Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee. What does the name of this place signify and what example is used in message 13 to indicate the condition of man as typified by Cana of Galilee?
  2. How does the Lord heal weak and fragile people who are dying? Consider the verses in Romans 8, and the case of the royal official in John 4.

14. The Need of the Impotent—Life's Enlivening

  1. What conditions in the case of the impotent man expose the inadequacy of religion's law-keeping? How did the Son as life enliven Him?
  2. How does the section on the Son's fourfold testimony (5:31-47) enlighten us concerning the way we should contact the Scriptures?

15. The Need of the Hungry—Life's Feeding (1)

  1. Describe the two primary aspects of Christ as depicted by the five barley loaves and two fish.
  2. What precious aspect of Christ, as seen in the loaves and fish, enables Him to become our life supply? How does this differ from most Christians' concept concerning Christ?

16. The Need of the Hungry—Life's Feeding (2)

  1. Describe the six steps of Christ's process in John 6 by which He has become the food abiding unto eternal life.
  2. Since Christ has become the life-giving Spirit embodied in the word of life, how practically should we feed upon Him today?

17. The Need of the Thirsty—Life's Quenching (1)

  1. What is the significance of the scene of the Feast of Tabernacles in this case?
  2. How may we apply the thought of the two feasts to the two phases of man's condition and the two aspects of Christ as our life supply?

18. The Need of the Thirsty—Life's Quenching (2)

  1. What is the significance of the Lord's crying out to the thirsty ones on the last day of the feast?
  2. What does it mean that "the Spirit was not yet" before Jesus was glorified? Explain how this points to the all-inclusive Spirit of Jesus Christ.

19. The Need of Those under the Bondage of Sin—Life's Setting Free (1)

  1. What are the five aspects related to sin revealed in John 8?
  2. According to John 8, what is the solution to indwelling sin?

20. The Need of Those under the Bondage of Sin—Life's Setting Free (2)

  1. What is the way by which the Lord Jesus sets us free from sin? Give the two means the Lord Jesus uses.
  2. What four aspects of the person of Christ are revealed in this chapter?

21. The Need of the Blind in Religion—Life's Sight and Life's Shepherding (1)

  1. As those born blind by nature, what means does the Lord use to recover our sight? How must we cooperate to receive our sight?
  2. Why is "mingling" a valid term to use concerning the person of Christ? How does the passage quoted from Leviticus 2:5 apply to this New Testament concept?

22. The Need of the Blind in Religion—Life's Sight and Life's Shepherding (2)

  1. What is the difference between the fold and the pasture? How can we experience this pasture today?
  2. What does it mean to say that Christ is the door of the sheep?

23. The Need of the Dead—Life's Resurrecting (1)

  1. The Gospel of John reveals what two important things—one positive and one negative?
  2. How are human opinions a frustration to Christ as life? How can we cooperate to enjoy Him as life?

24. The Need of the Dead—Life's Resurrecting (2)

  1. How may we apply the resurrection life to ourselves day by day?
  2. From John 11, how does religion conspire against life and how does resurrection life gather God's children?

25. Life's Issue and Multiplication (1)

  1. What is the issue of Christ being life to man as revealed in John 12? Present your answer in the context of the foregoing sections of John.
  2. Describe how the house of feasting in John 12 is a miniature of the church life.

26. Life's Issue and Multiplication (2)

  1. In John 12, what was the way the Lord Jesus presented to produce and increase the church?
  2. In 12:23 and 28, what does it mean for the Lord to be glorified and to glorify the Father?

27. Life's Washing in Love to Maintain Fellowship (1)

  1. In John 13, what was the need, means, and purpose of the Lord's washing His disciples' feet with water?
  2. How is the spiritual washing in John 13 different from the washing away of sin by the Lord's blood?

28. Life's Washing in Love to Maintain Fellowship (2)

  1. What does it mean for us, as believers, to "lay aside our garments" to wash one another's feet?
  2. Explain how foot washing maintains both the fellowship of the Body of Christ and our fellowship with the Lord.

29. The Dispensing of the Triune God for the Producing of His Abode (1)

  1. What are the two sections of the Gospel of John and what two important points in the second section are revealed in John 14?
  2. What is the "Father's house" referred to in John 14:2 and how does interpreting the Scripture with the Scripture lead us to believe that this "house" is not heaven?

30. The Dispensing of the Triune God for the Producing of His Abode (2)

  1. In John 14:2 the Lord said, "I go to prepare a place for you." Where was He going and where is the place He was preparing for us?
  2. According to John 14:6, how is the Lord Jesus the way, the reality, and the life? He is our way to where?

31. The Dispensing of the Triune God for the Producing of His Abode (3)

  1. What four points indicate the relationship between the Father and the Son? Give supporting verses.
  2. What are twelve aspects of the Son realized as the Spirit abiding in the believers? Give supporting verses.

32. The Dispensing of the Triune God for the Producing of His Abode (4)

  1. How does the Triune God make His abode with us, His believers? Relate this practically to our loving the Son, keeping His commandments, and enjoying His presence.
  2. What does it mean for the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be sent in the Son's name? How does this uplift our appreciation of calling on the name of the Lord?

33. The Organism of the Triune God in the Divine Dispensation (1)

  1. What is the divine dispensation? Give three aspects and three verses concerning this.
  2. What are the vine, the husbandman, the branches, and the fruit-bearing in John 15?

34. The Organism of the Triune God in the Divine Dispensation (2)

  1. Explain how we must deal with two kinds of words in order to abide in Christ.
  2. How is the divine prayer the normal continuation of abiding in the Lord and having His words abiding in us? Relate this to fruit-bearing and glorifying the Father.

35. The Organism of the Triune God in the Divine Dispensation (3)

  1. What is the relationship between the branches and the religious world as revealed in John 15?
  2. What are the four aspects of the Comforter's testifying in John 15?

36. The Work of the Spirit unto the Mingling of Divinity with Humanity (1)

  1. How are the three items of the Spirit's convicting related to three persons, and how should these items be applied to our gospel preaching?
  2. What is the proof that the Father is satisfied with Christ's redemption and how is this related to our justification?

37. The Work of the Spirit unto the Mingling of Divinity with Humanity (2)

  1. How does the Spirit disclose the Son with the Father to the believers and glorify the Son?
  2. Explain the meaning of the woman, the child, and the birth mentioned in John 16:21.

38. Life's Prayer (1)

  1. What is the basic concept of the Lord's prayer in John 17, and what are the three stages fo the fulfillment of this prayer?
  2. What is the Son's work and what is eternal life as revealed in John 17?

39. Life's Prayer (2)

  1. What is the relationship between oneness and building up, and what are the three stages of oneness mentioned in John 17?
  2. How are the believers one in the Father's name by the eternal life?

40. Life's Prayer (3)

  1. What does it mean to be sanctified by the Lord's word as the truth, the reality?
  2. What is glory and what must we forsake to be one in the divine glory?

41. Life's Prayer (4)

  1. What main verses in John 17 show the three stages of oneness? Describe how we progress from the first stage to the third stage.
  2. How does the type of the tabernacle in the Old Testament show us that oneness is the building?

42. Life Processed for Multiplication (1)

  1. What is the purpose of John's record of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, and what are five proofs that the Lord went into death willingly?
  2. Why was it that in Luke the Lord spoke to the thief and in John the Lord spoke to His mother and disciple?

43. Life Processed for Multiplication (2)

  1. What were the two substances that came out of the Lord's pierced side? Describe the two aspects of the Lord's death that they represent.
  2. What is the significance of not one of the Lord's bones being broken in His death? Relate this to the rib taken from Adam's side in Genesis 2:21-23.

44. Life Processed for Multiplication (3)

  1. What is the significance of the Lord being resurrected on the first day of the week?
  2. What was the significance of the Lord leaving his linen grave cloths and handkerchief in a good order in the tomb when He resurrected?

45. Life Processed for Multiplication (4)

  1. What are the two aspects of the discovery of the Lord's resurrection revealed in John 20? What aspects do we see in Peter, John, and Mary?
  2. What is the significance of the Lord calling the disciples His brothers in John 20:17?

46. Life in Resurrection (1)

  1. In what way did the Lord send His disciples with His commission?
  2. Describe the two aspects of the promise of the Spirit. How is the fulfillment of the promise in John 20 different from that in Acts 2?

47. Life in Resurrection (2)

  1. What six aspects of the Spirit are presented in this message? Give verse references for each.
  2. How does John 20 illustrate the two aspects of our contact with the Lord? Why is it so important for believers to meet together? What are the benefits?

48. Life in Resurrection (3)

  1. What is the meaning of the Gospel of John found in the introduction to this message? After such completion, why do we need John 21?
  2. What were the three miracles of fishing in John 21? And what was the lesson the Lord was teaching His disciples by these miracles?

49. Life in Resurrection (4)

  1. In working with the believers, how does the Lord as the Shepherd prepare us to cooperate with Him in His shepherding work?
  2. In walking with His believers, how does the Lord instruct us to follow Him and wait for Him? Relate this to both His invisible and visible presence.

50. The Ultimate Conclusion

  1. Describe the two ways we can look at the Gospel of John from a bird's-eye view.
  2. At the conclusion of the Gospel of John, what are the five things we need to practically experience in order to apply the revelation in John's writings?

51. Bearing Fruit by the Overflow of the Inner Life

  1. How does Christ make us part of the organism of the Triune God? How may we practically experience this organism?
  2. Explain how fruit-bearing is the overflow of life.