This lecture comes from Bart’s exclusive Spotlight Series inside the Biblical Studies Academy (BSA), where members get a new in-depth lecture each month on early Christianity and biblical history. If you enjoyed John the Maverick Gospel, you can start a free BSA trial to access more exclusive talks like this. Start Your Free BSA Trial
In this lecture, Dr. Bart D. Ehrman invites us to explore why John’s Gospel stands apart from the other three. While Matthew, Mark, and Luke share a common narrative structure, John moves to a different rhythm: Jesus speaks in long theological discourses, performs fewer but deeply symbolic signs, and openly identifies himself as divine. Together, we’ll examine what this “Maverick Gospel” reveals about the diversity of early Christian belief and how John’s vision of Jesus reshaped Christian theology.
As we walk through John’s unique storytelling, we’ll consider its historical, literary, and theological layers — from the “Word made flesh” prologue to the Gospel’s closing confession of faith. Dr. Ehrman helps us see not just how John differs from the Synoptics, but why those differences matter. Was John’s community responding to conflict with other Christians? How did this Gospel’s soaring Christology influence later doctrine? This session challenges us to read John with fresh eyes — not just as Scripture, but as a bold and independent voice in the early Christian world.
Lesson Audio File
