What has come to be known as the “Fourth Gospel” contains extensive information that is not found in the accounts attributed to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The writer of the “Fourth Gospel” acknowledged that much more could have been written about Jesusʼ “signs” or miracles and activity. (John 20:30; 21:25) He also revealed the purpose regarding what had been written. It was that those reading the account or hearing it read to them would “believe that Jesus is the Christ [or promised Messiah] the Son of God.” Then, on the basis of coming to believe in Jesus Christ, they would have life “in his name” or in him as the person whose name identified him as the Christ, the Son of God. Their real life would be as persons who truly recognized him and whom he accepted as belonging to him. (John 20:31)

From very early times, the “Fourth Gospel” has been considered to have had the apostle John as its source. Eusebius (c. 263 to c. 339 CE), in his Ecclesiastical History, provided information about what was commonly believed regarding the accounts that became part of the recognized Scriptures. He quoted Origen (185? to 254? CE) as accepting the tradition that there were only four authentic evangels, the first being written by the former tax collector Matthew, the second by Mark (as Peter instructed him), the third by Luke, and the last one by John. Fragmentary papyrus manuscripts (P66 [thought to date from the second century] and P75 [believed to date from late in the second century or early in the third century]) contain the following superscription for the account traditionally attributed to the apostle John, “evangel according to John” (euaggelion kata ioannen [P66]; euaggelion kata ioanen [P75]).

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Much of the material for the commentary on John is drawn from the section Jesus Christ, Godʼs Unique Son, which see about how the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John may fit into a chronological framework.