Video Transcript
*This transcript was generated by AI, and may contain transcription errors. Please refer to the video, or contact us with any questions or discrepancies.*
Why do the Jews seem like the bad guys in the gospel of John? Many people over the years have read the gospels in the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John, and come away with this negative view of the Jews. This term is found in many of our Bible translations and has led to many anti-Jewish rhetoric, speech, theology, and in the worst cases, even the murdering of Jews by self-proclaimed Christians. Why does John’s gospel seem anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish? Well, the problem lies in the translation of a Greek word, you zo. Now, I want to start by saying I’m not taking a shot at biblical translators as a man who’s learning biblical Hebrew. I understand on a deeper level how hard it is to translate something written 2000 years ago in a different culture and language. That’s no easy task, but with this word, Zo, it’s often translated as Jew.
If you look up the word in the Greek, it’s more literally translated as one from the land of Judea or the province of Judea. So yes, the word Jew fits, but I would submit to you that it’s not always the best translation. A better translation in many cases would be the ones from Judea or the Judean leaders. Here’s what we have to understand about this context. Jesus is a Jew. He comes from the tribe of Judah. That’s where the term Jew comes from. His followers were Jewish and his ministry was to the Jewish people. Jesus says in Matthew 1524, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. So most of the time throughout the New Testament, it’s a given that people are Jewish. The gospel writers don’t feel the need to describe everyone who’s Jewish as a Jew, they’re in Israel. Jesus’ ministry is to the people of Israel.
Jesus miraculously feeds 5,000 men. We could rightfully say he feeds 5,000 Jews. Jesus finds his 12 disciples. It could say he found his 12 Jewish disciples, but the authors are assuming that you know that. Therefore, when we see this Greek word show up, it usually is in context to another type of Jewish person, another type of Jewish group or an area in Israel. In the same way you could write a story that takes place in America, the story is all about Americans, but you might juxtapose the beliefs of a American Baptist and an American charismatic. They’re both Americans, but this title helps you juxtapose their differences in beliefs. The New Testament often refers to the Pharisees, Sadducees, the scribes, and the priest. Each group is Jewish, but they will differ in many ways, especially regarding beliefs and customs. Sometimes we see this word Zo as a regional distinction, often juxtaposing the Galilee with Judea, the place of Judah or Jerusalem, which is the capital of Judea.
We might think of our story with the Americans, but we’re juxtaposing people from the deep south to Los Angeles. Any American could begin concluding what these people might believe based on the regions I mentioned. Most of Jesus’s ministry took place in the Galilee. The Galilee was described by a Jewish historian. Josephus as a people fond of innovations and by nature disposed to change and they delighted in Seditions or rebellions. See, the Galilee was seen as a little bit more grassroots, maybe a little bit more rogue sedition, meaning this rebellion, perhaps a little bit more unkept and radical. On the other hand, you have the people of Judea. They would be more in Jerusalem, Jerusalem’s, the epicenter of Jewish practice and tradition. We might say they’re a little bit more buttoned up, a little less rogue, a little more pious. Using the term. Zo is a great way to lump the religious leaders of Judah as the Judean leaders to go with our American example.
In the same way the Americans could describe a group of Americans. Yet in global politics, if you read, the Americans decided to send troops to this certain country. We would all know in context they mean the American leadership. Not all Americans voted that we should send troops, but in the story, the Americans meant the American leadership. In the same way, the Judean that’s often mentioned in the gospel of John was a way for the author to speak about the group of Jewish leaders in Jerusalem in Judah. Not every Jew, not every individual. Let’s look at these scriptures side by side and let’s see which one makes the most sense given the context that everyone is Jewish. Jesus, Pharisees, disciples, everyone. John seven verse one. After these events, Jesus was walking about in the Galilee. He did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews would try to kill him.
Or after these events, Jesus was walking in the Galilee and he did not want to go to Judea because the Judean leaders wanted to kill him. John 11, six. Then he said to his disciples, let’s go up to Judea again. Teacher the disciples said, just now, the Judean leaders were trying to stone you, and you’re going back there, John one, nine. John’s testimony is when the Judean leaders sent the priest and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? It doesn’t make sense that the Jews sent the priests and the Levites from Jerusalem. John the Baptist is Jewish, and when we read, the Jew sent priests from Jerusalem to talk to John the Baptist. We think John’s not Jewish, but he is Jewish. Everyone is Jewish in this story, and that’s why this translation and theology is so dangerous because one, it’s not accurate, but all of the heroes of our Jewish faith, our Christian faith, were Jewish.
Jesus’ own family, his brothers and sisters. Now, I’m not saying this word can never be translated as Jew. In certain places it makes sense. For example, after Acts nine, the word is used to juxtapose Jew with Gentile. In many of Paul’s letters, especially in the book of Romans, Paul Juxtaposes, Jews and Gentiles, this makes perfect sense. We have to understand that the Jews are not the bad guys. They’re the chosen people of God. Scripture makes this very clear in the new and Old Testament, see, many believe in Jesus as Messiah and many didn’t. Many Jewish people believe Jesus was Messiah and many Jews didn’t, and our heart is that all would come into the knowledge of God and the revelation of Jesus as Messiah, but not as the leader of the Christians, but as the Messiah of Israel.
