The Doctrinal System of St. John: Considered as Evidence for the Date of His Gospel

The Doctrinal System Of St. John: Considered As Evidence For The Date Of His Gospel by John James Lias. In this study, Lias investigates whether the fourth Gospel is a genuine Apostolic document or a second?century forgery. He reconstructs St. John’s doctrinal system, comparing it with the Synoptic Gospels and with the Epistles of Paul, Peter, and James to argue for coherence rather than rupture across New Testament writings. The work surveys the Nature and Attributes of God, the Doctrine of the Logos and the Person of Christ, the Incarnation, Propitiation, the Holy Spirit, and the Resurrection and Final Judgment. Throughout, he contends that St. John’s Gospel preserves essential primitive teaching and bridges the gap between the historical Jesus and later theological reflection. He argues that the Epistles and Acts reveal a common apostolic tradition that harmonizes with John’s representation, and that neither Gnosticism nor Montanism demands a late date for the Gospel. The book thus stands as a rigorous defense of Johannine authorship and of the unity of New Testament theology.