cal: the Serpent in the wilderness prefigures Christ’s “ lifting up,” and the Passover His own sacrifice as the Lamb of God.
The fourth Gospel is the only one of the four which is de- veloped according to a prearranged and systematic plan. This plan may be generally described as the exhibition of “ the par- allel development of faith and unbelief through the historical presence of Christ.” * The Gospel accordingly falls into two general divisions: the Prologue (i. 1-18); the Narrative (i. 19-xxi. 23). The narrative consists of two parts: the self- revelation of Christ to the world (i. 19-xii. 50) ; the self-revela- tion of Christ to the disciples (xiii. xxi.). In the development of this plan the author dwells upon three pairs of ideas: wit- ness and truth; glory and light ; judgment and life. ‘ There is the manifold attestation of the divine mission; there is the progressive manifestation of the inherent majesty of the Son; there is the continuous and necessary effect which this mani- festation produces on those to whom it is made; and the nar- rative may be fairly described as the simultaneous unfolding of these three themes, into which the great theme of faith and unbelief is divided ” (Westcott). The plan is foreshadowed in the Prologue. He who was the Word, in the beginning with God, by whom all things came into being, was life and light— the light of men. To Him witness was borne by John, who was sent to testify of Him that all men might believe on Him. But though He was made flesh and dwelt among men, though He came unto His own home, though He was full of grace and truth, the world knew Him not, and His own people refused to receive Him. There were, however, those who did receive Him; and to such He gave power to become sons of God through faith in His name. They became such, not in a physi- cal sense, not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God. They received of His fulness.
Accordingly the Gospel treats of the nature of Christ, and of the witness borne to Christ by John, by the disciples, and by mir- acles. It goes on to describe the conflict between the eternal Light and the darkness as embodied historically in the persist-
* I follow the general arrangement of Westcott.