Obstacles to Faith Development in The Gospel According to John and in The First Letter of John

Abstract

The article explains what Christian faith is and the obstacles to its growth in the Gospel of John and the First Letter of John. In the context of today’s crisis of faith, it is relevant to return to the foundation of faith, which is to say to the teaching of the Gospel. In the Tradition of the Church, the Gospel according to John is called “the Gospel of Faith” because of its particular teaching on the necessity of faith for communion with God. The journey of faith, for the Apostle John, is not a static but a dynamic process. Faith grows and matures, and if it is not nurtured, it weakens and fades away. In John’s theology, faith is, on the one hand, a gift from God and, on the other, a human response. By believing, man cooperates with God through Christ and in Christ. The Gospel according to John and the First Letter of John highlight the obstacles to faith as cooperation between God and man: the effects of sin, the hatred of the world, the devil. The greatest sin is unbelief in the Messiah sent by God. The dualistic language of the fourth gospel about the workings of the obstacles to faith has deep theological weight. John’s teaching on the struggle in the journey of faith is hopeful: in the spiritual struggle the believer is not alone, but Christ is the rock of his faith. He has already defeated the prince of the world. The victory of believers over the sinful world is faith in the Messiah. The knowledge of the hindrances to the journey of faith, based on the theology of St. John, has practical implications for the growth of the faith of both the individual believer and the Church community.