Conservative Friends Bible Study of The Gospel of John #30

John 18:11-40
We read John 18 closely, tracing how the Gospel portrays Jesus as calm and purposeful during arrest, interrogation, and the first steps toward crucifixion. We test translations and historical context to see how small word choices shape big theological claims about truth, power, and an inward kingdom.
• Rereading the garden arrest and the meaning of “I am he”
• Debating why the arresting party falls to the ground and what that signals about control
• Unpacking first-century naming conventions behind “Jesus of Nazareth”
• Asking why John names Malchus and what that suggests about sources and memory
• Clarifying Simon, Peter, disciple, and key Greek terms tied to learning and identity
• Examining the Annas and Caiaphas exchange as an example of coercive authority
• Discussing Ioudaios and how translation choices can fuel anti-Semitic misreadings
• Following Peter’s denials and the narrative weight of the cockcrow
• Exploring Pilate, Roman power, “What is truth,” and basileia as realm or inward state
• Rethinking Barabbas as an insurrectionist rather than a mere robber
The quote in our introduction is from Chapter IV of Penn’s No Cross, No Crown.