How Can We Understand the Friendship in John's Gospel?

This article explores a critical survey of the friendship which is distinctively characterized in John's Gospel. The references to friendship (3:29; 15:13-15; 19:12, etc) along with the words file and filew throughout John's Gospel (chapters 11 and 21) deserve attention. Friendship in Greco-Romanantiquity provides a significant framework to define the distinctive and boldcharacteristics of Johannine portrait of friendship between Jesus and hisown disciples. The article explores the related conventions of friendshipmotifs from the Greco-Roman world to better understand the meaning offriendship in the gospel of John. The article also surveys the gift of Jesus love for his friends that isembodied in his death and his frankness in speech (parresia) and action. Inaddition to these two general motifs, three more aspects of the Johannineidea of friendship are critically investigated: (1) the purpose and process offriendship; (2) the condition of becoming Jesus' friend; (3) the duration ofthe friendship and whether it is permanent or temporary. The relationship with the Greco-Roman world and John s world regardingthe various aspects of the friendship deserves thorough attention; John's Gospel, however, does not merely imitate the cultural-social agenda of theancient conventions. Friendship in John's Gospel is the gift of his great love for his own, and throughout his life he has spoken frankly and boldly (parresia). The idea of friendship in John's Gospel needs more critical study and careful attention in light of numerous social-politicaldynamics and politics involved. A closer look at the gospel of John revealsa lot of troubling ideas and tensions about friendship, and how this relatesto our friendship with Jesus.