John ending
The John ending - the true ending of the Gospel of John -- is an issue that is legitimately debated. There are strong reasons to conclude that its authentic ending is at John 20:31-31 as follows:
| “ | Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. | ” |
Unusual use of "I" and "we"
In John chapter 21, which follows the above ending, there is an unusual use of "I" that is never used anywhere else by John. TThe use of "we" in John 21 is also uncharacteristic of John, lacking clarity to it.
Inconsistent term for "children"
John 21:5 quotes Jesus as addressing his own Apostles -- grown men -- as "little children," using a Greek term (παιδίον, Strong's G3813) that is different from the Greek term used appropriately earlier in the same Gospel when Jesus, as the teacher, addressed his Apostles as his students (τεκνίον, Strong's G5040).[1]
"son of John"?
John 21 uses the term "son of John" four times to describe Peter, but that expression does not appear anywhere else in the entire Bible. None of the other Gospels, the New Testament letters, or the rest of the Gospel of JOhn ever refers to Peter this way.
Implausible reference to "153"
This ending contains at John 21:11 an implausible reference to the large, specific number of 153, which is found nowhere else in the Gospel of John, as instead it refers to approximate round numbers as most authors would.
In addition, there was no reason or time for counting the fish, which were far too many for the group to eat. Jesus had called the fishermen-disciples to breakfast, and it is implausible that they would have kept Jesus waiting while needlessly counting a large number of fish in near darkness.
Analogy to Mark ending
Virtually everyone agrees that the Mark ending was a later addition, so it is proper to ask if the somewhat rehashed text comprising John chapter 21, after the clear ending above was likewise a later addition to the Gospel of John.