69) In the Gospel of John, the “Jews” are “Judeans” (Not all “Jews”)

This episode proposes that one of the main original audiences, perhaps even the main audience, of the Gospel of John were Greek speaking Hebrews.

A first step in understanding that a main target audience of John’s Gospel were Greek speaking Hebrews is to understand that in the Gospel of John the word often translated as “Jews” can and does mean “Judeans”.

Jesus is received by Hebrews (Jews or Israelites) in all regions outside of Judea. But the "Judeans", particularly the Jewish religious establishment in Jerusalem, did not receive him.

If “Jews” means “Judeans” then the Gospel of John is addressing an internal Jewish controversy.

John was not writing to Gentile audiences to declare “the Jews rejected and killed Jesus”. Rather, the author is writing to other Hebrews giving reasons to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, even though he was rejected in his own city Jerusalem, in his own region, by his own people, Judeans.

Judeans rejected Jesus, not all Jews.

For the full written text see here:

https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2022/02/in-gospel-of-john-jews-are-judeans-not.html