There aren't two different books of the Bible called "John" in the sense that they are versions of the same story or competing accounts. Instead, there are multiple books in the New Testament attributed to or traditionally associated with John:
* The Gospel of John: This is one of the four canonical gospels, telling the story of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
* The First Epistle of John (1 John): This is a letter or homily addressed to a general audience, focusing on themes of love, fellowship with God, and warnings against false teachers.
* The Second Epistle of John (2 John): A short letter addressed to "the elect lady and her children," cautioning them against supporting false teachers.
* The Third Epistle of John (3 John): Another short letter, this time addressed to a man named Gaius, commending him for his hospitality and warning against a disruptive figure named Diotrephes.
* The Book of Revelation: Also known as the Apocalypse, this is a highly symbolic and prophetic book describing visions of the end times. It begins by identifying the author as John.
While they are all traditionally attributed to "John," scholars debate the authorship and relationship between these books. Here's a breakdown of the traditional view and some scholarly perspectives:
Traditional View:
* All five books were written by the same person: John the Apostle, one of Jesus' original twelve disciples, who is also identified with the "beloved disciple" in the Gospel of John.
Scholarly Perspectives:
* Different Authors, Shared Tradition: Some scholars believe that the Gospel of John and the Johannine epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) share a common theological perspective and literary style, suggesting they originated from a "Johannine community" or school of thought, but may have been written by different members within that community.
* Authorship of Revelation: The authorship of Revelation is often debated separately. While the author identifies himself as "John," some argue that the style and theology of Revelation differ significantly from the Gospel and epistles, suggesting a different author. Others argue that the differences can be explained by the different genre and purpose of the book.
In summary, the reason we have multiple books called "John" is because they are traditionally attributed to the same person, John the Apostle (or a Johannine community). While the traditional view holds that the Apostle John wrote all five books, modern scholarship raises questions about the authorship and relationship between these books, suggesting that they may have different authors within a shared Johannine tradition.