John INTRODUCTION 1. Background The gospel of John was probably the last of the Gospels to be written and circulated, though it definitely belongs to the first century. Its action took place between A.D. 27 and 36, when Pontius Pilate was removed from office by the order of Tiberius Caesar. This gospel was probably written at a time when the church was composed of second-and third-generation Christians who needed more detailed instruction about Jesus and new defenses for the apologetic problems