believers could withstand the heresies without proper teaching. If pisteusēte (“to start believing”) is read, then the primary purpose of John would be to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not yet come to faith, whether they be Jews or proselytes or Gentiles or Samaritans. He persuades them to believe Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, so that they might receive divine life through him. John’s concern for evangelizing all people becomes very obvious, for example, in his use