@Cyd. This is not something I have the time to spend going on, as I am already have my own ministry, so this will be a one off.
However, I’ve had a look through the Gospel of John PDF in the sense of it being a salvation doorway for those from Muslim backgrounds.
The concept is good, and I would keep the strong passages concerning the identity of Jesus. I would, however, recommend a few corrections before distributing it more widely. There are some wording/translation issues that could distract a reader or give the wrong meaning.
The main ones I noticed are:
Page 15, John 4:3 “So Judah left and went again to Galilee.”
This should be
“So he left Judea and went again to Galilee.”
Page 15, John 4:6 “having prayed from his journey”
This should be
“tired/weary from his journey.”
Page 17, John 4:21 “the time is coming when you will not worship the Father...”
This should be
“the time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” The present wording reverses the meaning.
Page 18, John 4:24 “His servants must worship Him...”
I recommend
“his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Page 20, John 4:39 “he had told them everything they had done throughout their lives.”
This adds something that isn't in the text.
“He told me everything I ever did” would be much safer.
Pages 22-24, John 5:3-4 and 5:18 I would check these carefully.
John 5:4 should also have a footnote explaining that this verse is absent from some early manuscripts. In verse 18, “violating the Sabbath” could be misunderstood as Jesus actually breaking God's law. It is the accusation made by his opponents.
Page 26, John 5:31 “my testimony is not true.”
This can sound as though Jesus is saying his testimony would be false
. “My testimony is not valid” is clearer.
Page 29, John 6:11 “those reclining at the table.”
There is no table in the verse. I would remove “at the table.”
Pages 44-45, John 8:1-11 I recommend adding a footnote explaining the manuscript issue surrounding the woman caught in adultery. I would still retain the passage.
Page 94, John 17:3 I would leave the verse itself intact but add cross-references to John 1:1 and John 20:28. A Muslim reader could otherwise interpret the verse as saying Jesus cannot be divine. John's Gospel needs to be read as a whole.
Page 101, John 18:30 “
If he were not a tyrant...”
I would change this to
“If he were not a criminal” or
“wrongdoer.”
Page 104, John 19:13 “the Tabernacle (Hebrew: Gabbatha).”
This is incorrect. It should be
“the Stone Pavement (Hebrew: Gabbatha).”
Page 107, John 19:30 “When Yeshua had eaten the vinegar...”
This definitely needs correcting.
“When Yeshua had received the sour wine...”
Page 110, John 20:7 “The handkerchief that was on his head...”
I would use
“The cloth that had been around his head.”
I would also reconsider the repeated use of
“Alaha [Allah]” and
“Yeshua [Isa]” throughout the English text. I understand exactly why you've used them for Muslim-background readers, and I think the idea has value. However, repeating both forms throughout makes the English quite cumbersome. It may be better to explain the terminology in the introduction and then use one form consistently.
Most importantly, I would
not soften the passages that clearly reveal who Jesus is. John 1:1, John 1:14, John 5:23, John 8:58, John 10:30, John 14:9, John 17:5 and especially John 20:28 are very important for someone coming from a Muslim background. Let John present Jesus and allow the reader to encounter him through the Gospel.
So I don't think the whole work needs to be redone. I think it needs a
careful correction of the obvious translation errors, some refinement of the English, and a few helpful textual footnotes/cross-references. The underlying purpose of making John accessible as a doorway to salvation for Muslim-background readers is worthwhile.
