Sitting in a shop in Tehran, Iran, the Persian rug depicted an ancient forest. Beautifully done, it re-created a scene in Switzerland: mountains, a waterfalls, a turquoise lake, forested hillsides, and an expansive blue sky dotted with clouds. Anyone in that shop could have spent their time noting the details: the number of knots per square inch, the fabric of the carpet, the types of dye used—all the minutiae that resulted in the rug. Or the person could have focused, instead, on the arresting techniques and themes that gave the carpet its unique beauty: the sky reflected in the lake, the snow that capped the mountains, the verdant forest complemented by the deep green moss. The themes of the carpet combined with one another in a deftly coordinated display of beauty to manifest the splendor of that serene spot in the Alps. This quarter we will be studying another finely crafted masterpiece. This work is not the result of a brush on canvas, or a precisely framed photograph, or a skillfully woven carpet. Rather, it is the Word of God, as artfully expressed in the Gospel of John. Words have meaning within their contexts. For anyone to understand what Scripture intends to say, it must be studied in context—the immediate sentences, chapters, and sections, and the overall message of the Bible itself. Finally, because the entire Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, each part should be studied in the context of the whole.