The Signs Gospel is one of the hypothetical source texts for the Gospel of John which textual criticism supposes to exist. It is now widely agreed that John draws upon a tradition of miracles which is substantially independant of the three synoptic gospels, even if its author(s) knew of them. Whether this tradition is real or invented by the author, the hypothetical text resulting from it on which John drew is known as the Signs Gospel.

Amongst other passages, if it exists, the Signs Gospel would probably, according to critical scholarship, contain:

• Changing water into wine (John 2:1-11)
• Healing an
  
  
  
  official's son (John 4:46-54)
• Healing a lame man (John 5:2-9)
• Feeding the multitude (John 6:1-14)
• Crossing the sea (John 6:15-25)
• Healing the blind (John 9:1-8)
• Raising Lazarus (John 11:1-45)
• The 613 fish (John 21:1-14), although this is the matter of some dispute (see also John 21)

A few other passages are added to these, in particular an introduction to the Signs Gospel (various parts of John 1), and its conclusion (John 20:30-31a).

Robert Fortna believes that the text also contained a passion narrative, though other scholars dispute this.

References

• Raymond E. Brown, The Community of the Beloved Disciple Paulist Press, 1979