What were St. John the Apostles accomplishments? The lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: a new look at betrayer and betrayed. Jesus speaks to Moses and Elijah, and John is one of the only three people to witness his glory (Matthew 17:111, Mark 9:28, Luke 9:2836). 0:04. [110], In Medieval and through to Renaissance works of painting, sculpture and literature, Saint John is often presented in an androgynous or feminized manner. [61][64][65], Mainstream Bible scholars assert that all four gospels from the New Testament are fundamentally anonymous and most of mainstream scholars agree that these gospels have not been written by eyewitnesses. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. After joining Jesus ministry, John likely would have traveled extensively. Colin G. Kruse states that since John the Evangelist has been named consistently in the writings of early Church Fathers, "it is hard to pass by this conclusion, despite widespread reluctance to accept it by many, but by no means all, modern scholars. I am curious that why John is always mentioned after Peter in the Book of Acts. John the Apostle John was a member of the inner circle of three who accompanied Jesus even when the others were absent. John the apostle took Mary home with him after Jesus died. It is important to notice this. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/disciple-jesus-loved-john-the-apostle-701065. In the 6th century the healing power of dust from Johns tomb was famous (it is mentioned by the Frankish historian St. Gregory of Tours). Johns subsequent history is obscure and passes into the uncertain mists of legend. John the Apostle, who is the subject of this lesson, was a disciple, or follower, of Jesus and was responsible for spreading the message of Jesus, as his title of ''apostle'' suggests. [30][31], Many traditions identify the "beloved disciple" in the Gospel of John as the Apostle John, but this identification is debated. John was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry. In the Gospel, authorship is internally credited to the "disciple whom Jesus loved" ( , o mathts on gapa o Isous) in John 20:2. Jesus referred to the pair as "Boanerges" (translated "sons of thunder"). The Book of Revelation is pretty emphatic that it was written by someone named John, and that he was on the island of Patmos when he received the revelation from Jesus Christ. Love, loyalty, friendships, authors, booksellers, burn-victims, poison-victims, art-dealers, editors, publishers, scribes, examinations, scholars, theologians, It is this disciple who, while reclining beside Jesus at the, Also in the book's final chapter, after Jesus hints to Peter how Peter will die, Peter sees the Beloved Disciple following them and asks, "What about him?" Throughout his later life, John also had some significant students. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. John has been an important figure for Christianity because he is believed to have been the author of the fourth (non-synoptic) gospel, three canonical letters, and the book of Revelation. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, Look, the Lamb of God! When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. This tradition is credible because banishment was a common punishment used during the Imperial period for a number of offenses. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. [50] The Gospel according to John differs considerably from the Synoptic Gospels, which were likely written decades earlier. John was one of the first disciples chosen. The Epistles of John were written to various audiences. Polycarp taught Irenaeus, passing on to him stories about John. Hard to say (and probably not terribly important). John's Gospel is strikingly different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the three Synoptic Gospels, which means "seen with the same eye" or from the same viewpoint. Passages from his writings have become our definition of God (1 John 4:8), and others have become so ubiquitous that even many non-Christians know them by heart. Andrew, Simon Peters brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. In the Gospel of John, the author uses the one whom Jesus loved five times to refer to a disciple who was particularly close to Jesus. John was one of Jesus three closest disciples. Iconographically, the young beardless type is early (as in a 4th-century sarcophagus from Rome), and this type came to be preferred (though not exclusively) in the medieval West. The Apostle John (also known as Saint John) was one of Jesus Christs 12 disciples, and a prominent leader in the early Christian church. Evidence suggests the last apostle ended his days in the Asia Minor city of Ephesus. In ancient writings it was common for writers to omit themselves from an account or use third person descriptions to disguise their identity. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." John was the author of five books in Scripture, the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John and the Revelation. [51] Around 600, however, Sophronius of Jerusalem noted that "two epistles bearing his name are considered by some to be the work of a certain John the Elder" and, while stating that Revelation was written by John of Patmos, it was "later translated by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus,"[1] presumably in an attempt to reconcile tradition with the obvious differences in Greek style. [19][20] Also according to some traditions, Salome was the sister of Mary, Jesus' mother,[20][21] making Salome Jesus' aunt, and her sons John the Apostle and James were Jesus' cousins. In the end, we cant say for sure that he did or didnt write them. Is it an affirmation of their fervor? He is revered for his contributions to the New Testament and is believed to be the author of the Gospel of John, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Johns authoritative position in the church after the Resurrection is shown by his visit with St. Peter to Samaria to lay hands on the new converts there. What we have are legends, about some of the apostles chiefly Peter, Paul, Thomas, Andrew, and John. The bishops of Asia Minor supposedly requested him to write his gospel to deal with the heresy of the Ebionites, who asserted that Christ did not exist before Mary. A church (San Giovanni a Porta Latina) dedicated to him was built near the Latin gate of Rome, the traditional site of this event. These three moments capture the special relationship John had with Jesus, and according to the gospel that bears his name, John may have had an even more privileged relationship with Jesus (or maybe hes just bragging). John is mentioned in the four Gospels, the book of Acts, and as the narrator of Revelation. Bacon, Martin Hengel and Henry Barclay Swete, maintain that these references to Papias are credible. John the Apostle was one of the 12 disciples of Christ. New York: Oxford University Press. As Christ loves us, we are to love others. This is the opposite of what Paul had been teaching them. I am teaching a class on John, please send me all the material on John you have. But its a bit messy, because these names are also sometimes used interchangeably with John the Apostle. It would be surprising if Lazarus was the author though, because we dont see him until John 11, and we dont hear about him after John 12. His father was a Galilean fisherman. [47], Church tradition has held that John is the author of the Gospel of John and four other books of the New Testament the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. This is the only place the nickname sons of thunder appears, and theres no explanation as to why Jesus gave them the name. We may never know with absolute certainty how much the Apostle John wrote himself. Irenaeus writes of "the church of Ephesus, founded by Paul, with John continuing with them until the times of Trajan. So who was the Apostle John? "[62] F. F. Bruce argues that 19:35 contains an "emphatic and explicit claim to eyewitness authority. John is usually mention with other names, especially after Peter and James. Other than a few references to him in the New Testament, however, we have no information about who he was or what he did. Pages 922, 955. [86], An alternative account of John's death, ascribed by later Christian writers to the early second-century bishop Papias of Hierapolis, claims that he was slain by the Jews. Tertullian, a Christian writer from the late second and early third century, wrote that before the Romans banished John, they brought him into a coliseum and dunked him in a vat of boiling oil. According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) John was one of the first disciples Jesus called to follow him. We know little about Johns later life and death from the Bible. In the early second century, Justin Martyr was the first to suggest this John was the Apostle John, and since then, many Christians have presumed that John the Apostle was exiled to Patmos for preaching the gospel. John and his brother St. James were among the first disciples called by Jesus. . The theologian Tertullian reported that John was plunged into boiling oil but miraculously escaped unscathed. He is also believed to be the only disciple who died of old age (the others were allegedly martyred). It appears through this catalogue of names that the John who is placed among the disciples is not the same as the elder John whom he places after Aristion in his enumeration. [75], John the Presbyter, an obscure figure in the early church, has also been identified with the seer of the Book of Revelation by such authors as Eusebius in his Church History (Book III, 39)[74] and Jerome.[76]. . By the way, Caiaphas was also the high priest when John the Baptist was beheaded. John the Apostle. John was thought to have opposed granting Gentiles membership in the church, but evidence is unclear in this regard. God is love, and we, as Christians, are to be channels of God's love to our neighbors. On the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of his mother, Mary, to an unnamed disciple, probably John, who took her into his home (John 19:27). What were St. John the Apostles contributions? Zavada, Jack. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. St. John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and Salome, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. [116] For instance, John's feminine features are argued to have helped to make him more relatable to women. John was known as an apostle, author, and the only apostle who was not killed by martyrdom, though not from lack of trying. In the Byzantine world the evangelist is portrayed as old, with long white beard and hair, usually carrying his Gospel. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Thank you for the information of John the Apostle. Along with James and Peter, John was one of Jesus' closest confidants, so he appears in more biblical accounts than the other disciples. According to church tradition, their mother was Salome. [24] A Gospel story relates how the brothers wanted to call down heavenly fire on an unhospitable Samaritan town, but Jesus rebuked them. Interestingly, the Apostle John is mentioned by name in every gospel except the one named after him. The rest were martyred for their faith. Toggle References to John in the New Testament subsection, While Luke states that this is the Passover (. Interestingly, with one exception, whenever the beloved disciple is mentioned, it tends to be in contrast to Peter. They were all written after John was an old man living in Ephesus. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a mountaintop, where he is transfigured before them. This event would have occurred in the late 1st century, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, who was known for his persecution of Christians. This disciple was one of the sons of Zebedee who followed our Lord. Some of the earliest references to the letters attribute them to the Apostle John, and church tradition has held him as the author ever since. Like many of Jesus disciples, he was a fisherman by trade. He was the only one of the 12 apostles present at the cross. It appears in John 13:23, John 19:26, John 20:2, John 21:7, and John 21:20. (Those are pretty complicated, with conditional sentences, demonstrative pronouns, etc.). Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. John and his brother James, another disciple of Jesus, were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called them to follow him. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. John 20:29. Particularly, the three apostles who had the most authority: Peter, James, and John. 28:67; D&C 7)". Well, whatever happened, James was important enough for Herod to kill. (NIV). which is why I always gravitate towards video or audio studies Plus nowadays most of us travel so much or are visually impaired LOL which makes the audio/visual study materials the preferred go to. Who Was Herod? Plus, the other gospels dont record him at some of the events the beloved disciple witnessed. [104] Notably, narrations of People of the Book (Christians and Jews) are not to be believed or disbelieved by Muslims as long as there is nothing that supports or denies them in Quran or Sunnah. They were with Christ on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13; Luke 9:27-36). "Authors, Books, and Readers in the Ancient World", "De Viris Illustribus (On Illustrious Men) Chapter 9 & 18", "Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", "Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", "Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Twelve Apostles", "The Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles: Telling the Christian Story", Eastern Orthodox icon and Synaxarion of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist (May 8), Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_the_Apostle&oldid=1162314827, Articles containing Imperial Aramaic (700-300 BCE)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from March 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Book, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle. [70], The author of the Book of Revelation identifies himself as "" ("John" in standard English translation). There are three men who bear that name to whom the letter could have been written. John served the church in Jerusalem for many years, then moved to work in the church at Ephesus. On his composing the Gospel, he handed it to those who had made the request to him; which coming to Peters knowledge, he neither hindered nor encouraged. What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Warfare? Prophet's Sirah by Ibn Hisham, Chapter: Sending messengers of Allah's Messenger to kings, p.870, Musnad el Imam Ahmad Volume 4, Publisher: Dar al Fikr, p.72, Hadith#17225, Jadranka Prolovi, "Socrates and St. John the Apostle: the interchangable similarity of their portraits", *Carolyn S. Jerousek, "Christ and St. John the Evangelist as a Model of Medieval Mysticism", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources, Saint John the Apostle, patron saint archive, "The Disciples of John and the Odes of Solomon", "John 19 Commentary William Barclay's Daily Study Bible", "John, The Apostle International Standard Bible Encyclopedia", "Fonck, Leopold. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase "I am," unmistakably identifying himself with Jehovah, the Great "I AM" or eternal God. [111][112] The first way of depicting him was more common in Byzantine art, where it was possibly influenced by antique depictions of Socrates;[113] the second was more common in the art of Medieval Western Europe, and can be dated back as far as 4th century Rome. They were also the inner circle of prayer warriors in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37). In the original apocryphal Acts of John, the apostle dies; however, later traditions assume that he ascended to heaven. John taught Ignatius of Antioch as well, whom Peter eventually appointed as the bishop of Antioch. John underwent a remarkable transformation as a disciple, from the quick-tempered Son of Thunder to the compassionate apostle of love. John and his brother James, another disciple of Jesus, were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called them to follow him. Should Christians Retire? This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. "The big problem with this argument [of who would die for a lie] is that it assumes precisely what we dont know. However, most modern critical scholars have their doubts. The disciple whom Jesus loved is referred to, specifically, six times in the Gospel of John: None of the other Gospels has anyone in the parallel scenes that could be directly understood as the Beloved Disciple. The second was written to an unnamed elect lady. The third to a man name Gaius. In order to prove that he was right to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and to teach that they didnt need to follow the Law to be saved, Paul appealed to the apostles. The first one he mentions in connection with Peter and James and Matthew and the rest of the apostles, clearly meaning the evangelist; but the other John he mentions after an interval, and places him among others outside of the number of the apostles, putting Aristion before him, and he distinctly calls him a presbyter. At least he mentions them frequently by name, and gives their traditions in his writings. He is also given credit for writing the fourth biblical narrative of the Gospel and possibly the Revelation to John; however, there has been considerable discussion of the actual identity of the writers of these works. The most insightful bit of information comes from John 21 when the risen Christ was talking to Peter about Peters death. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. by Ryan Nelson | Feb 6, 2019 | Bible characters | 7 comments. Theres good reason to believe that the Apostle John at least wrote some of the gospel that bears his name, but scholars still dispute his authorship. Prophecy was viewed by the Romans as belonging to the same category, whether Pagan, Jewish, or Christian. Other scholars have maintained this distinction as well though, and theyve dubbed this writer John the Revelator, John the Elder, John the Divine, and John the Theologian. "[79], There is no information in the Bible concerning the duration of John's activity in Judea. They were disciples of John the Baptist and were converted by Aquila and Priscilla. Heres Eusebius argument, based on the fragment from Papias: It is worthwhile observing here that the name John is twice enumerated by him. At times, John did not understand Jesus' message of forgiveness, as when he asked to call fire down upon unbelievers. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee and Salome. [108] John, along with the Three Nephites, will live to see the Second Coming of Christ as translated beings. There are also two references to an unnamed "other disciple" in John 1:3540 and John 18:1516, which may be to the same person based on the wording in John 20:2. Tradition has associated the beloved disciple with John since at least the second century, but not all scholars agree that this is referring to him. [89][90] Zahn argues that this reference is actually to John the Baptist. He was present at the resurrection of Jarius daughter, at Jesus transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. John probably knew of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but these gospels spoke of Jesus primarily in the year following the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist. [35], After Jesus' Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, John, together with Peter, took a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the church. When Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, a false teacher had told them that in order to follow Christ, they needed to follow the Mosaic Law. [105], The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) teaches that, "John is mentioned frequently in latter-day revelation (1 Ne. Saint John the Apostle, or St. John the Evangelist or St. John the Divine, (flourished 1st century ad), One of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus, traditionally credited with writing the fourth Gospel and three New Testament epistles.The book of Revelation was also traditionally assigned to him. [23], According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 4:1822; Mark 1:1620; Lk 5:111), Zebedee and his sons fished in the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:2122. In the Fourth Gospel, ascribed by early tradition to John and known formally as the Gospel According to John, the sons of Zebedee are mentioned only once, as being at the shores of the Sea of Tiberias when the risen Lord appeared. (Pliny Natural History 4.6970; Tacitus Annals 4.30)[77], Some modern critical scholars have raised the possibility that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos were three separate individuals. The authorship of some Johannine literature has been debated since about the year 200.[48][49]. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. [33] After the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, only Peter and the "other disciple" (according to tradition, John) followed him into the palace of the high-priest. Tradition says that this was after John had been sentenced to death by martyrdom. We know that his testimony is true. John 21:2024. He played a leading role in the early church at Jerusalem. [71] The early 2nd century writer, Justin Martyr, was the first to equate the author of Revelation with John the Apostle. So perhaps he had some motivation to distance it from the apostles. For starters, here are some quick facts about this well-known biblical figure. [110] He is traditionally depicted in one of two distinct ways: either as an aged man with a white or gray beard, or alternatively as a beardless youth. How to Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus, How Churches Are Falling Away From Biblical Truth, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Movie Review, The Gospel According to John: AD 80 to 98, First, Second and Third John: AD 90 to 95, The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: AD 94 to 98. And he brought him to Jesus. John 1:3542a. All Rights Reserved. but John Mark wasnt one of the Twelve, as the one whom Jesus loved seems to be (John 13:23, see also Matthew 26:20). After Jesus told Peter that he would not live long Peter asked about Johns death. It is to Peter, James (not the brother of John but the brother of Jesus), and John that St. Paul successfully submitted his conversion and mission for recognition. Fisherman, a disciple of Jesus, evangelist, Scripture author. "the brethren"),[82] in addition to Priscilla and Aquila. It was about four in the afternoon. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we dont know where they have put him!, So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. And Papias, of whom we are now speaking, confesses that he received the words of the apostles from those that followed them, but says that he was himself a hearer of Aristion and the presbyter John. [32] Tradition identifies this disciple as John. John, Apostle and Evangelist is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival on 27 December. Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine. (2023, April 5). Omissions? Wiki User. Eusebius also goes to some length to establish with the reader that there is no general consensus regarding the revelation of John. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, We have found the Messiah (that is, the Christ). [120] After the Middle Ages, feminizing portrayals of Saint John continued to be made; a case in point is an etching by Jacques Bellange, shown to the right, described by art critic Richard Dorment as depicting "a softly androgynous creature with a corona of frizzy hair, small breasts like a teenage girl, and the round belly of a mature woman."[121]. Because John experienced the unconditional love of Jesus firsthand, he preached that love in his gospel and letters. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Author of. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Peter, James and John must have had a special relationship with the Lord because of the many times the Bible talks about those three to the exclusion of the other disciples. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Father - ZebedeeMother - SalomeBrother - James, John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Ancient writers have disputed the authorship of the Johannine epistles as well. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, What do you want? They said, Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying? Come, he replied, and you will see. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. Following my last comment. The revelation of John could only be what is now called the Book of Revelation. The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ was written by John probably close to the same time he wrote the epistles which bear his name. 1400s, John the Apostle and St Francis by El Greco, c. 1600-1614, Martyrdom of Saint John the Evangelist by Master of the Winkler Epitaph, St. John the Evangelist in meditation by Simone Cantarini (1612-1648), Bologna, Saint John and the Poisoned Cup by El Greco, c. 1610-1614. John wrote 5 books in the New Testament. For example, at the Last Supper, Peter asks the one whom Jesus loved to ask Jesus who will betray him: One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
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