John the Apostle

• 1. Fisherman From Galilee

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  Zebedee and his sons fished in the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called them to follow him. John was the younger brother of James, another apostle. Church tradition states their mother was Salome. Some traditions suggest Salome was the sister of Mary, making her Jesus' aunt. This would make John and James cousins of Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels list James and John among the Twelve Apostles. Jesus referred to the pair as Boanerges, which translates to sons of thunder. A Gospel story relates how the brothers wanted to call down heavenly fire on an unhospitable Samaritan town. Jesus rebuked them for this desire. John also reported that they had forbidden a non-disciple from casting out demons in Jesus' name. Jesus responded by stating that he who is not against us is on our side.

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• 2. The Inner Circle

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  John formed an informal triumvirate with Peter and James during Jesus' public ministry. Jesus allowed these three to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions. They witnessed the Raising of Jairus' daughter. They saw the Transfiguration of Jesus. They stood together in the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus sent only Peter and John into the city to prepare for the final Passover meal. After the arrest of Jesus, only Peter and the other disciple followed him into the palace of the high-priest. The beloved disciple alone remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary alongside myrrhbearers and numerous other women. Following instructions from the Cross, the beloved disciple took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his care. Peter and John were the only two apostles who ran to the empty tomb after Mary Magdalene bore witness to the resurrection. Later, only Peter and John went to visit the newly converted believers in Samaria.

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• 3. Debating The Beloved Disciple

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  Many traditions identify the disciple whom Jesus loved as the Apostle John, but this identification remains debated. The phrase appears six times in the Gospel of John but nowhere else in New Testament accounts. It is this disciple who reclined beside Jesus at the Last Supper. He asked Jesus who would betray him after being requested by Peter to do so. At the crucifixion, Jesus told his mother Woman here is your son. To the Beloved Disciple he said Here is your mother. When Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb, she ran to tell the Beloved Disciple and Peter. The two men rushed to the empty tomb and the Beloved Disciple was the first to reach it. However, Peter entered first. In the book's final chapter, the Beloved Disciple is one of seven fishermen involved in a miraculous catch of 153 fish. None of the other Gospels includes anyone in parallel scenes that could be directly understood as the Beloved Disciple. Mark, Matthew and Luke do not mention any one of the twelve disciples having witnessed the crucifixion. Some scholars suggest the author of Revelation was a different person than the author of the Gospel of John.

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• 4. Authorship And Attribution

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  Church tradition held that John authored the Gospel of John and four other books of the New Testament. These include three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. Authorship of some Johannine literature has been debated since about the year 200. Eusebius of Caesarea wrote in his 4th century Ecclesiastical History that the First Epistle of John and the Gospel of John are widely agreed upon as his work. He mentioned that consensus suggests the second and third epistles were written by some other John. Around 600, Sophronius of Jerusalem noted that two epistles bearing his name were considered by some to be the work of a certain John the Elder. Most modern critical scholars believe he wrote none of them. Many place the Gospel of John somewhere between AD 65 and 85. Other scholars think an even later date perhaps up to 90-100 is applicable. Modern mainstream Bible scholars generally assert the Gospel of John was written by an anonymous author. They argue it could have been written by a disciple of John son of Zebedee or someone who recorded his dictation. The early 2nd-century writer Justin Martyr was the first to equate the author of Revelation with John the Apostle.

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• 5. Exile And Final Years

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  John is considered to have been exiled to Patmos during persecutions under Emperor Domitian. Revelation 1:9 says the author wrote the book on Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. According to Tertullian, John was banished after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. All in the audience of the Colosseum converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle. This event occurred in the 1st century during the reign of either Emperor Nero or Emperor Domitian. When John was aged, he trained Polycarp who later became Bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp taught Irenaeus passing on stories about John. It is traditionally believed that John died of natural causes at Ephesus sometime after AD 98. He survived all other apostles thus becoming the only one not to die as a martyr. An alternative account claims he was slain by the Jews according to Papias of Hierapolis. Most Johannine scholars doubt the reliability of its ascription to Papias though a minority maintain these references are credible. John's tomb is thought to be located in the former Basilica of St. John at Selçuk near Ephesus.

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• 6. Voices Beyond Tradition

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  The Quran speaks of Jesus' disciples but does not mention their names instead referring to them as supporters for Allah. Some Muslim scholars mentioned their names likely relying on resources of Christians considered People of the Book in Islamic tradition. Druze tradition honors several mentors and prophets with John the Apostle honored as a prophet. Druze doctrine teaches that Christianity is to be esteemed and praised as Gospel writers are regarded as carriers of wisdom. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that John did not die but remained on earth as a ministering servant until the Second Coming. In 1829 along with resurrected Peter and James, John visited Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery restoring priesthood authority. Freemasonry takes Saint John the Evangelist as a patron saint alongside Saint John the Baptist. The Feast of St. John the Evangelist starts the new masonic year in many jurisdictions. These diverse traditions honor the figure differently while maintaining core elements of his apostolic identity across centuries.

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