Saint john the apostle biography, facts, feast day, writings. He wrote the gospel according to john, first, second and third john, and he was the penman of the book of the revelation of jesus christ. The church does not have an official stance on who the author is. John served the church in jerusalem for many years, then move. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant john, who bore witness to the word of god and to the testimony of jesus christ, even to all that he saw rev 1.
Since the beginning, hebrews had been ascribed to paul as one of his epistles to his own people, the jews. This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. When was the book of revelation written by the apostle john. Book of first john overview insight for living ministries. The author of the book of revelation calls himself john rev. He received the revelation from christ in patmos, where he wrote the book of revelation.
Note that each of them required some additional designation to distinguish them from others with the same name. In that letter, he quotes a significant portion of the book of hebrews. So when i read in chapter 21 that the writer of this gospel was the disciple whom jesus loved, i automatically assumed that the disciple whom jesus loved was the apostle john. The church in ephesus and throughout the province of asia. Why everyone should believe the apostle john wrote the last. Together with the book of acts, also written by saint luke for a certain theophilus, this gospel forms the most complete history of christ and the early christian church that we have. The gospel of saint luke, alone among the four canonical gospels, has a complete account of the birth of both jesus and john the baptist. According to church tradition, their mother was salome. These were all written somewhere between ad 80 and 98.
One gospel, three letters, and the book of revelation are all attributed to john. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of jesus, with seven signs culminating in the raising of lazarus foreshadowing the resurrection of jesus and seven i am discourses concerned with issues of the church synagogue debate at. We read about several johns in the new testament, including john the baptist and john the apostle, the son of zebedee. May 19, 2015 after the apostle john learned it from paul, john wrote, and he is the propitiation for our sins. John is traditionally regarded as the author of five books of the bible. John 1, first letter, apostle, ephesus, asia minor, john. One of those books attributed to paul the apostle was the book of hebrews. The synoptic records present peter as the leader of the apostles and john, along. He wrote against heresies in about 180 it is this work where he makes the claim. Ephesus, on the west coast of asia minor to where paul wrote his letter to the ephesians in c ad62 readers. Neither the text of the gospel nor that of the letters bears johns name, or any name. Saint john the apostle, one of the twelve apostles of jesus and traditionally believed to be the author of the three letters of john, the fourth gospel, and possibly the revelation to.
This is the earliest most definitive statement of who wrote the gospels and shows that by 180 c. The question of peter in john 21 indicates that the author was aged and reflecting back on his life with jesus and the apostles. There is an early church father named papias who talked about the author of john. The book of revelation, written by john, concludes the collection we now call the new testament. The evangelist john rests one hand on his gospel book, in this.
Ignatius wrote to the church at ephesus within twenty years of the time that john was supposed to have been there. History of john the disciple of jesus jesus christ. First, the book itself identifies the author as the disciple whom jesus loved. Polycarp, a secondcentury christian martyr who knew john personally, told irenaeus that john had written the book during the apostles time serving the church in ephesus. May 12, 2020 the authorities then sentenced john to slave labor in the mines of patmos. There were various church fathers in the second century that thought the apostle john, the son of zebedee, was the author. This john he concludes, wrote the fourth gospel, read in all the churches. Augustinea famous fourth century church fathercontributed no fewer than 124 tractates in his gospel of john commentary, while st. John zebedee the urantia book free to download, read or. John was part of jesus inner circle and, along with peter and james, john was given the privilege of witnessing jesus conversation with moses and. The best 10 lessons from the life of the apostle john. While church tradition has attributed the gospel of john, the letters of john, and the book of revelation to the same author john the apostle and son of. The book of revelation is signed by a person called john but which john.
Book of john overview insight for living ministries. While the church fathers agree that john was its author, epiphanius takes note of an early christian sect, the alogi, who believed the gospel was actually written. He mentioned pauls ministry, but he was silent as far as john was concerned. Saint john the apostle biography, facts, feast day. Irenaeus, writing at about ad 200, says that the beloved disciple was john, the disciple of jesus, and that john originated the gospel at ephesus. John the author john wrote 5 books in the new testament. In the new testament, you just cant say john wrote the book because there were a few important people named john in that time. A man named john mark was a part of the early church acts 12. The most common view is that the gospel was written by john the apostle. The earliest written tradition placing john in ephesus comes from irenaeus, against heresies, book 3, chapter 3, section 4. May have been written from ephesus, where john is reputed to have lived after his banishment to patmos see eusebius, ecclesiastical history, 3. Could a fishermanturned apostle have penned a work of such subtlety and insight.
The gospel according to john is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. Irenaeus was born in at least 30 years after john died. Is the ephesian church of the revelation the same group as. Irenaeus, tertullian, clement of alexandria, origen, and jerome all support the traditional origins of this gospel. Book of revelation apocalypse written on patmos island greeka. John s brother james was the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred acts 12. He wrote the gospel of john, 3 short epistles, and revelation. All of his books were written later in life and after all the other books in the bible were recorded.
Church tradition has held that john is the author of the gospel of john and four other books of the new testament the. Most scholars believe that clement of rome wrote the letter called 1 clement in 96 ad. However, its similarity with the gospel composed by john means it was probably. The apostle john, towards the end of his life date. But the writing of revelation was written with great haste. According to church tradition, john wrote the fourth gospel. The gospel of saint luke, alone among the four canonical gospels, has a complete account of the birth of both jesus and john. He was unmarried and lived with his parents at bethsaida. These factors suggest that john wrote the book between ad 85 and ad 95. Mar 11, 20 tertullian, an early apologist who wrote 50 books against heretics, often quoted 1 john 6 other early writings which attribute authorship to john the apostle are clement, origen, and dionysius, all three of alexandria, the muratorian fragment a. The testimony of early church leaders was that john the apostle was the author of the gospel of john. It is believed that origen, an alexandrian christian scholar and theologian, wrote his gospel of john commentary while in alexandria at some point after 218 a. The apostle john is the author of five new testament books. On this island in the southern part of the aegean sea, john had a vision of jesus christ and wrote the prophetic book of revelation.
There is no way that the fourth gospel was written by john zebedee or by any of the disciples of jesus. John the apostle was one of the twelve apostles of jesus, alongside his brother james, according to the new testament. The apostle john was among the first chosen by jesus to be his closest followers. Feb 06, 2019 john is traditionally regarded as the author of five books of the bible. Tradition has considered this person to be john the apostle, the son of zebedee. There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the johannine works. He is also believed to be the only disciple who died of old age the others were allegedly martyred. Both before and after becoming an apostle, john functioned as the personal agent of jesus in dealing with the masters family, and he continued to bear. John wrote the book of revelation during his exile.
He wrote about ad 120 and probably met the apostle john. John was called to be an apostle by our lord in the first year of his public ministry. Later in his life john wrote five books of the new testament. The apostle john was later freed, possibly due to old age, and he returned to what is now turkey.
Johns gospel may have been last, but it wasnt late. Saint john the apostle, one of the twelve apostles of jesus and traditionally believed to be the author of the three letters of john, the fourth gospel, and possibly the revelation to john in the new testament. The traditional view of the church has been that this is the gospel according to john, john the apostle, that is, as in john the son of zebedee. Some have thought that an early martyrdom of john was prophesied by jesus mark 10. John wrote to churches full of people who had strug. Most scholars agree that luke wrote the acts of the apostles. The only other clue to the authors identity is that he states he received his visions while on the island of patmos rev. The son of man the term designating christ as the son of man is used seventy eight times in the four gospels, twice in revelation 1. During an explanation of how the apostles passed on teachings to their chosen successors, irenaeus says. Josephus writings and their relation to the new testament. Christian church and the prediction of the ultimate triumph of christs. John the apostle was the son of zebedee and the younger brother of james, son of zebedee james the greater. John is the author of five books in the new testament. When he became an apostle, john was twentyfour years old and was the youngest of the twelve.
The first epistle of john, often referred to as first john and written 1 john or i john, is the first of the johannine epistles of the new testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles. I just recently finished doing a 7 week class on the book of john and, of course, we discussed exactly this question. What are your thoughts on those who say that john the elder. He played a leading role in the early church at jerusalem. Paul the apostle wrote hebrews early church history. Apostle john the disciple jesus loved learn religions. When he was released from exile, he returned to ephesus. By erik manning skeptical biblical critics like john shelby spong say that its impossible that the apostle john wrote the gospel of john. The epistles of john encyclopedia of the bible bible. The word of god itself shows this as the apostle john wrote, the revelation of jesus christ, which god gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. John s living in ephesus, if irenaeus is correct, would have to occur after the coming of the son of man. After the assumption of mary, john went to ephesus, according to church. Because hebrews contains snippets of pauline theology, some have erroneously concluded that paul wrote hebrews. Apr 02, 2019 he claimed that papias of hierapolis a church father who lived from about 60163 ad said john the elder presumably the apostle john told him that john mark wrote the gospel of mark using peters memories.
The apostle john also known as saint john was one of jesus christs 12. John is known as the author of the gospel of john and four other books. The gospel of john provides no explicit internal evidence. John the apostle biography biography facts, childhood. The early church fathers, after disputing who this john really was, finally decided to include revelation in case the author was the apostle john, son of zebedee. The apostle john encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Paul wrote most of these, but also included are letters written by james, peter, john, and jude. But the writing style of that wonderful book did not seem to coincide with pauls style of writing in his epistles. So, only john meets the criteria needed for the fourth gospels authorship.
Also according to some traditions, salome was the sister of mary, jesus mother, making salome jesus aunt, and her sons john the apostle and james were jesus cousins. Pdf early church fathers on the authorship of the nt. Book of revelation was written by saint john, one of the twelve apostles of jesus. May 18, 2006 therefore to suggest that the thirdcentury church wrote the gospels in some kind of vacuum, almost to create jesus, is without foundation. The gospel of john, like all the gospels, is anonymous. While church tradition has attributed the gospel of john, the letters of john, and the book of revelation to the same author john the apostle and son of zebedeeinternal and external evidence may require us to attribute them to other individuals who may or may not have also been named john.
Irenaeus is the source of the idea the john lived in ephesus. He is believed to be the youngest of the apostles and the only apostle who died of old age rather than being martyred. Book of third john overview insight for living ministries. Thomass gospel of john commentary of the th century is still highly regarded today by modern scholars. The authorship of the gospel is credited to the disciple whom jesus loved, and john 21. Church tradition from the earliest days of christianity has ascribed. John 1, first letter, apostle, ephesus, asia minor, john the. The author of revelation is the apostle john, or as he called himself the disciple whom jesus loved. Why everyone should believe the apostle john wrote the.
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