• Dual motifs—light/darkness, belief/unbelief—provide an apologetic framework Unscramble words, boost your memory, and test your Bible knowledge. In any event, his witness to Jesus goes its own way, highlighting matters that in the other Gospels remain implicit and underdeveloped. The theology of Romans (written c. 57) is every bit as developed as that in John.

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• 42Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John.
• So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him.
• 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,(AR) who takes away the sin of the world!
• He also referred to the recognition that his Apostolic preaching of a gospel free from Jewish Law was received from these three, the most prominent men of the messianic community at Jerusalem.

• John insists darkness “has not overcome” the light, offering hope that evil will never snuff out God’s life-giving presence. ” 37And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 4In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. Muslim exegesis more or less agrees with the New Testament list and says that the disciples included Peter, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Andrew, James, Jude, John and Simon the Zealot. However, some Muslim scholars mentioned their names, likely relying on the resources of Christians, who are considered “People of the Book” in Islamic tradition.

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. (AS) 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’(AT) 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,(AR) who takes away the sin of the world! 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,(AL) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”d(AM) 9 The true light(M) that gives light to everyone(N) was coming into the world.

John was banished by the Roman authorities to the Greek island of Patmos, where, according to tradition, he wrote the Book of Revelation. They were disciples of John the Baptist and were converted by Aquila and Priscilla. 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) and Jerome. However, most biblical scholars now contend that these were separate individuals since the text was written around 100 AD, after the death of John the Apostle, although many historians have defended the identification of the Author of the Gospel of John with that of the Book of Revelation based on the similarity of the two texts. According to the Book of Revelation, its author was on the island of Patmos “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus”, when he was honoured with the vision contained in Revelation.

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John is traditionally believed to have lived on for more than fifty years after the martyrdom of his brother James, who became the first Apostle to die a martyr’s death in AD 44. John was also the disciple who reported to Jesus that they had ‘forbidden’ a non-disciple from casting out demons in Jesus’ name, prompting Jesus to state that ‘he who is not against us is on our side’. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN

He was with Peter at the healing of the lame man at Solomon’s Porch in the Temple and he was also thrown into prison with Peter. 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. Peter and John were also the only two apostles who ran to the empty tomb after Mary Magdalene bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Following the instruction of Jesus from the Cross, the beloved disciple took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his care as the last legacy of Jesus.

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

On this basis some traditions believe that John was first a disciple of John the Baptist, even though he is not named in this episode. 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. The Church Fathers identify him as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, John the Elder, and the Beloved Disciple, and claim that he outlived the remaining apostles and was the only one to die of natural causes, although modern scholars are divided on the veracity of these claims. 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

• After a series of dialogues reflecting Jesus’ debates with the Jewish authorities at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jn 7; 8, the sixth sign is presented in Jn 9, the sign of the young man born blind.
• Regarding whether the author of the Gospel of John was an eyewitness, according to Paul N. Anderson, the gospel “contains more direct claims to eyewitness origins than any of the other Gospel traditions.” F.
• Critical analysis makes it difficult to accept the idea that the gospel as it now stands was written by one person.
• Druze tradition honors several “mentors” and “prophets”, and John the Apostle is honored as a prophet.

The Word Became Flesh

The Quran also speaks of Jesus’s disciples but does not mention their names, instead referring to them as “supporters for the cause of Allah”. A church (San Giovanni a Porta Latina) dedicated to him was built near the Latin gate of Rome, the traditional site of this event. It is traditionally believed that John was the youngest of the apostles and survived all of them.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches that John the Apostle is the same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, and the Beloved Disciple. In the Druze tradition and doctrine, Matthew the Apostle is respected for his contributions to spiritual knowledge and guidance. Druze tradition honors several “mentors” and “prophets”, and John the Apostle is honored as a prophet. The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite commemorate the Apostle John on multiple days throughout the Church year.

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John himself was not the light; his job was to testify so others might believe. Verses 6–8 – The WitnessGod sent John (the Baptist) to point people to that light. Through Him everything was created, and He is the light that darkness can never overcome. 43The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee.

Who Wrote the Book of John?

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. Mark, Matthew and Luke do not mention any one of the twelve disciples having witnessed the crucifixion. While he remained in Judea and the surrounding area, the other disciples returned to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council (c. 48–50 AD). 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. Many traditions identify the “disciple whom Jesus loved” in the Gospel of John as the Apostle John, but this identification is debated.

Although tradition identified this person as John, the son of Zebedee, most modern scholars find that the evidence does not support this. Critical analysis makes it difficult to accept the idea that the gospel as it now stands was written by one person. In the preceding chapter, to the woman at the well in Samaria Jesus had offered living water springing up to eternal life, a symbol of the revelation that Jesus brings; here Jesus’ life-giving word replaces the water of the pool that failed to bring life.

The gospel narrative contains a series of “signs”—the gospel’s word for the wondrous deeds of Jesus. Whatever the specific date of authorship, John probably wrote from Ephesus to an audience of both Jews and Gentiles as indicated by his focus on Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament promises and descriptions of john joseph kelly amy carter Jewish tradition. This fourth gospel supplements the synoptics, focusing on details about Christ’s work and words that reveal a longer span of ministry (at least three years as indicated by three Passovers). The book of John is an eyewitness account of Jesus’ ministry (AD 29-33) enriched by the author’s understanding of Jewish traditions and accurate geographical knowledge of Palestine.

42Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. 29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 9The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. In the realm of popular media, this latter phenomenon was brought to notice in Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code (2003), where one of the book’s characters suggests that the feminine-looking person to Jesus’ right in Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is actually Mary Magdalene rather than St. John.

Like the synoptic gospels, John is a detailed account of the life of Jesus Christ. Supported by historical accounts from Irenaeus, Eusebius, and others, the case for the apostle John’s authorship is a strong one. It highlights His role as the Word made flesh, offering eternal life through belief in Him. John begins with the profound announcement that Jesus is the “in the beginning” creative Word of God who had become embodied (incarnated) as a human being to be the light of life for the world. 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

In what ways does the relationship between John the Baptist and his disciples shed light on spiritual mentorship? How can the calling of the first disciples inspire your personal journey of discipleship? 35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. As he was traditionally identified with the beloved apostle, the evangelist, and the author of the Revelation and several Epistles, John played an extremely prominent role in art from the early Christian period onward.

Caroline Madison is a freelance editor and writer with a passion for the written word and a special interest in telling and reading stories that present biblical truths in fresh ways. And Bible scholars continue to debate whether this gospel was written later than AD 70. John owes its unique popularity to two highly revered saints, John the Baptist (forerunner of Jesus Christ) and the apostle John (traditionally considered the author of the Gospel of John);citation needed the name has since been chosen as the regnal or religious name of many emperors, kings, popes and patriarchs. 35 The next day John(AZ) was there again with two of his disciples. How can you embody the attributes of the first disciples in your walk with Jesus?