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A STUDY IN 1 JOHN (2)

Introduction:  A Brief Biography of John, the Apostle (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

            The book of 1 John was written by the apostle John.  When studying a book of the Bible, it is beneficial to know some things about the author of the book.  In this article, we will endeavor to give a brief biography of John, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

            We are introduced to John in the fourth chapter of Matthew’s gospel.  After calling Peter and Andrew to follow Him, Jesus then called John and his brother.  “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”  John and his brother manifested great faith by leaving their familiar surroundings to follow Jesus.  Too, their decision to follow the Christ also involved a tremendous sacrifice on their parts for fishing was a lucrative business. Often in the Biblical text, these two men are described as “the sons of Zebedee.”  This was most likely done to distinguish them from other men who had the same names.  Too, it could have been John’s way of giving honor to his earthly father.  Their mother is mentioned twice in the Gospels.  However, she is never called by name.  We will have more to say about her in this article.

            Eventually these two men were chosen by the Christ to become His ambassadors to the world.  “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him” (Matt. 10:2-4).  According to Acts 1:21-22, these men accompanied Jesus “beginning from the baptism of John, unto the same day that he was taken up” into heaven.  They occupy the highest positions men can have in the body of Christ.  They were eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Christ (Acts 1:22) and were commissioned to take the gospel to the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). 

            When Mark lists the names of the twelve, he reveals a surname that was given to James and John by Jesus.  Mark 3:17 tell us:  “…and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder…”  Some believe this surname was given because of the desire these two men had to rain down fire upon a Samaritan village that rejected the Christ.  “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? (Luke 9:54).  Jesus rebuked these men on that occasion for manifesting an evil spirit (Luke 9:55).  He needed them to understand that “the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56).  It is interesting to note that this event and the surname are not tied together in Scripture.  There are others who believe the surname was given to these two men because they would become courageous in their proclamation of the gospel.

            Another enlightening event happened in the lives of these two men when request was made for them to be given positions on the right hand and left hand of Jesus when He came in His kingdom.  This request involved their mother.  “Then came to him, the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.  And he said unto her, What wilt thou?  She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom” (Matt. 20:20-21).  Jesus informed them that these positions were not His to give (Mark 10:40).  However, they would be baptized in suffering just as their Master would be.  When the other disciples heard about the request James and John had made of the Lord, “they began to be much displeased with James and John” (Mark 10:41).  Jesus had to take the lead in the discussion and teach these men that exercising authority over others should not be their desire.  Instead, they should long to be servants and ministers to others.  “…but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:  and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all” (Mark 10:43-44). 

            James and John were part of what some refer to as “the inner circle” of the disciples.  This group was composed of Peter and the two sons of Zebedee.  These men experienced some things the other disciples did not.  They were allowed to be present when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-37).  They went with Jesus upon the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-5).  Then, in the Garden of Gethsemane, they went a little farther into the garden with Jesus than did the others (Matt. 26:36-37).  These men may have manifested a deeper devotion to the Christ than the others.  They may have possessed greater skills and abilities.  When know that all of them would become pillars in the first century church (Gal. 2:9).

            James and John are always found together in the Biblical text.  But, John developed a label that was not given to James.  He is called “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  This description is found five times in John’s gospel (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20).  There is no discussion in the Biblical text as to why Jesus loved John so deeply.  It was a relationship of deep trust as well.  While Jesus hung upon the cross of Calvary, He entrusted the care of His precious mother to the disciple “whom he loved” (John 19:26:27).  This loving relationship appears to have transformed John.  The one who began as a “son of thunder” came to the end of his life known as “the apostle of love.”  This last appellation has been given to John because of his deep and moving words about love found in his writings, especially in 1 John.

            John was baptized by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4.  He preached the gospel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 14, 37).  In Acts 3, he, along with Peter, entered into the temple at the hour of prayer.  Seeing a lame man at the gate called Beautiful, Peter healed him in the name of Jesus Christ.  This created a stir in the city of Jerusalem.  Their preaching grieved the leaders of the Jews.  Thus, “…they laid hold on them, and put them in hold unto the next day” (Acts 3:3).  When they stood before the Jewish council, their boldness caused the Jews to marvel (Acts 4:13).  When the council authorized them to no longer speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they continued to manifest boldness.  “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than under God, judge ye.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).  Eventually, they were released, arrested again, and beaten for speaking in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:40-41). 

            As we noted earlier, Peter, James and John were pillars in the church at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:9).  John lost his brother to martyrdom at the hands of Herod in Acts 12:2.  John, however, continued to be steadfast in his service to the Lord.  He wrote five books of the New Testament:  the gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and the Revelation.  In Revelation 1:9, we learn that he had been exiled to Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus.” 

            The Bible does not reveal much about the last days of John.  Some believe he may have died on Patmos.  Others believe that he eventually left Patmos and associated himself with the church in Ephesus.  Tradition tells us that John was the only apostle that died a natural death.

            We have covered this prolific apostle only briefly in this article.  There is so much that could be discussed.  John not only heard two important teachings of Jesus; he also put those teachings into his life.  He spent much of his life seeking and saving those who were lost.  Too, he molded himself into a man that all would know as “the apostle of love.”