Saint John The Apostle, a pivotal figure in Christian history, holds a revered position as one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Flourishing in the 1st century CE, he is traditionally attributed authorship of several key New Testament texts, including the Gospel of John, the three Letters of John, and the Book of Revelation. Celebrated with Western feast day on December 27 and Eastern feast days on May 8 and September 26, Saint John played a significant role in the early church, particularly in Jerusalem.
Born to Zebedee, a fisherman in Galilee, and Salome, John, along with his brother Saint James, was called to discipleship by Jesus. Mark’s Gospel consistently lists James before John, suggesting John was the younger sibling. Their mother, Salome, was among the women who supported Jesus and his disciples. Jesus bestowed upon James and John the nickname “Boanerges,” meaning “sons of thunder,” possibly reflecting their zealous nature, as illustrated when they proposed calling fire down upon unwelcoming Samaritan villages (Luke 9:54). John, alongside James and Saint Peter, formed an inner circle of disciples, privy to significant events in Jesus’ ministry. The Gospel of John, traditionally ascribed to him, only mentions the sons of Zebedee once, at the Sea of Tiberias after the Resurrection. The identity of the anonymous “disciple whom Jesus loved,” frequently mentioned in this Gospel, remains debated, with strong tradition associating him with Saint John, although the text itself doesn’t explicitly confirm this.
Following the Resurrection, Saint John’s authority within the nascent church is evident in his joint mission with Saint Peter to Samaria, where they conferred the Holy Spirit upon new converts. Furthermore, Saint Paul acknowledged the pivotal roles of Peter, James (the brother of Jesus), and John when seeking recognition for his ministry and conversion. While John’s stance on the inclusion of Gentiles in the church is not definitively documented, current evidence does not support theories suggesting the Johannine school opposed Paul’s mission to the Gentiles.
The later life of Saint John is shrouded in legend. By the late 2nd century, Polycrates, the bishop of Ephesus, asserted that John’s tomb was located in Ephesus, identifying him as the “beloved disciple” and describing him as a priest and martyr. Saint Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon around 180 CE, corroborated John’s death in Ephesus, stating that he composed his Gospel and letters there, and Revelation on the island of Pátmos. In the 3rd century, Ephesus became a center of veneration, with two sites vying for recognition as Saint John’s grave. One site eventually gained prominence, evolving into a significant shrine by the 4th century. By the 6th century, dust from Saint John’s tomb was believed to possess healing powers, a phenomenon noted by St. Gregory of Tours. The church in Ephesus also claimed to possess the original manuscript of the Gospel of John during this period.
Western traditions also contributed to the legends surrounding Saint John, particularly inspired by Mark 10:39, which hinted at martyrdom. Tertullian, a 2nd-century theologian, recounted a tradition where John was miraculously unharmed after being plunged into boiling oil. This event was depicted in the Lateran basilica in Rome by the 7th century, near the Latin Gate, and is still commemorated in some Christian traditions. Early versions of the apocryphal Acts of John depicted his death, but later accounts suggested his ascension to heaven, similar to Enoch and Elijah. This text was later deemed Gnostic heresy in 787 CE. Another popular legend, known to St. Augustine, described the earth above John’s grave as moving as if he were still breathing.
The apocryphal Acts of John significantly shaped medieval iconography of Saint John, particularly the idea of his youthful discipleship. Early depictions, like a 4th-century Roman sarcophagus, portray him as beardless and young, a representation favored in the medieval West. However, in Byzantine art, Saint John the Evangelist is typically depicted as an elderly figure with a long white beard, often holding his Gospel. His symbol as an Evangelist is the eagle. The Byzantine Church bestowed upon him the title “the Theologian” due to the profound visions in the Book of Revelation, a title found in Byzantine manuscripts of Revelation, though not consistently in Gospel manuscripts.
In conclusion, Saint John the Apostle stands as a towering figure in Christianity, revered for his close relationship with Jesus, his crucial role in the early church, and the profound theological contributions attributed to him through the Gospel of John, his letters, and the Book of Revelation. Whether historically accurate or embellished by legend, the narratives surrounding Saint John have profoundly shaped Christian tradition, art, and theology for centuries.
