Friday, May 27, 2011
APOSTLE
JOHN THE APOSTLE
The particulars may be classified and summarized under six heads: the home and occupation of John; his discipleship and service-life; references to him in the history of the Church; the portrait of him derived from tradition; his character as reflected in his writings; and his place in the apostolic age.
THE HOME AND OCCUPATION OF JOHN
His home town was Bethsaida (i. 44; Luke v. 10), and there was a family of four, the father and mother, Zebedee, and Salome, and two sons, James and John (Mark i. 19,20; xv. 40; Matt. xxvii, 56). The father and sons were fishermen (Matt. iv. 21); Salome, the mother, was ambitious for her boys (Matt. xx. 20, 21; Mark x. 35-37). There is clear evidence that the family was prosperous, for they had hired servants, they minis¬tered of their substance, and they were influential in official quarters (Mark i. 20; Matt. xxvii, 56; Luke viii. 3; John xviii, 15,16; xix. 27).
THE DISCIPLESHIP AND SERVICE-LIFE OF JOHN
He was first a follower of John the Baptist (i, 35, 40), and he left him to follow Christ. There appear to have been three stages in his fellowship with Christ: attachment (i, 40); dis-cipleship (Matt. iv. 21, 22); and apostleship (Luke vi. 13, 14). John's relation to Jesus was unique. If, as is conjectured, Salome was the sister of Jesus' mother, John would be Jesus' cousin. (See Div. A, Pt. 1,6, p. 62, Salome). He was one of the first two disciples to be called (i. 35-40); one of the first Apostles named (Matt. iv. 18-22); one of the three privileged Apostles (Mark v, 37; Matt. xvii, I; xxvi 37); one of the four who drew forth our Lord's great prophetic discourse (Mark xiii, 3); and one of the two sent to prepare the Passover (Luke xxii. 8). He was 'the disciple whom Jesus loved' (xiii. 23; xix. 26; xx, 2; xxi, 7,20), and to whom He committed the care of His mother (xix. 25-27).
REFERENCES TO JOHN IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
John appears three times in the Acts: in the Temple (iii. I); before the Council (iv. 13); and at Samaria (viii. 14). After the general reference to him in Acts xv. 2, 22, 23, our next contact with him is about eighteen years later (A.D. 69), in the Book of the Revelation (i. 1,4,9), and about twenty-six years later still (A.D. 95), in his Gospel, and the Epistles which bear his name.
The particulars may be classified and summarized under six heads: the home and occupation of John; his discipleship and service-life; references to him in the history of the Church; the portrait of him derived from tradition; his character as reflected in his writings; and his place in the apostolic age.
THE HOME AND OCCUPATION OF JOHN
His home town was Bethsaida (i. 44; Luke v. 10), and there was a family of four, the father and mother, Zebedee, and Salome, and two sons, James and John (Mark i. 19,20; xv. 40; Matt. xxvii, 56). The father and sons were fishermen (Matt. iv. 21); Salome, the mother, was ambitious for her boys (Matt. xx. 20, 21; Mark x. 35-37). There is clear evidence that the family was prosperous, for they had hired servants, they minis¬tered of their substance, and they were influential in official quarters (Mark i. 20; Matt. xxvii, 56; Luke viii. 3; John xviii, 15,16; xix. 27).
THE DISCIPLESHIP AND SERVICE-LIFE OF JOHN
He was first a follower of John the Baptist (i, 35, 40), and he left him to follow Christ. There appear to have been three stages in his fellowship with Christ: attachment (i, 40); dis-cipleship (Matt. iv. 21, 22); and apostleship (Luke vi. 13, 14). John's relation to Jesus was unique. If, as is conjectured, Salome was the sister of Jesus' mother, John would be Jesus' cousin. (See Div. A, Pt. 1,6, p. 62, Salome). He was one of the first two disciples to be called (i. 35-40); one of the first Apostles named (Matt. iv. 18-22); one of the three privileged Apostles (Mark v, 37; Matt. xvii, I; xxvi 37); one of the four who drew forth our Lord's great prophetic discourse (Mark xiii, 3); and one of the two sent to prepare the Passover (Luke xxii. 8). He was 'the disciple whom Jesus loved' (xiii. 23; xix. 26; xx, 2; xxi, 7,20), and to whom He committed the care of His mother (xix. 25-27).
REFERENCES TO JOHN IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
John appears three times in the Acts: in the Temple (iii. I); before the Council (iv. 13); and at Samaria (viii. 14). After the general reference to him in Acts xv. 2, 22, 23, our next contact with him is about eighteen years later (A.D. 69), in the Book of the Revelation (i. 1,4,9), and about twenty-six years later still (A.D. 95), in his Gospel, and the Epistles which bear his name.
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