JOHN
THE
APOSTLE
for
the
mighty
works
of
Jesus
by
saying
'John
the
Baptist
is
risen
from
the
dead'
(Mk
6").
Josephus
(Ant,
xviii.
v.
2)
makes
the
preaching
of
John
the
cause
of
his
execution,
and
says
notlung
of
hig
reproof
of
Antipas
for
iiis
adultery
with
his
brother's
wife
(Mk
6'^).
Some
historians
(e.g.
Ranke)
arbitrarily
use
Josephus
as
their
main
source,
to
the
disparagement
of
the
Gospels.
But
Sollertinsky
(JThSt
i.
507)
has
shown
that
when
the
person
of
Antipas
is
concerned,
'we
are
boimd
to
consider
the
historian's
statements
with
the
greatest
care.'
Schiirer
(op.
cit.).
who
holds
that
the
real
occasion
of
John's
imprisonment
was
Herod's
fear
of
political
trouble,
never-theless
allows
that
there
is
no
real
inconsistency
between
the
statement
of
Josephus
and
the
further
assertion
of
the
Evangelists
that
John
had
roused
the
anger
of
Herod,
and
still
more
of
Herodias,
by
his
stem
rebuke.
The
last
mention
of
John
in
the
Gospels
(Mt
21",
Mk
11'',
Lk
20=)
shows
that
Herod
had
good
cause
to
fear
the
popular
temper.
John's
influence
must
have
been
permanent
as
well
as
wide-spread
when
the
chief
priests
were
afraid
of
being
stoned
if
they
sUghted
him.
After
the
transfiguration
our
Lord
alluded
to
the
sufferings
of
John,
as
He
endeavoured
to
teach
His
disciples
the
lesson
of
His
cross:
'I
say
unto
you
that
Elijah
is
come,
and
they
have
also
done
unto
him
whatsoever
they
listed'
(Mk
9").
J.
G.
Tabker.
JOHN
THE
APOSTLE.—
The
materials
for
a
life
of
St.
John
may
be
divided
into
three
parts:
(1)
The
specific
information
given
in
the
canonical
Scriptures;
(2)
early
and
well-attested
tradition
concerning
him;
(3)
later
traditions
of
a
legendary
character,
which
cannot
be
accepted
as
history,
but
which
possess
an
interest
and
significance
of
their
own.
But
when
all
the
evidence
on
the
subject
is
gathered,
it
is
impossible
to
give
more
than
a
bare
outline
of
what
was
in
all
probability
a
long
life
and
an
unspeakably
important
ministry.
The
present
article
must
be
taken
in
conjunction
with
those
that
follow,
in
view
of
the
controversies
which
have
arisen
concerning
the
authorship
of
the
'
Johannine
'
writings.
1.
The
Scripture
data.^John
was
a
son
of
Zebedee,
a
master-fisherman
in
good
position,
plying
his
craft
in
one
of
the
towns
on
the
Lake
of
Galilee,
possibly
Beth-saida.
It
is
probable
that
his
mother
was
Salome,
one
of
the
women
who
'ministered'
to
Christ
in
Galilee
(Mk
IS"),
a
sister
of
Mary
the
mother
of
Jesus.
This
may
be
inferred
from
a
comparison
of
Mt
275»
and
Mk
15''
16'
with
Jn
iga.
The
last
passage
is
best
understood
as
naming
four
women
who
stood
by
the
Cross
of
Jesus
—
His
mother,
His
mother's
sister
Salome,
Mary
wife
of
Clopas
who
was
also
mother
of
James
and
Joses,
and
Mary
Magdalene.
The
interpre-tation
which
would
find
only
three
persons
in
the
list,
and
identify
Mary
'of
Clopas'
with
the
sister
of
Jesus'
mother,
is
open
to
the
objection
that
two
sisters
would
have
the
same
name,
and
it
involves
other
serious
difficulties.
In
Jn
1'°
two
disciples
are
mentioned
as
having
heard
the
testimony
of
John
the
Baptist
to
Jesus
and
having
accompanied
the
new
Teacher
to
His
home.
One
of
these
was
Andrew,
and
it
has
been
surmised
that
the
other
was
John
himself.
If
this
was
so,
the
incident
must
be
understood
as
constituting
the
very
beginning
of
John's
discipleship.
In
Mt
4'8-z2,
Mk
l"-2"
an
account
is
given
in
almost
the
same
words
of
the
call
of
four
fishermen
to
follow
Jesus.
Two
of
these
were
John
and
his
elder
brother
James,
who
were
with
their
father
in
a
boat
on
the
Lake
of
Galilee,
mending
their
nets.
In
Lk
5'-"
a
different
account
of
the
call
is
given.
Nothing
is
said
of
Andrew
;
Peter
is
the
principal
figure
in
the
scene
of
the
miraculous
draught
of
fishes,
while
James
and
John
are
mentioned
only
incidentally
as
'partners
with
Simon.'
Directly
or
indirectly,
however,
we
are
told
that
to
John,
whilst
engaged
in
his
craft,
the
summons
was
given
to
leave
his
occupation
and
become
a
'
fisher
of
men.'
The
call
was
immediately
obeyed,
and
constitutes
an
inter-mediate
link
between
the
initial
stage
of
discipleship
and
the
appointment
to
be
one
of
twelve
'apostles.'
In
the
lists
of
the
Twelve
(Mt
lO^,
Mk
3",
Lk
6"),
John
JUHJN
IHlii
Ai'OBlLiJ!;
is
always
named
as
one
of
the
first
four,
and
in
the
course
of
Christ's
ministry
he
was
one
of
an
inner
circle
of
three,
who
were
honoured
with
special
marks
of
con-fidence.
These
alone
were
permitted
to
be
present
on
three
occasions
—
the
raising
of
Jairus'
daughter,
narrated
in
Mk
5",
Lk
8";
the
Transfiguration,
described
in
three
accounts
(Mt
17',
Mk
9',
Lk
9");
and
the
Agony
in
the
Garden
of
Gethsemane,
mentioned
by
two
of
the
Synoptists
(Mt
26"
and
Mk
14^3).
On
one
or
perhaps
two
occasions
Andrew
was
associated
with
these
three
—
possibly
at
the
healing
of
Peter's
wife's
mother
(Mk
l^'),
and
certainly
at
the
interview
described
in
Mk
13',
when
Jesus
sat
on
the
Mount
of
OUves
and
was
'asked
privately'
concerning
His
prophecy
of
the
overthrow
of
the
Temple.
On
two
notable
occasions
the
brothers
James
and
John
were
associated
together.
They
appear
to
have
been
aUke
in
natural
temperament.
It
is
in
this
Ught
that
the
statement
of
Mk
3"
is
generally
understood
—
'
he
surnamed
them
Boanerges,
which'
is
Sons
of
thunder.'
Some
uncertainty
attaches
to
the
derivation
of
the
word,
and
the
note
added
by
the
Evangelist
is
not
perfectly
clear.
But
no
better
explanation
has
been
given
than
that
the
title
was
bestowed,
perhaps
by
anticipation,
in
allusion
to
the
zeal
and
vehemence
of
character
which
both
the
Apostles
markedly
exhibited
on
the
occasions
when
they
appear
together.
In
Lk
9"
they
are
represented
as
desirous
to
call
down
fire
from
heaven
to
consume
the
Samaritan
village
which
had
refused
hospitaUty
to
their
Master.
In
Mk
10^
they
come
to
Christ
with
an
eager
request
that
to
them
might
be
allotted
the
two
highest
places
in
His
Kingdom,
and
they
profess
their
complete
readiness
to
share
with
Him
whatever
suffering
or
trying
experiences
He
may
be
called
to
pass
through.
According
to
Mt
202»,
their
mother
accompanied
them
and
made
the
request,
but
V."
shows
that
indignation
was
roused
'
concerning
the
two
brethren,'
and
that
the
desire
and
petition
were
really
their
own.
Once
in
the
Gospels
John
is
described
as
associated
with
Peter,
the
two
being
sent
by
Christ
to
make
ready
the
Passover
(Lk
22').
Once
he
figures
by
himself
alone,
as
making
inquiry
concerning
a
man
who
cast
out
demons
in
the
name
of
Jesus,
though
he
did
not
belong
to
the
company
of
the
disciples
(Mk
9'*,
Lk
9<').
As
an
indication
of
character
this
is
to
be
understood
as
evincing
zealous,
but
mistaken,
loyalty.
Christ's
reply
was,
'Forbid
liim
not';
evidently
John
was
disposed
to
manifest
on
this
occasion
the
fiery
intolerant
zeal
which
he
and
his
brother
together
dis-played
in
Samaria.
Though
the
words
'ye
know
not
what
manner
of
spirit
ye
are
of
do
not
form
part
of
the
best-attested
text
in
Lk
9,
they
doubtless
describe
the
kind
of
rebuke
with
which
on
both
■
occasions
the
Master
found
it
necessary
to
check
the
eagerness
of
a
disciple
who
loved
his
Master
well,
but
not
wisely.
In
the
early
part
of
the
Acts,
John
is
associated
by
name
with
Peter
on
three
occasions.
One
was
the
heaUng
of
the
lame
man
by
the
Temple
gate
(3*).
The
next
was
their
appearance
before
the
Sanhedrin
in
ch.
4,
when
they
were
found
to
be
men
untrained
in
Rabbinical
knowledge,
mere
private
persons
with
no
official
standing,
and
were
also
recognized
by
some
present
as
having
been
personal
followers
of
Jesus,
and
seen
in
His
immediate
company.
In
8>'
we
read
that
the
two
were
sent
by
their
brother-
Apostles
to
Samaria,
after
PhiUp
had
exercised
his
evangehstic
ministry
there.
Many
had
been
admitted
into
the
Church
by
baptism,
and
the
two
Apostles
completed
the
reception
by
prayer
and
the
laying
on
of
hands,
'
that
they
might
receive
the
Holy
Spirit.'
These
typical
instances
show
that
at
the
outset
of
the
history
of
the
Church
Peter
and
John
came
together
to
the
front
and
were
recognized
as
co-leaders,
though
they
were
very
different
in
personal
character,
and
Peter
appears
always
to
have
been
the
spokesman.
This
note
of
personal
leadership
is
con-firmed
by
the
incidental
reference
of
Paul
in
Gal
2',
