John, after the Transfiguration
The book of Acts opens with the transfiguration and then the men return to the upper room to wait.
John is mentioned along with the other disciples.
While in the upper room the Holy Spirit comes upon them. “Many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.” {Acts 2:43}
John was with Peter, when his friend performed his first miracle. {Acts 3}
Then John and Peter are imprisoned together for preaching the gospel. {Acts 4}
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” {Acts 4:13}
The men are bolden and emboldened for the gospel of Christ.
Little is known about what happened to the disciples after the Holy Spirit came upon them, other than they continued to share the gospel. “According to tradition, John and the other Apostles remained some 12 years in this first field of labour.”
Persecution of the Christians led to the scattering of the apostles throughout the Roman Empire, which was vast and held many provinces.
John spread the gospel and spoke of Jesus love. The main theme of one of his books, 1 John, is love and fellowship with God.
He is believed to be the author of the gospel of John and at least 1 John. The gospel of John is said to have more firsthand accounts of life with Jesus than any of the other gospels.
There is great debate if he wrote 2 John and 3 John. Most scholars believe these two books were written by another John.
As an old man, John taught Polycarp, who became the 2nd Bishop of Smyrna and eventually trained Irenaeus. He also taught Ignatius of Antioch, whom Peter would appoint Bishop of Antioch.
Irenaeus wrote of a story Polycarp shared. “John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, “Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.” Cerinthus denied the supreme God and early church fathers.
His brother, James, was the first apostle to die a martyr’s death for the cause of Christ. John lived at least a half century longer.
John was the last of the disciples to die. It is believed the apostle John, was the same John, imprisoned on the isle of Patmos, who wrote the book of Revelations.
He is known to have lived to an old age and it is believed he died sometime after 98AD.
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