BSN: John the apostle and son of Zebedee

  • There are two men who are prominent in the New Testament who had the name John – John the apostle and John the Baptist. Frequently the text will simply say “John” and you will have to determine from the context which John. This may seem difficult and confusing at first, but it will not take you too long to be able to quickly tell the difference in most cases.
  • The fourth Gospel was written by the apostle John. He and and his (probably) older brother James were sons of a man named Zebedee. James and John were partners in a commercial fishing business with Peter and his brother Andrew. All four were likely disciples of John the Baptist before they met Jesus.
  • John’s brother James – both sons of Zebedee, a fisherman – was one of the first of the apostles to die in service to the gospel of Jesus while John was one of the last to die, if not the very last. Peter, James, and John were the three disciples closest to Jesus. That is, they spent more time with Him and witnessed more things He did and said than anyone else.
  • John wrote
    • The Gospel of John
    • Three letters:
      • 1 John
      • 2 John
      • 3 John
    • Revelation – the extended and apocalyptic letter that appears last in the New Testament
  • The Apostle John’s Take on the Holy Spirit

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