John

Definition and Meaning

John was one of the Twelve Disciples. His name derives from the Hebrew Yohanan and is usually interpreted to mean "God is gracious." He is distinct from John the Baptist and from John Mark (Acts 12:12), who share his name. To distinguish him from them, he is called "John the Apostle" or "John the son of Zebedee."

Biblical and Historical Background

According to the Gospels, John was a Galilean fisherman. He was mending nets with his older brother James when Jesus called him (Mark 1:19–20). Jesus gave the two brothers the name "Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). Together with Peter and James, John was present at key moments such as the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2) and the prayer in Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

The disciple "whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23), who appears in the Gospel of John, has long been identified with John. This disciple took Jesus' mother, Mary, into his care at the foot of the cross (John 19:26–27). Scholars disagree, however, on whether this disciple was in fact John.

In the Acts of the Apostles, John leads the Jerusalem church alongside Peter (Acts 3–4). Paul called him one of the "pillars" of the church (Galatians 2:9).

Early church tradition holds that John ministered in Ephesus in his later years. The author of Revelation identifies himself as John, who was on the isle of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Traditionally, the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation have been accepted as the works of John the Apostle. Since the modern era, biblical scholars have advanced various views on whether these books share a single author and whether the apostle himself wrote them.

Practice in the Korean Church

Korean Protestants call him "Yohan," following the rendering in the New Korean Revised Version, and the five books listed above are sometimes grouped together as the "Johannine literature." In sermons and Bible study, John is commonly presented as the "Apostle of Love." A frequent interpretation holds that the impetuous "son of thunder" was transformed into a disciple who emphasized love.

Practices of commemoration vary by denomination:

• Anglican Church of Korea: Has a tradition of observing a feast day in honor of John the Apostle in the liturgical calendar.
• Catholic Church: Venerates John the Apostle as a saint, and his name is a popular baptismal name among the faithful.
• Most Protestant denominations: Do not observe saints' days, focusing instead on teaching John as an example of faith.