St. John witnessed Peter's miraculous catch, saw him cast off his nets at the Lord's word and follow Christ, and he understood that only God could perform such miracles. At that time, John himself, along with his brother James, was helping his father Zebedee, who was mending his nets in a boat. Having called two brothers, Peter and Andrew, the Lord, passing by Zebedee's boat, then called the other two brothers, James and John. They immediately followed Christ, leaving their father in the boat with the workers ( Luke 5:1-11 ; Mark 1:16-20 ; Matthew 4:18-22 ). Having chosen James and John among the 12 apostles, the Lord called them "Boanerges," that is, "sons of Thunder" ( Mark 3:17 ). In relation to John, this name signified, in addition to his fiery zeal, the height and power of his teaching about Christ, the Son of God, and the fact that he intended to announce this high teaching to the universe like thunder.
For his meekness and gentleness, for his purity and virginal chastity, St. John, more than the other apostles, enjoyed the special love of the Lord. Everything that the Lord did of particular importance took place in the presence of John. When He raised the dead, He was accompanied by His beloved disciple ( Mark 3:35–42 ; Luke 8:49–55 , cf. Matthew 9:23–25 ); when the Lord was transfigured on Tabor, St. John was a witness to His divine glory ( Matthew 17:1–18 ; John 9:26–36 ; Mark 9:2–13 ); when He instituted the last Mystical Supper, preparations for it were made through this same pure and chaste disciple ( Luke 22:8–13 ; cf. Mark 14:12–16 ; Matthew 26:17–19 ). And during this supper, the last supper in the earthly life of the Lord, with what love He allows His friend to recline on His bosom, and to him alone He reveals who His betrayer is ( John 12:21–26 , cf. Luke 22:21–23 ; Mark 14:18–20 ; Matthew 26:21–23 ). Finally, St. John accompanies Christ to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He sorrowfully prayed in the last moments before His Passion ( Mark 14:32–42 ; Matthew 26:36–46 ).
John's love for his Teacher was boundless. But it was so fervent that, despite John's purity of soul and the tenderness of his loving heart, it still needed softening and purification. And the Lord took every opportunity to nurture John's moral development, to especially purify his soul and heart. Thus, one day, John saw a man unknown to him casting out demons in the name of Jesus, and he forbade him to use this divine name. The Lord disapproved of his zeal. "Do not forbid him to speak my name," he said to John and the other apostles. "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against you is for you" ( Luke 9:49-50 ). With these words, Christ wanted to show John that envy was lurking in his zeal, that true zeal has nothing bitter about it, for it is the most tender and ardent love for people. Another time, John was outraged when the inhabitants of a Samaritan village closed the gates to his Teacher, where He intended to stay overnight. Then John begged his teacher to allow fire to come down from heaven on the ungrateful Samaritans. But Christ forbade it, saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. The Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them" ( Luke 9:35–36 ). Here, John receives a new lesson from Christ, demonstrating that the spirit of the Gospel is the spirit of love. Thus, John's love for the Lord was nurtured, clarified, and strengthened by the Lord Himself.
But then came the time of Christ's suffering. This momentous and difficult time severely tested Christ's disciples. It was then that John's love for the Lord was revealed in its fullness. Not one of the apostles could withstand this terrible trial. Fear drove them all to flight when the Divine Teacher was captured by the enemy ( Mark 14:50 ). Only Peter and John followed their Teacher from afar and followed Him into the courtyard of the high priest, where He was beaten and mocked. But even Peter, the fiery and zealous Peter, who expressed his readiness to follow the Teacher even to the death, could not endure the trial to the end and cowardly denied Christ. "I do not know this man," he said fearfully. Only John remained faithful to his love; he alone never separated from the Lord for a moment. None of the apostles were present during all the sufferings, insults, and humiliations of the Lord. Only one, His beloved disciple, with a sorrowful soul and a heavy heart, sadly watched all that the Lord endured. His love for the Lord remained unwavering during this terrible time. It did not give in to useless courage or unaccountable fear, like Peter's love. Drawn by an irresistible force to the object of its adoration, it watched from afar the frantic movements of malice, it hid among the frenzied mob, it was always close to the murderous spectacle. But finally, a terrible, unheard-of atrocity was committed: Christ, the Son of God, was nailed to the cross, and the brutal soldiers began dividing the garments of the crucified Lord by lots. And so the place of execution began to empty. Only a few, those closest to the Lord, among them John, remained at the cross. They did not stand there as simple, idle spectators—no, they could not help but sympathize with the One who suffered for all; they could not help but grieve and weep as their brightest hopes faded, as the heavenly breath that had animated and invigorated their very being ceased. This powerful, pure, holy love for the Lord led John to the cross and did not let him leave the place of his shameful execution. John remained silent, but his feelings spoke more eloquently than any words, and this voice of a fervently loving heart was heard by the Lord from the cross. John's unparalleled love was rewarded: Christ adopted John as His Mother's son. "Behold thy son," He says to the Mother of God. And, turning to John, He continues: "Behold thy mother." Only to His beloved disciple, to him alone and to his love, did the Lord entrust His precious treasure; only to him, pure and immaculate, did He entrust the care of His Most Immaculate and Most Pure Mother. And John faithfully fulfilled the Divine command—like the most devoted and tender son, he was the faithful guardian of the Mother of God's peace until her blessed Dormition ( John 18:15-18, 25-27, 19:23-27 ).
Hard, sad days followed for the apostles. They were all despondent. But on the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene and other pious women took spices and went to the Lord's tomb ( Mark 16:1-4 ). Mary saw with horror that the stone had been rolled away from the door of the tomb and that the tomb itself was empty. She hurried to Peter and John and sorrowfully told them that someone had taken the Lord's body from the tomb and placed it somewhere unknown ( John 20:1-2 ). Meanwhile, the other women entered the cave. They indeed did not find the body of Christ and did not know what to think. But suddenly two angels appeared before them, who told them that Christ had risen from the dead and told them to tell the apostles ( Luke 23:1-17 ; Matthew 28:3-7 ; Mark 16:5-7 ). But Christ's disciples did not believe this news—it seemed empty and false to them ( Luke 24:9, 11 ). However, curiosity aroused in Peter and John a desire to see what had happened in the Lord's tomb. Peter, seeing the tomb empty and only the grave clothes lying there, retreated, marveling at what he saw—he still did not believe and doubted ( John 20:3, 6–7 ; Luke 24:12 ). But John entered the tomb itself. His loving heart pressed forward—sparks of hope still glowed within him. He saw and with all his loving heart believed that Christ was risen ( John 20:8 ).
A few days later, John and Peter were on the shores of Lake Tiberias. The Risen Lord appeared to them there in the guise of a stranger. But nothing could deceive John's tender love. He immediately recognized the Lord and said to Peter, "It is the Lord." During the dinner that followed this meeting, Peter had the opportunity to testify to his faith and love and learn his future. Out of compassion and affection for John, Peter also wanted to know his future, but received this answer from the Divine Teacher: "If I desire that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" The Lord seemed to say to Peter, "Fully fulfill the tasks entrusted to you, and what would be gained if you knew that I do not wish to subject him to a painful death until the very time when I shall be pleased to take him from this world—that is, until his death." From the words of Christ, the disciples, however, concluded that John would not die, but, modest and impartial to himself, the friend of Christ solemnly and loudly declared to the whole world in his Gospel that the words of the Lord do not contain such a meaning ( John 21:1–24 ).
After the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, St. John, together with the apostle Peter, took an active part in the organization of the Jerusalem Church. Together they preached and performed miracles ( Acts 3:1–8 ); together they endured dangers and together they shared the bonds of prison ( Acts 4:1–3, 5–21, 5:17–14 ); together they were sent by the apostles to Samaria to lay hands on the new converts ( Acts 8:14–17 ). The greatness of St. John’s activity in Jerusalem can be judged by the fact that he was called by the believers “a pillar of the Church” ( Gal. 12:9).According to tradition, John remained in Jerusalem until the death of the Mother of God. When the holy body of the Most Holy Theotokos was carried to the tomb, he walked ahead, holding in his hands the branch of paradise that the Archangel Gabriel had brought to the Mother of God, announcing Her imminent transference from earth to heaven. After the glorious Dormition of the Mother of God, nothing further held John in Jerusalem, and he, taking with him his disciple Prochorus, departed Jerusalem and set out for Asia Minor to preach the teachings of Christ. As they set out, John told Prochorus that misfortune awaited them on the journey. And so, as they set sail from the city of Joppa on a ship, around midday a terrible storm arose. The storm raged all day and by nightfall had wrecked the ship. Fortunately, all the travelers were saved on the wreckage, tossed about for a long time by the stormy sea, and finally made landfall near Seleucia. Only John remained adrift. St. Prochorus shed many tears for him and, sadly, continued on his journey. Many days later, he arrived at a seaside village. Having rested there from his long journey, he stepped ashore and sadly gazed at the calm sea, sorrowfully thinking of his beloved teacher. Suddenly, a foaming wave crashed noisily onto the shore and carried a man ashore. Imagine Prochorus's joy when he recognized St. John, who had swum at sea for fourteen days and, by God's will, remained alive. They embraced, weeping with joy, and gave thanks to God. John had become greatly exhausted during his voyage, and they went to a village where they asked for bread and water. Having regained their strength and thanked the guests for their hospitality, they set out for the city of Ephesus. In Ephesus, St. John and Prochorus hired themselves out as laborers to the owner of the public baths, Romana. John was to stoke the stove, and Prochorus to carry water. They remained at this job for quite a long time, suffering greatly from Romana's evil nature. According to legend, a young man and a young woman were buried alive in the foundation of the bathhouse maintained by Romana during its construction. As a result, a young man or a young woman supposedly died every year in the bathhouse, tormented by the evil spirit that inhabited the bathhouse. And so, when John and Prochorus hired themselves out as laborers at Romana's bathhouse, Domnus, the son of Dioscorides, the city elder, died there. The father, in despair, could not bear the death of his son and died of grief himself. The entire city mourned the unfortunate youth and his father. Frightened, Romana prayed to the goddess Diana to resurrect Domnus, but her prayers were in vain; the soulless idol gave no answer, and the youth did not rise. Disgusted by what had happened and fearing its consequences for herself, Romana accidentally overheard St. John questioning Prochorus about the details of Domnus's death. Furious, she attacked the apostle, began beating him, accusing him of being responsible for Domnus's death, and threatened him with death if he did not resurrect the dead. Romana had not expected any consequences for her words; she was simply venting her anger on John, but he indeed prayed to God and resurrected Domnus. Horror gripped Romana, and she cried out loudly that John was either a god or the son of a god. Then St. John...The apostle began to teach her about Christ, by whose power he had performed the miracle she had seen. He then resurrected the father of the dead youth. The resurrected Dioscorides and Domnus, along with Romana, believed in Christ and received Holy Baptism. News of the miracle quickly spread throughout Ephesus. The people were terrified. Everyone was amazed by St. John's miracle and wondered for whom to take him and Prochorus. Some claimed that they were undoubtedly Magi; others countered that Magi do not resurrect the dead. Meanwhile, St. John exorcised the evil spirit living in the bathhouse and settled with Prochorus in Dioscorides' house.
Soon after, the feast of the goddess Diana, venerated in Ephesus, arrived. Crowds dressed in white gathered in the goddess's magnificent temple, and St. John went there too. He stood near the idol of Diana, erected opposite the temple, and loudly denounced the error of those gathered for the feast, saying that they were worshiping the devil instead of God. The pagans became enraged and began throwing stones at John. But not a single stone touched him; they flew back and struck those who threw them. Meanwhile, the apostle, raising his hands to heaven, began to pray, and suddenly such an unbearable scorching heat arose that up to 200 people fell dead. The rest were overcome with fear. They could barely come to their senses and, falling at the apostle's feet, begged for mercy. St. John again turned to God in prayer, and all the dead came back to life. Then all those gathered for the feast believed in Christ and were baptized.
A short time later, St. John healed a paralytic who had suffered from his illness for 12 years. He performed many other miracles, all of which increased the number of believers. Word of St. John and his miracles spread throughout the land. Then the evil spirit living in the Temple of Diana, fearing that the holy apostle would soon completely destroy his power, plotted to remove him from the city. Taking the form of a soldier, the unclean spirit sat down on one of the city streets and began to weep loudly. Everyone involuntarily turned their attention to him and asked him who he was and why he was weeping so. "I am the chief keeper of the prison in Caesarea in Palestine," the demon replied. "Two sorcerers, John and Prochorus, were handed over to me for custody. They had come from Jerusalem to Caesarea and committed many evil deeds, for which they were condemned to death. On the eve of the day on which the execution was to take place, these Magi, having removed their chains, escaped from prison at night. For this they wanted to execute me, and I barely managed to persuade them to allow me to find these Magi. "I have come to your city and hear that the Magi are here, but I have no one with me who can seize them." The false soldier also produced a certificate from Caesarea, attesting to the truth of his words, as well as a sack of gold offered as a reward to anyone who would hand over the Magi to him. Several soldiers from the city of Ephesus were moved by the misfortune of the false warden of the Caesarean prison and decided to help him. They incited the people against St. John and St. Prochorus and approached the house of Dioscorides, demanding that he hand over the holy apostle and his disciple, threatening to burn the house down if he did not. But Dioscorides steadfastly refused to comply with the demand—he was willing to sacrifice his house rather than hand over John and Prochorus. Meanwhile, John, knowing from revelation that this popular uprising would lead to the conversion of many to the Christian faith, went out with Prochorus to the people. Drawn by the crowd, they approached the Temple of Diana. St. John prayed to God, and the temple instantly collapsed, harming no one. "Tell me, unclean spirit," the apostle addressed the demon dwelling there, "how many years have you lived here, and is it you who stirred up the people against us?" "I have lived here for 249 years," the unclean spirit replied. "I have stirred up the people against you." "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," the apostle exclaimed, "I command you to leave this place!" The evil spirit immediately departed. The people were struck by the power of Christ's name and came to believe in Him in great numbers.
At that time, the Roman Emperor Domitian launched a brutal persecution of Christians. Christian blood was mercilessly shed. The mere name of a Christian was enough to be considered the greatest criminal and punished with the most brutal tortures. St. John was denounced to the Roman government as a dangerous enemy of the pagan religion, and the holy apostle was dragged to Rome for trial before Emperor Domitian. St. John boldly confessed his faith in Christ before Domitian and joyfully endured various tortures for this. At first, he was subjected to the most brutal beatings, but did not fall under the blows: protected by an invisible force, the apostle endured them unharmed. Then, condemned to death, he calmly drank a potent poison and remained alive and unharmed. Finally, the holy apostle was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. The servant of Christ, glorifying the Lord, was joyfully prepared to accept this new and most cruel torment, but the Lord suddenly stopped the flames. The fire went out, and the boiling oil turned cold. "Great is the Christian God!" the people exclaimed at the sight of this astounding miracle. The emperor, believing him immortal, no longer dared to torture John, and sentenced him to exile on the secluded and deserted island of Patmos in the archipelago. St. Prochorus, unwilling to abandon his beloved teacher, decided to share his exile.
A ship was fitted out for a long voyage and immediately set out to sea. The royal nobles were also sailing with John. One day, they were joyfully and noisily feasting at a sumptuous table. Suddenly, the son of one of the nobles fell into the sea, and there was no way to save him. The joy and merriment instantly gave way to sadness and tears. The drowned man's father, overcome with grief, was about to throw himself into the sea himself and could barely restrain the reckless man. Then they remembered John, known to all as a miracle worker. Tearfully, they begged the holy apostle to save the drowned man. But St. John turned to them with the question: "Tell me, which god do any of you worship?" Some replied that they worship Apollo, others Zeus, others Hercules, and still others Diana of Ephesus. "How many gods do you have? Can't they all save one man?" John said to them, and left them to grieve until morning. The next morning, grieving for the drowned youth, he offered a tearful prayer for his salvation. Suddenly, the sea foamed, and a wave washed the young man aboard the ship, at the feet of the holy apostle. Everyone was overwhelmed with joy, and wishing to somehow thank the apostle, they removed his shackles and from that time on treated him with deep respect.
The voyage was long, and St. John performed many more miracles. One night, a terrible storm arose; the ship was tossed from side to side like a splinter, and it seemed there was no hope of salvation. Again, everyone turned to St. John, fell at his feet, and begged him to implore his God not to let them perish. The apostle commanded them to be silent, prayed, and the storm subsided in an instant. Another time, he healed a soldier who was suffering excruciating stomach pain and was already at death's door. The voyage continued, and there was no more fresh water left on the ship. Thirst tormented everyone, and some were completely exhausted. Then St. John ordered St. Prochorus to fill their vessels with seawater. "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, draw and drink," he said to the thirsty. At the apostle's word, the salty seawater turned fresh, and everyone's thirst was quenched. Seeing so many miracles performed by St. John, his companions came to believe in Christ and were baptized. They even wanted to give the apostle his freedom and offered him the liberty to disembark wherever he chose, but he refused and asked to be taken where he was ordered. Upon reaching Patmos, St. John and his disciple were taken to the island's governor. A certain Myron, the governor's father-in-law, welcomed the holy apostle and Prochorus into his home.
Myron's eldest son, Apollonides, was possessed by demons. An evil spirit foretold the future through his lips, and everyone considered the young man a soothsayer. Fearing that John would expel him from Apollonides, this evil spirit forced the unfortunate youth to flee to another city. Under the influence of the same unclean spirit, Apollonides wrote to inform his father that the sorcerer John was driving him from his parents' home with his magic, and as long as the sorcerer remained alive, he could not return home. Myron, with this letter, hurried to his son-in-law, the governor of the island. He immediately gave orders for John to be taken into custody and then given over to be devoured by wild beasts. Then St. John begged the governor to delay the execution of the sentence and allow Prochorus to be sent to Apollonides, promising to return the son to his father. The governor agreed to fulfill the apostle's request, but nevertheless ordered him to be shackled and imprisoned. Prochorus, setting out on his journey, received a message from his teacher. It read: "John, apostle of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to the spirit of prophecy dwelling in Apollonides: I command you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: leave God's creation and never re-enter it, but remain outside the island, in waterless places, but not among people." As soon as St. Prochorus approached Apollonides with this message, the evil spirit immediately departed from him. Apollonides, as if awakening from a long sleep, did not immediately come to his senses. He returned to his city with St. Prochorus. Hearing of Apollonides' return, his parents and relatives rejoiced greatly and freed St. John from his chains. Meanwhile, Apollonides recounted what had happened to him. Many years ago, he was once in a deep sleep. Suddenly, someone shook him. When he awoke and opened his eyes, he trembled with terror: on the left side of the bed stood someone completely black, with eyes terribly gleaming like two burning candles. He ordered him to open his mouth and entered into him. From that moment on, he became aware of everything that would happen, both good and bad. When St. John settled in his father's house, the evil spirit said to him: "Flee from here, Apollonides: this man is a sorcerer, he wants to kill you." He immediately left his father's house and fled to another city. There were moments when he wanted to return, but the evil spirit did not allow it, saying: "While John is alive, you cannot live in your house." When Prochorus arrived in that city and Apollonides saw him, the evil spirit immediately left him, and he felt light and free. Everyone listened to Apollonides' story with great attention. When he finished, everyone fell at the apostle's feet in tenderness. Then St. John began preaching the Christian faith to them. Myron, his wife, and children were the first to believe in Christ and be baptized. The ruler's wife, her son, and all her servants followed their example, and the ruler himself was baptized after them. Having received Holy Baptism, he renounced his position as ruler and dedicated his life to God.
St. John and his disciple spent three years in Myron's house, preaching the Christian faith and performing miracles and healings. One day, he destroyed the Temple of Apollo and all its idols. Many, amazed by this miracle, were then enlightened by the Christian faith and baptized by the holy apostle. The priests of the Temple of Apollo became enraged at St. John for the overthrow of their temple and for converting many to the Christian faith, and they went to complain to the sorcerer Kinops. Kinops lived in a deserted place and had dealings with evil spirits, and the islanders revered him as a god. The priests begged him to take revenge on John, since he had not left his home for many years. He promised the priests to send an evil spirit who would take John's soul and consign it to eternal judgment. The next morning, the evil spirit appeared to St. John. John, but he could do nothing and was driven away with the order not to return to Kinops. The other two evil spirits sent after the first also had no success. Then Kinops, filled with rage, gathered the entire multitude of evil spirits, and decided to leave his dwelling and go to the city where John was. The city's inhabitants joyfully greeted the sorcerer, who had not visited them for so long. St. John was at the time teaching the faith of Christ. Kinops headed straight for the crowd surrounding the apostle. "Listen to me," the sorcerer exclaimed with anger and malice. "Listen, you blinded ones, lost and deviated from the true path! If John is righteous and all that he says is true, then let him come, converse with me, and perform the same miracles that I perform. Then you will see who is greater, John or I. If he proves himself stronger than me, then I will believe what he says." Having spoken thus haughtily, Kinops turned to the youth standing there: "Is your father alive?" "Dead," he replied. "How did he die?" Kinops continued. "My father was a sailor," the youth replied, "and one day the ship he was sailing on was wrecked, everyone perished, and my father drowned." Then Kinops turned to the holy apostle with these words: "Show us your power, John, present this youth with his father alive, and we will believe what you say." "Christ did not send me," John replied sternly, "to call the dead from the sea, but to reason with those who have been deceived." "Believe me," Kinops said with a proud grin, "believe that John is a flatterer and is deceiving you. Take him and hold him until I bring this youth's father back from the sea." They began to hold St. John. Then Kinops, clasping his arms, plunged into the turbulent sea and disappeared beneath the waves. "Great art thou, Kinops!" the people exclaimed. After a while, Kinops emerged from the waves accompanied by a man. "Is this your father?" the sorcerer asked the youth. "Yes, it is he," he replied. The people bowed down to Kinops in amazement. Many rushed at St. John to kill him, but the sorcerer prevented them. "When you see an even greater miracle," he said, "then consign him to torture!" Then Kinops called another man and asked him, "Did you have a son?" "Yes, but he was killed long ago out of envy," the man replied. Then the sorcerer began calling loudly for the murderer and the murdered man.Immediately two men appeared, who were indeed the murdered man and the murderer, as the man who had been questioned confirmed. The people were completely astonished. "What? Are you surprised by this?" Kinops proudly addressed John. "I will frighten you with even greater miracles." "I am not surprised at all," John meekly replied, "but I tell you that your miracles will soon disappear." Then the people, enraged, rushed at John and began to beat him without mercy. They beat the holy apostle until they thought him completely dead. The sorcerer ordered that John's body be left unburied, to be picked apart by birds. But John did not die; by God's will, he remained safe and sound.
Soon the apostle began teaching the people as before. Kynops was greatly indignant when he heard of this. Summoning the unclean spirit with whose help he had performed his sorceries, Kynops came with him to John and arrogantly said, "I have kept you alive in order to shame you even more. Let us go to the seashore; there you will see my glory and be ashamed." John walked silently toward the sea. Kynops also headed there, accompanied by three evil spirits, whom the people took for the dead he had resurrected. Kynops, approaching the sea, clasped his hands and threw himself into the waves. The people continued to shout loudly, "You are great, Kynops! There is no man greater than you!" Then St. John forbade the evil spirits standing on the shore in human form from assisting the sorcerer who had plunged into the waves, and he himself began to fervently pray to God that Kinops would never return alive from the sea. And so the sea became agitated, boiled, and swallowed Kinops into its depths. Turning to the evil spirits, the holy apostle commanded them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to leave the island forever, and they immediately became invisible and departed. Meanwhile, the people eagerly awaited the appearance of Kinops. For three days, the people stood on the sandy shore, exhausted from thirst and hunger and suffering from the scorching sun. Some became completely exhausted and fell unconscious on the hot sand, and three children even died. Then St. John took pity on the people. Having prayed for their salvation, he began to speak with them about faith, resurrected the dead children, and healed all the suffering. All unanimously converted to Christ, received Holy Baptism, and went home, glorifying God. John himself returned to Myron's house and often visited the people, instructing them in the faith.
One day, St. John saw a man lying by the roadside, ill with a severe fever, and healed him with the sign of the cross. A certain Philo, a Jew who had several times previously debated the apostle about Holy Scripture, was amazed upon seeing this miracle and invited the apostle to his home. Philo's wife suffered from severe leprosy. She rejoiced at John's presence, and falling at his feet, she was immediately healed and came to believe in Christ. Philo himself also believed, and their entire household was baptized. After this, St. John went out into the square to the people. Everyone joyfully listened to the saving teachings the holy apostle offered them. The pagan priests also came. One of them, listening to the apostle, said to him: "My son is lame in both feet. I beg you, teacher, heal him. If you do this, I will believe in the God you preach." “Why are you tempting God?” John answered the priest reproachfully. “He will reveal your wickedness.” Having said this, St. John sent a priest to his son, ordering him to speak on his behalf: “In the name of Christ my God, arise and come to me.” The lame man immediately arose and came to the holy apostle completely healthy. But the father of the healed man, as punishment for tempting the apostle, himself became lame in both legs. He fell to the ground, crying out loudly from extreme pain, and begged the apostle to have mercy on him and heal him in the name of Christ. He said with faith that there is no other God but the One whom St. John confesses and preaches. John healed the priest, taught him the faith of Christ, and baptized him. The next day, St. John healed a man who had suffered from dropsy for 17 years, instructed the healed man in the faith, and baptized him. On that same day, the governor of the island, who had taken the place of Mironov’s son-in-law, invited St. John. The apostle brought him to his home because his wife was in terrible labor pains. John had barely set foot in the house when the ruler's wife safely delivered her child. The overjoyed husband believed in Christ and was baptized along with his entire household.
Having lived in this city for three years, St. John moved to another, which was ten miles away. There they were preparing to celebrate a festival to some god, and several youths were bound. John asked why they were bound and learned that in this city they venerated the great wolf god, that a festival was being prepared in his honor, and that the youths would be sacrificed. The holy apostle began to ask to be shown their god. “Wait a little,” said one of those present, “soon the priests with all the people will go to the place where the god appears; go with them, and you will see our god—the wolf.” “I see that you are a good man,” John addressed him. “I am a stranger here and do not know that place, but I would very much like to see your god. I ask you to lead me there. If you show him to me, I will give you a precious pearl.” He agreed and brought St. John. The apostle led the way to the swamp from which their god usually emerges. A short time later, a huge wolf indeed emerged from the water. It was an evil spirit. St. John, in the name of the Holy Trinity, commanded him to leave the island of Patmos forever, and the evil spirit instantly vanished. The one who had brought the holy apostle to this place fell at his feet in terror. John enlightened him with the faith of Christ and said, "Here is the pearl I promised you." At that moment, priests approached the swamp, leading bound youths, accompanied by a large crowd of people. The priests had sharpened knives ready and were only waiting for the wolf to appear so they could perform a sacrifice and give it the youths to be devoured. They waited a long time, but the wolf did not appear. Then St. John approached the priests and the people and asked that the youths be untied. "Your god, the wolf, is no more," he said. "It was an evil spirit, and by the power of Christ it has been driven from the island." Everyone was terrified upon hearing of the wolf's death. But they still didn't know whether to believe what they were hearing. Finally, after a thorough search and a long wait, the youths were released. Then the holy apostle began to preach the Word of God to them and rebuke their error. Many of the people believed in Christ and were baptized.
St. John performed many other miracles in this city. One day, the son of a priest of Zeus was bathing in a bathhouse and was strangled by an evil spirit living within. The strangled man's father tearfully begged John to resurrect his son, promising to believe in Christ. St. John resurrected the youth and drove the evil spirit from the bathhouse. Then the priest and his entire household came to believe in Christ and were baptized. Another time, while John was instructing the people in the city square in the Word of God, a woman approached him. With tears in her eyes, she fell at the apostle's feet and begged him to heal her possessed son. John ordered the possessed man to be summoned. As soon as the apostle's messengers said to the possessed man, "John calls you," the evil spirit immediately left him. The healed man came to St. John and, along with his mother, was converted to the saving faith of Christ.
The Feast of Bacchus had arrived in that city, in whose honor there was a magnificent temple. During the celebration, men and women would usually gather there with food and drink, drinking, eating, and indulging in all manner of indecency in honor of their god. St. John fearlessly entered the temple at the very height of the vile feast and loudly denounced its abominations. The priests angrily attacked John. After beating and binding him, they threw the apostle behind the temple and returned to continue their feast. Then the holy apostle began to fervently pray to God that He would not tolerate these abominations. And then, suddenly, with a terrible roar, the temple collapsed, killing all the priests. The people were horrified. They quickly untied St. John and begged him not to kill them. Among the crowd was the sorcerer Nucion, renowned in the area. He was offended by the destruction of the temple and the death of the priests and began to reproach John. "You acted wickedly," Nukion told him, "by destroying the temple of Bacchus and killing its priests. All the people are angry with you for it. So, resurrect the priests, as you resurrected the priest's son in the bathhouse, and then I too will believe in your God." "The priests' deaths," John replied, "were caused by their lawless deeds. They are not worthy of life on earth, but must suffer in Gehenna." "If you cannot resurrect them," Nukion said angrily, "then I will resurrect them in the name of my gods and rebuild the temple, but you will not escape death." With these words, Nukion set off for the ruins of the temple.
He summoned twelve evil spirits in the form of the dead priests and commanded them to kill the apostle. The unclean spirits replied that they could not tolerate even the apostle's presence. "But if you," they said to Nukion, "absolutely desire John's death, then bring the people here. Upon seeing us, they will think you have resurrected the priests, and they will kill John." Nukion gathered the people and led them to the ruins, promising to show them the living priests and restore the ruined temple. Meanwhile, John and his disciple Prochorus arrived there before them by another route. The evil spirits instantly vanished upon seeing John and his disciple. Nukion then arrived, accompanied by a large crowd. The sorcerer was greatly distressed, seeing no evil spirits. He walked around the ruins for a long time, invoking demons, but all his sorceries were in vain. The unclean spirits did not dare appear. It began to grow dark, and the people began to grow impatient. Finally, evening came, and the people lost their patience completely. Nukion was surrounded and wanted to kill him. But some advised taking him to John to do with him as the apostle commanded. And so they did. "Let him go—let him repent," the apostle told them. The next morning, St. John preached the teachings of Christ and converted many to the holy faith. They expressed a desire to be baptized immediately, and the apostle led them to the river. Then Nukion magically turned the water in the river into blood. St. John, through his prayer, deprived Nukion of his sight and, having made the water pure again, baptized those who believed in Christ. And Nukion was brought to his senses by the punishment: he acknowledged his sins and begged John to have mercy on him. Seeing Nukion's sincere repentance, John began to teach him the faith of Christ and baptized him. Then Nukion's blinded eyes miraculously regained their sight. With joy, he led St. John to the river. The apostle entered his home. As soon as John's foot touched the threshold, all the idols in Nukion's house shattered into pieces. The household was terrified by this miracle, and everyone believed in Christ and received Holy Baptism.
A wealthy widow named Prokliania lived in that city. She was very beautiful and had a handsome son, Sosipater. Under the influence of an evil spirit, Prokliania developed a destructive passion for her son and tried to seduce him. Sosipater hated his mother. Fleeing from home, he came to the city square where John was teaching the people and listened attentively to the apostle's sermon. St. John, foreseeing what had befallen Sosipater, took him aside and urged him to honor and obey his mother, but to resist her in the lawless deed to which she was urging him. Sosipater, however, did not want to return home. On the fourth day, after a long search, Prokliania found her son and, screaming, dragged him home by his clothes. The city governor heard her cry and asked what the youth had done wrong. Then Proklia shamelessly slandered her son to the governor, claiming that he, her son, had intended to commit violence against her. The governor believed Proklanie and ordered the innocent youth sewn into a sack with various vipers and thrown into the sea. John began to denounce the governor for his injustice, telling him that without conducting a proper investigation, he had condemned an innocent man to death. Proklanie began to slander John, claiming he had taught her son to commit evil deeds, and that therefore she was now defending him. The governor again believed Proklanie and ordered the apostle sewn into a sack along with Sosipater and drowned in the sea. Then John turned to God with fervent prayer, and behold, the earth shook, the governor's hand withered as he pointed at the apostle, and both Proklanie's hands withered, and her eyes became distorted. In horror, the governor begged the apostle for mercy. St. John taught him the Christian faith and granted him healing. Proklanie, completely overcome by fear, fled home. John, accompanied by Sosipater, went to see her, but the young man initially refused to go to his mother, and St. John had to persuade him to forget his evil deed, assuring him that she had now become chaste and that he would no longer see or hear anything unlawful from her. When they entered Proklania's presence, she fell at the apostle's feet with ardent tears of sincere repentance. St. John healed her, taught her the Christian faith, confirmed her in chastity, and baptized her and her entire household.
One Sunday ( Rev. 1:9–10 ), the Lord granted John a heavenly vision of His divine glory and the distant destiny of the Church of Christ. At God's command, John described this wondrous revelation. It has come down to us in the Holy Book called the "Apocalypse," which means "Revelation" ( Rev. 1:1–11 ). Here, in majestic and strikingly vivid images and pictures, the glory of the Lord, His constant care for the Church, His goodness and love, His mercy and justice are depicted. The mysterious prophetic visions indicate the various calamities that the Church of God will endure on earth: the struggle of man with the Lamb of God, the triumph of the Lamb who redeemed believers with His Blood, the general resurrection, the last judgment, and, finally, the beauty of the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven . 9 As one who was deemed worthy to see the future destinies and mysteries of the Church of Christ, St. John received the title of "Seer" and "Mystic".
Concluding his description of the wondrous heavenly vision, John exclaims, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" ( Rev. 22:20 ). These words express his ardent desire to unite with the One he so loved on earth. But he still had labors and cares ahead of him; he still had much to do for the glory of God and the benefit of his neighbors. Soon, Emperor Domitian, who had imprisoned John on the island of Patmos, was assassinated, and the kind and gentle Emperor Nerva ascended the throne. He granted freedom to all imprisoned Christians. St. John was also freed. Almost all the inhabitants of Patmos had already professed the faith of Christ, and therefore John intended to leave the place of his former imprisonment. He longed for Ephesus, the first and chief seat of his apostolic labors. Before leaving Patmos, St. John visited all the cities and villages, strengthening the believers. During this farewell journey, John stopped in a village where a priest of Zeus named Eucharis lived. He had a blind son and had long desired to see the holy apostle, whom he had heard was a great miracle worker. Upon learning of John's arrival in their village, Eucharis hastily came to the apostle, begging him to visit his home and heal his blind son. Seeing the priest's faith, John went to him. "In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, receive your sight!" the apostle said to the blind man, and instantly he regained his sight. Then Eucharis, together with his now-sighted son, believed in Christ and received Holy Baptism. John continued his journey through Patmos. Finally, having established a Church and ordained bishops and priests everywhere, St. John prepared to depart. The faithful bid him farewell with tears and sobs. Wishing them peace and giving them a blessing, St. John boarded a ship and set out.
With tears of sorrow, they saw off the holy apostle on Patmos and greeted him with inexpressible joy in Ephesus. "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" the Christians of Ephesus joyfully exclaimed. As during his first stay, St. John stayed in the house of the city elder Dioscorides, now owned only by his son Domnus, whom the holy apostle had once raised from the dead. Here he lived until his death, enlightening the unbelievers with the light of the Christian faith and performing countless miracles. It happened that a Christian in Ephesus had become very poor. He had no means to pay his debts and, in great grief, decided to commit suicide. To do this, he begged poison from a healer, a Jew by birth and faith. Having received the poisonous drink, the Christian fell into deep thought. Overwhelmed with fear, he didn't know what to do and for a long time couldn't decide on the final step. Finally, he made the sign of the cross over the deadly cup and drank. Great was his amazement when he felt that the poison had done him no harm. Meanwhile, the creditors continued to torment the Christian with increasing persistence. Then he again turned to the sorcerer for poison. The sorcerer was greatly surprised to see him still alive and gave him the most potent poison. The Christian, as before, made the sign of the cross over the poisoned vessel and drank it. Again, the poison had no effect. Then the Christian began to mock the Jew's knowledge. The sorcerer was horrified and didn't know what to think. "What were you doing drinking the poison?" he asked the Christian. The Christian replied that he had made the sign of the cross over the poisoned cup before drinking it. And the Jew realized that the power of the Cross was delivering the Christian from death. To be absolutely certain of this, he immediately gave the same poison to a dog, and it died immediately. Then both went to St. John and told him everything. John taught the Jew the Christian faith and baptized him. Then he ordered the impoverished Christian to bring a bundle of straw and, through the power of the sign of the cross and prayer, turned it into gold. The apostle commanded that one half be given to the creditors and the other half be kept for food.
St. John also oversaw all the Churches of Asia Minor and tirelessly ensured that the purity of Christ's teaching was preserved. At that time, dangerous heresies began to creep into Christian society. These false teachings had a particularly large following in Asia Minor. Even the holy Apostle Paul, bidding farewell to the pastors of the Church of Ephesus, warned them of "savage wolves which do not spare the flock" and predicted that among them there would arise "men speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them" ( Acts 20:17, 29-30 ). Indeed, a multitude of false teachers arose who distorted the Word of God, mixing in absurd fables from Eastern teachings, and misinterpreted what they found incomprehensible in Holy Scripture. The heretics' controversies centered primarily on the person of Jesus Christ. Some denied the Divinity of the Savior, claiming that He was a simple man; others rejected His humanity, saying that Christ came to earth only in appearance, and not in reality . 10 These false teachings greatly disturbed and confused the believers. Then they began to urge St. John to set forth in writing the teaching about Jesus Christ, as he had received it from the Divine Teacher Himself, and the circumstances of His life, of which he had been a witness and eyewitness. St. John imposed a fast on the Christians, and he and his disciple Prochorus withdrew to the mountain. Here they spent three days in fasting and prayer. The fourth day arrived, and suddenly there was a loud roar of thunder, bright lightning flashed, and the mountain shook. St. Prochorus fell face down to the ground in fear. But St. John raised him up and told him to prepare to write down what he would hear from him. Raising his eyes to heaven, St. The apostle began to pray again, and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, began to speak: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” ( John 1:1 ). Thus was the Gospel written, beginning with a majestic confession of the Divinity of Jesus Christ; he showed that Christ is the true Son of the Virgin Mary by human nature and the true Son of God by divine essence; he made clear that in Christ the Divine and human natures are inseparably and inseparably united, that he is the God-man. The other Evangelists follow, so to speak, the Savior on earth, but St. John the Evangelist ascends to the Source of the Uncreated Word, rises even to the bosom of the Father, and from there proclaims about the Only Begotten Son, which He Himself saw in the Father. St. John writes: “ No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him ” ( John 1:18).). The other Evangelists limited themselves to recounting miracles testifying to the omnipotence of the God-man, but St. John describes the miracles of His goodness they omitted, the miracles of His mercy toward sinners, His indulgence toward our weaknesses. Every word of this Gospel is a mystery. For the loftiness of this teaching, St. John the Evangelist has been called the Theologian par excellence. For this reason, it is customary for us to depict St. John in icons with an eagle, a symbol of the lofty soaring of thought. "The Son of Thunder," as Christ Himself once called St. John ( Mark 3:17 ), in His Gospel strikes down all heresies with thunder and illuminates the true faith with a bright light .
Zeal for the glory of God and ardent love for his neighbors soon prompted the holy apostle to write another epistle, which bears the title "First Catholic Epistle." It represents a wonderful complement to the Gospel of St. John. In the Gospel, he offered a model of faith for the Universal Church, and here he wrote a guide to Christian life based on faith in the Son of God.
The teaching offered by St. John in this epistle is the teaching of love. God is Love, our faith is the work of Divine love, Christian teaching is the teaching of love, and the activity of a Christian must be the activity of love and mercy. Every word of the epistle sparkles with divine love and is filled with gentle love for one's neighbor. But the apostle's treatment of false teachers is even more severe in this epistle, calling them opponents of Christ and urging Christians not to listen to them or believe them. This attitude toward the false teachers suggests that their influence on believers was strong, and the apostle wished to avert a great danger . The holy apostle soon wrote another epistle to a Christian woman, known as the Second Catholic Epistle. St. John earnestly asks her and her children to beware in every possible way of false teachers who do not recognize the coming of Christ in the flesh, calls these heretics apostates from the teachings of Christ and commands not even to accept them into their homes or to greet them 13 .
Imbued with the spirit of pure Christian love, St. John joyfully welcomed all manifestations of this love in others. Thus, he wrote a special letter to a certain Gaius, called the Third General Epistle, praising him for the love with which he treated Christians in general and especially strangers. While expressing every good wish to Gaius, the apostle speaks sternly of Diotrephes, likely the head of that Church, and promises to personally rebuke him for both his own actions contrary to love and his forbidding others from acts of love .
Old age and physical weakness did not diminish St. John's ardent zeal for the glory of God or his ardent love for his neighbors. Here is a touching incident in which the holy apostle's loving soul expressed itself. Once, while St. John was surveying the Churches of Asia Minor, he took a particular liking to a young man in one city. John taught him to believe in Christ and baptized him. Soon after, he needed to leave the city, and he entrusted the youth's care to the bishop. The bishop taught him Holy Scripture but did not monitor his behavior. Meanwhile, the youth fell into the company of depraved people, who, by their bad example, drew him into all manner of vices. The further he went, the more depraved he became, and the unfortunate young man became so corrupt that he finally became the leader of a gang of robbers and surpassed all his comrades in cruelty. Some time later, St. John had to return to the same city. He immediately inquired about the youth. "The youth is dead," the bishop said in confusion, "he died for God and eternal life," and tearfully told the apostle what had happened. This news deeply grieved St. John. "Is this how you should have looked after the soul of a brother entrusted to you," he said reproachfully to the bishop. "Give me a horse and a guide," John exclaimed eagerly, "I will go after him." The holy apostle immediately set off for the mountains where the robbers were. As soon as the holy elder set foot in the mountains, the robbers seized him and, at his request, took him to their leader. Looking at the elder, he recognized him. Unable to bear the apostle's presence, he fled in confusion. John followed him. "My son," he cried out tearfully, "why are you fleeing from your father? Have pity on me, my child. Do not fear, there is still hope of eternal life. "I will answer for you to Christ; I am ready to give my life for you. Stop and listen to me, believe me: I am sent by Christ Himself."... Overcome by the apostle's love, the thief finally stopped. Feeling the full weight of his guilt, he did not dare look at St. John and burst into bitter tears. The apostle lovingly embraced him and, reassuring him of God's mercy, led him away. With great patience and love, St. John counseled the erring man, prayed and fasted with him, and read Holy Scripture to him. Only then did the holy apostle leave the city, when the repentant youth could once again be accepted into Christian society.
St. John lived to a ripe old age. Physical weakness no longer allowed him to attend Christian gatherings or engage in lengthy conversations. His disciples carried him into the gatherings, but he only repeated, "My children, love one another!" When asked why he repeated the same thing over and over, he replied, "This is the Lord's commandment—if there were only one, it alone would be sufficient for salvation."
The holy apostle John was over 100 years old when he felt his death approaching. Accompanied by seven of his disciples, he went outside the city and ordered them to dig a cross-shaped grave the length of his own height. He himself, moving aside, began to pray. When the grave was ready, St. John gave his final instructions to his disciples, kissed them all, and lay down in the grave, ordering the disciples to cover him with earth. The disciples first covered him with earth up to his knees, kissed them, and then covered him up to his neck. Having kissed their teacher as he departed for eternal life for the last time, they covered his face with a kerchief and, shedding tears, covered him completely with earth. Christians, learning of this burial of the holy apostle, gathered at his grave. The grave was dug up, but St. John's body was not found. The believers were greatly surprised by this and wept much. This death of St. The repose of St. John the Apostle occurred 72 years after the Ascension of Christ, when 12 of the Apostles had already died. The Holy Church celebrates the day of St. John's death on September 26. Every year after St. John's death, during the service at his grave on May 8, a small amount of fine dust would emerge. Believers would collect it and receive healing from various ailments. In memory of this miracle, the Holy Church established May 8 as a feast day in honor of St. John the Apostle.