Apostle John the Theologian: beloved by Christ or His favorite?
Igor Bekshaev, October 9, 2021, 21:44 — REGNUM
John the Theologian
Ivan Shilov © IA REGNUM
Today, October 9, is the day of remembrance of the Apostle John the Theologian . At the liturgy, an excerpt from the apostle’s message is read:
“No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, then God abides in us, and His love is perfect in us. That we abide in Him and He in us, we know from what He has given us from His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we knew the love that God has for us and believed in it. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love reaches such perfection in us that we have boldness on the day of judgment, because we act in this world as He does. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because in fear there is torment. He who fears is imperfect in love. Let us love Him because He first loved us.”
Among Christ's apostles, John, in terms of the honors given to him by the Church, is in third place after the apostles Peter and Paul . He earned this honor not only thanks to the books he wrote. John, on the pages of all the first four books of the New Testament, is an active participant in the events described there. On the pages of the Gospel he created, he calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Church tradition and subsequently secular literature also changed this testimony about John, making him a “favorite disciple,” which already strongly resembles a “favorite.” Thus, many seriously believe that John, without any “worldly” modesty, but with “spiritual” truthfulness, called himself a favorite. Meanwhile, for John this is only a form of speaking about himself in the third person, avoiding “jacking.”
Hieronymus Bosch on the island of Patmos. 1504-1505
He, of course, does not call himself a favorite, but only testifies that in relation to himself from Christ, he fully understood this love, attention, patience, and care for him, thereby leading himself into the context of the Gospel, not distantly and not indifferently. He is “Christ’s beloved disciple,” not “Christ’s beloved disciple.” For some reason, many stubbornly ignore the difference in the understanding of these expressions. By the way, this is another typical example of when a completely clumsy, crude and perverted understanding of the Gospel text comes into use in interpretation. Meanwhile, it is the “perfect love of God” for His creation that underlies the intellectual theology of the Apostle John. Not sensual, as many people believe, but intellectual. Love, care, attention permeate all creation, and “God’s” in the world is recognized by the presence of these signs:
“If we love one another, then God abides in us, and His love is perfect in us...he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
The Gospel of John is a witness; he described what he himself was a participant and witness to. Therefore, reporting yourself as a disciple whom Jesus loved is the first step in this testimony. This is obvious, which he stated for himself. By calling the Apostle John “Theologian,” they believe that his books contain something especially unearthly and beyond the comprehension of the mind. Theologian, they say. Theologians - they all talk about God so pretentiously that you only need to understand with your heart. Putting into the word “heart” also some special and invisible compartment in the anatomical organ, which can look at everything much better than the mind. On the contrary, the theological thought of the Apostle John is extremely simple. Another thing is that he expresses it in places quite complexly, and the explanation for this is probably in the language. The Apostle, like any developed person, understood that over time and quite quickly, common expressions lose their meaning and are sometimes reassigned to the exact opposite.
And, most importantly, they are erased and cease to be perceived by the mind in their currently understandable and correctly understood meaning. In order to express a thought most adequately to understanding, it is sometimes necessary to abandon expressions, which very soon will turn into such “literality” that will turn everything upside down. In religion, it is generally a common thing to turn any thought into a “writ of execution”: do as God commanded, where anything can become a “command of God.” It even happened to read that “the command of God” to pluck out one’s eyes and tear off one’s arms and legs (Matthew 18: 8-9) “people cannot fulfill due to weakness.” And this, of course, would be the case if we were not so weak. That is, figurative language is sometimes completely ignored by people in religions; they are ready to perceive every word in the Scriptures as nothing other than a signal to action, without even trying to understand that there is a thought here, it must be understood, realized what it is about, and not a corporal’s order to grab and run without thinking, and preferably without even thinking, and, most importantly, quickly. Until thought invaded and prevented the grasping and running.
The Apostle John writes the Gospel. Icon. XIX century
The apostle's metaphorical language is complex in places. At the same time, it does not so much prevent one from understanding a thought as it does prevent it from interpreting it incorrectly, pervertedly. However, the crafty human mind still gets around, turning the student into a “favorite”, and his words into “poetry understood only by the heart.” Both in the Gospel of John and in Revelation, much, very much is interpreted incorrectly and erroneously. The basic theological thought of the apostle is extremely simple. Conformity with God in people is fully revealed through fulfilled brotherly love. Refusal from evil deeds, from deception, from all selfish aspirations frees the “hidden man”, acting and acting in accordance with the “Light”, revealed to people in the “Word”. What does it mean - the meaning of the universe is quite obvious, it simply should not be obscured by laws, compulsions, fear, “because in fear there is torment, the fearful is imperfect in love.” It is enough to understand and accept the Meaning (“Word”) for this correspondence to be revealed in everyone.
In places metaphorically, in places historically, John describes Christ as his Teacher, who reveals and reveals this meaning to people through words and deeds. And according to this meaning, he is not a “favorite,” but a person who has learned what this meaning is.
James the Elder - Protector of the Pilgrims
He was the elder brother of John the Theologian, for which he received such a name. The apostle had an impulsive, ardent disposition - so, one day he suggested that Jesus Christ should rain down fire on the Samaritans, who did not shelter strangers on the road to Jerusalem, to which the Creator replied: “The Son of Man came not to destroy souls, but to save” (Luke 9:56 ).
The righteous man created the first Christian communities in Spain, for which he was killed in 44 by King Herod Agrippa I. The relics of the apostle were placed in a boat and sent across the Mediterranean Sea. The current carried the shuttle to the mouth of the Ulya River, and in 813 the body, untouched by decomposition, was found by the hermit monk Pelayo. In 899, a church was erected over the remains, around which the city of Santiago de Compostella was formed.
This ascetic is the heavenly patron of Spain, Chile and Cuba, where he is called Santiago Matamoros (Saint Iago the Mauretor). And a pilgrimage to the relics of Jacob eliminates sins, gives peace, tranquility and happiness.
Jacob and Judas Thaddeus - sons of Alphaeus
Very little is known about these righteous people, since information about them is mixed with legends about other apostles. Thus, Jacob Alpheus preached in Judea, Edessa, Gaza and Southern Palestine, and in 62 he suffered martyrdom in Egypt. Judas (to distinguish this ascetic from the man who betrayed the Creator, “Not Iscariot” is added to his name), worked in Arabia, Syria, Mesopotamia and Palestine. He is also known as one of the founders of the Armenian Church.
Most often, the holy brothers are remembered when a common prayer is said to the 12 apostles, but you can also ask them for the expulsion of evil spirits, protection from atheists, and strengthening of soul and body.
Philip and Bartholomew - Church Fathers
It is believed that these righteous people were relatives or close friends - this is evidenced by the fact that the Lord made them his disciples at the same time, following Andrew and Peter. The men came from Cana of Galilee, but after the descent of the Holy Spirit their paths separated. Philip began to preach in Galilee, Greece, Syria, Arabia and Phrygia, and Bartholomew - in Asia Minor, India and Armenia. There they founded local communities of believers, revealing to people Christ’s commandments, the history of the Way of the Cross of God’s Lamb, the rules of honoring the Creator, as well as the names of the 12 apostles.
Both ascetics became martyrs - Philip was crucified in 80, in Hierapolis of Phrygia, and Bartholomew was flayed and beheaded by order of the Armenian king Astyages. However, the pagans did not manage to break the holy elders - their souls ascended to the heavenly throne of Jesus to help all Christians. Therefore, prayer to the righteous will support you in moments of temptation and doubt, ensure good health and well-being, and expose enemy intrigues and intrigues.
Levi Matthew - author of the first Gospel
The Apostle Matthew was a publican, that is, a tax collector. The Jews despised such an activity, so the act of the Son of God, who brought an outcast to himself, amazed his contemporaries - the Savior was even reproached for preferring to be with the wicked. To this Christ replied: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:29).
After the Ascension, Matthew lived in Jerusalem, recording the teachings of Jesus and the events of His life. And in 41 he went on a pastoral mission to Syria, Media, Persia and Ethiopia - in the last country of the ascetic he was executed by King Fulvian.
The Apostle patronizes financiers, accountants, customs officers and tax officials, and he also protects against abuse of power.
Simon - relative of Jesus Christ
The name of this ascetic is necessarily accompanied by the postscript “Zealot” or “Kananit”. Only the most zealous believers who observed all Jewish laws were called this way. And due to the fact that the apostle was the son of Joseph the Betrothed and his first wife, Salome, Simon is also called “brother of the Lord according to the flesh.” It is believed that it was at his wedding that the Son of God turned water into wine.
The righteous man traveled through Egypt, Libya and Georgia. On the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus they killed him by sawing him alive with a saw.
The ascetic helps healers, doctors, herbalists and those who suffer from any ailments.
Key Verses:
“In the beginning there was One who is the Word. He was with God, and He was God...? And He who is the Word became man and lived among us. We have seen His divine majesty and power, which He received as the only Son of the Father, the embodiment of mercy and truth” (John 1:1, 14).
“The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who will take away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“This is your business for God,” Jesus answered them, “believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29).
“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they might have life, life to the fullest” (John 10:10).
“I will give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them away from Me” (John 10:28).
“Jesus said: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25–26).
“If there is love among you, everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
“Jesus says to him: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Only through Me can one come to the Father” (John 14:6).
“I have been with you for so long, and you do not know Me, Philip? - Jesus answers. - He who saw Me saw the Father. How do you say: “Show us the Father”?” (John 14:9).
“Consecrate them to yourself by the power of truth; truth is Your Word” (John 17:17).
“Jesus took a sip of wine and said, “It is finished!” And he bowed his head and committed his spirit to God” (John 19:30).
“Did you believe because you saw Me? But happy are those who, without seeing Me, believed!” Jesus said to him” (John 20:29).
