Topics: The John Batchelor Show - audioBoom
John the Evangelist ( Greek : Εὐαγγελιστής Ἰωάννης ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle , John of Patmos , and John the Presbyter , [2] though this has been disputed by modern scholars. [3]
The Gospel of John refers to an otherwise unnamed " disciple whom Jesus loved ", who "bore witness to and wrote" the Gospel's message. [4] The author of the Gospel of John seemed interested in maintaining the internal anonymity of the author's identity, though interpreting the Gospel in the light of the Synoptic Gospels and considering that the author names (and therefore is not claiming to be) Peter, and that James was martyred as early as 44 AD (Acts 12:2) it has been widely believed that the author either was the Apostle John or was pretending to be. [5]
Orthodox Roman Catholic scholarship, most Protestant churches, and the entire Eastern Orthodox Church attribute all of the Johannine literature to the same individual, the "Holy Apostle and Evangelist, John the Theologian", whom it identifies with the "Beloved Disciple" in the Gospel of John.