Touching the time and manner of his death, there is nothing stated in Holy Writ; but some of the ancient writers maintain that he was enclosed in a red-hot brazen ox, and thus burned alive with great pain, yet in steadfastness. As regards the time when this happened, we ascertain from Holy Scripture, that he was killed in the lifetime of John. Some fix this occurrence in the time of Domitian, or about A. D. 95.—See concerning this, A. Mell., 1st Book, van de Hist, der Vervolg. en Martel., printed A. D. 1619, fol. 22, col. 1. Also, d’Annotation der laetste Bybelsch Oversettinge, Rev. 2:12,13.
JOHN, THE HOLY EVANGELIST, BANISHED TO THE ISLE OF PATMOS, BY EMPEROR DOMITIAN, A. D. 97.
JOHN BANISHED TO THE ISLE OF PATMAS.
John, the apostle and evangelist, was a son of Zebedee, and brother of James the Greater; he was born at Nazareth, and by occupation was a fisherman. Matt. 4:21. He was called by Christ, when engaged with his father and brother in mending their nets for fishing. Verse 22. As soon as he heard the words of Christ, he immediately left the nets, the ship, and his father, and, together with James, his beloved brother, followed Christ. Chrysost. Homil. 1., in Joh.
Afterwards he became from a disciple an apostle of Christ, and was numbered with the twelve whom the Lord had specially chosen for his service. Matt. 10:2.
He was greatly beloved by the Lord, so that at the Supper he reclined on Christ’s bosom, and leaned, or rested, on his breast. John 13:23; 21:20. The Lord, moreover, had accepted him as one of his three most special friends, to bear testimony of his works, not only in his conflict and suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, but also in his glory, in the raising of the daughter of Jairus as well as in the showing forth of his majesty, when, on the holy mount, his face shone as the sun, and his raiment became white as the light. Matt. 26:36; Luke 8:51; Matt. 17:1–4.
From an inward love, he followed the Lord not only into the house of the priest Caiaphas, but also to Mount Calvary, without the city of Jerusalem, where the Lord was put to death. There the Lord, hanging on the cross, addressed him, saying, “Son, behold thy mother!” John 19:27.
He was so eager after the resurrection of Christ, that in running to his grave with his fellow-apostle Peter, he outran the latter, thus showing his affection for his Lord, who had died an ignominious death, and was entirely forsaken by his other friends. John 20:4.
Some years afterwards, in order to refute the errors of Ebion and Cerinthus, who denied the divinity of Christ, he wrote his Gospel, to the honor and magnifying of his Savior, commencing thus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” “And the Word was made flesh,” etc., John 1:1–14. In these words he gives us to understand the true incarnation of the Son of God, to whom be praise and glory forever. Amen.