Unveiling History: Top 11 Fun and Fascinating Facts About John the Apostle You Never Knew

1. Bible Writing Comeback

If at first you don't succeed, try writing the Bible: John the Apostle, one of Jesus' closest disciples, authored the Gospel of John, played a pivotal role at the Last Supper, and became a key figure in the New Testament.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Death-Defying Disciple

Step aside, Houdini: there's another master at escaping death's grip! Known for chilling with Jesus, penning blockbuster biblical hits, and evading a boiling cauldron of spooktacular near-death experiences – not a ghost, but the youngest Apostle, John! : This disciple of Jesus authored the Gospel of John, three epistles, and the timely horror classic – Revelation, all while being a key witness to Jesus' life events and literally surviving a boiling oil bath.
Source => gradesfixer.com

Discover how St. Simeon Stylites practiced extreme social distancing for his faith by living on top of a pillar for decades - he wasn't even the first one to do it! 😮

=> Fun Facts about Saints

3. Natural Cause Survivor

Who needs to walk on water when you can cheat death: John the Apostle, famous for being part of Jesus' holy entourage, defied the odds by living a long life and becoming the only apostle to die of natural causes, though it's still a mystery if he scored a high-ranking gig as the Bishop of Ephesus in his later years.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Teacher's Pet?

Playing favorites, but not really: John the apostle is known as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" in his very own Gospel of John, not to say he was the teacher's pet, but as a humble brag about having been showered with equal love alongside all the other disciples - a love so strong, it practically defined his entire existence.
Source => desiringgod.org

5. Holy Trio's Third Wheel

Who needs Peter, Paul, and Mary when you've got Peter, James, and Johnny?! Meet John the Apostle, the OG third-wheel in a holy trio: As a close disciple of Jesus, John enjoyed exclusive access to headline events like the Resurrection and the Last Supper, earning him the coveted title of "the beloved disciple" present at the Crucifixion and the empty tomb.
Source => churchofjesuschrist.org

6. Apostolic Energy Drink

Who needs a red bull when you've got apostolic power? John the Apostle had the ultimate energy drink up his tunic: Restoring life like a divine jumper cable for two dead men. Zing!: According to an ancient legend, after drinking poison offered by a pagan priest named Aristodemus to prove Christ's power, John the Apostle miraculously revived these two men. He placed his tunic over their lifeless bodies and declared, "the apostle of Christ sends me to you that you may rise up in the name of Christ." With that, the men came back to life, and the astonished Aristodemus converted to Christianity.
Source => christianiconography.info

7. Divinely Entrusted Mama's Boy

Talk about motherly love: John the Apostle was the favorite disciple of Jesus, so much so that he was entrusted with the care of Jesus' mom, Mary, during the crucifixion, making him the original "Mama's boy". But there's more to John than just receiving divine babysitting duties: This beloved Apostle went on to preach the good word far and wide, eventually finding himself exiled to the island of Patmos where he scored an exclusive VIP revelation of Jesus Christ, and then continued to spread the gospel until his old age.
Source => guidedbiblestudies.com

8. Banishment Turned Biblical

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade; when Roman authorities give you banishment, you write the Book of Revelation: John the Apostle, exiled to the Greek island of Patmos during a time of persecution under Domitian, took this seemingly sour circumstance and turned it into a divine literary creation widely considered one of the most significant biblical works.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Jesus' Reality TV BFF

If John the Apostle were a modern-day celebrity, he'd be Jesus' BFF and have his own reality show titled "Keeping Up with the Apostle": John, Jesus' close pal, was the author of the Gospel of John and Revelation, addressing early Gnostic heresies and assuring salvation for believers in 1 John, while serving as a prominent figure in Roman Asia's church scene.
Source => biblestudytools.com

10. Born to Raise Hell

Born to (literally) raise hell: John the Apostle and his brother James were known by Jesus as the "Sons of Thunder" for their fiery tempers and tendency to get a little... explosive. In fact, the dynamic duo once requested their boss, Jesus, to rain down the wrath of heaven on a not-so-welcoming Samaritan town: The heavenly siblings seemed to put the "fun" in dysfunctional but eventually channeled that energy into spreading the word of Jesus, side by side, as apostles and brothers.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Outliving Fellow Apostles

While John was clearly in no race with the Grim Reaper, the others couldn't quite keep up: John the Apostle uniquely holds the title as the only one of the twelve apostles to die of natural causes, estimated to have outlived his apostolic counterparts by several decades, though the precise length of his lifespan remains a heavenly secret.
Source => en.wikipedia.org