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103-489: There is scholarly disagreement on which tradition is the original. Some scholars believe that Sunday observance began before Quartodecimanism, while others have argued that Quartodecimanism was original. The Quartodecimans claimed that their traditions are inherited from the Apostles John and Philip , while western churches claimed that their views of Easter have been inherited from Paul and Peter . Quartodecimanism

206-549: A schism . Indeed, "Anicetus conceded the administration of the Eucharist in the church to Polycarp, manifestly as a mark of respect. And they parted from each other in peace, both those who observed, and those who did not, maintaining the peace of the whole church." Sozomen also wrote: As the bishops of the West did not deem it necessary to dishonor the tradition believed to be handed down to them by Peter and by Paul, and as, on

309-726: A chapter headed "How All came to an Agreement respecting the Passover", he recounts that the Palestinian bishops Narcissus and Theophilus , together with the bishops of Tyre and Ptolemais , wrote a lengthy review of the tradition of Sunday celebration of Easter which believed "had come to them in succession from the apostles", and concluded by saying: Endeavor to send copies of our epistle to every church, that we may not furnish occasion to those who easily deceive their souls. We show you indeed that also in Alexandria they keep it on

412-553: A friend" ( ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς , hon ephilei ho Iēsous ), is used six times in the Gospel of John , but in no other New Testament accounts of Jesus. John 21:24 claims that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of this disciple. The disciple whom Jesus loved is specifically referred to six times in the Gospel of John: None of the other Gospels includes anyone in the parallel scenes that could be directly understood as

515-472: A highly emotional style of devotion that, in late-medieval culture, was thought to be poorly compatible with masculinity. After the Middle Ages, feminizing portrayals of Saint John continued to be made; a case in point is an etching by Jacques Bellange , shown to the right, described by art critic Richard Dorment as depicting "a softly androgynous creature with a corona of frizzy hair, small breasts like

618-746: A jointly contributed gift. The word appears 19 times in most editions of the Greek New Testament. In the New American Standard Bible , it is translated "fellowship" twelve times, "sharing" three times, and "participation" and "contribution" twice each. Koinonia appears once in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint , in Leviticus 6:2 It is found in 43 verses of

721-612: A teenage girl, and the round belly of a mature woman." Communion (Christianity) Koinonia ( / ˌ k ɔɪ n oʊ ˈ n iː ə / ), communion , or fellowship in Christianity is the bond uniting Christians as individuals and groups with each other and with Jesus Christ. It refers to group cohesiveness among Christians. Koinonia is a transliterated form of the Greek word κοινωνία , which refers to concepts such as fellowship, joint participation, partnership,

824-595: Is White. John, Apostle and Evangelist is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival on 27 December. In Roman Catholic tradition he is considered patron of Turkey, Asia Minor and Turkish people . Until 1960, another feast day which appeared in the General Roman Calendar is that of "Saint John Before the Latin Gate" on 6 May, celebrating a tradition recounted by Jerome that St John

927-595: Is said that all in the audience of Colosseum were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle. This event would have occurred in the late 1st century, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian , who was known for his persecution of Christians. When John was aged, he trained Polycarp who later became Bishop of Smyrna . This was important because Polycarp was able to carry John's message to future generations. Polycarp taught Irenaeus , passing on to him stories about John. Similarly, Ignatius of Antioch

1030-718: Is the Anglican Communion . If the relationship between the churches is complete, involving fullness of "those bonds of communion – faith, sacraments and pastoral governance – that permit the Faithful to receive the life of grace within the Church", it is called full communion . However, the term "full communion" is frequently used in a broader sense, to refer instead to a relationship between Christian churches that are not united, but have only entered into an arrangement whereby members of each church have certain rights within

1133-504: Is the sacrament of communion with one another in the one body of Christ. This was the full meaning of eucharistic koinonia in the early Catholic Church . St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "the Eucharist is the sacrament of the unity of the Church, which results from the fact that many are one in Christ." By metonymy , the term is used of a group of Christian churches that have this close relationship of communion with each other. An example

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1236-512: The Acts of John , an apocryphal text attributed to John, contributed much to Medieval iconography; it is the source of the idea that John became an apostle at a young age. One of John's familiar attributes is the chalice, often with a serpent emerging from it. This symbol is interpreted as a reference to a legend from the Acts of John, in which John was challenged to drink a cup of poison to demonstrate

1339-551: The Acts of John , which is traditionally viewed as written by John himself or his disciple, Leucius Charinus . It was widely circulated by the second century CE but deemed heretical at the Second Council of Nicaea (787 CE). Varying fragments survived in Greek and Latin within monastic libraries. It contains strong docetic themes, but is not considered in modern scholarship to be Gnostic. The feast day of Saint John in

1442-568: The Book of Revelation , its author was on the island of Patmos "for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus", when he was honoured with the vision contained in Revelation. The author of the Book of Revelation identifies himself as "Ἰωάννης" ("John" in standard English translation). The early 2nd-century writer Justin Martyr was the first to equate the author of Revelation with John

1545-516: The Easter always on Sunday. Irenaeus noted: Neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe what he had always observed with John the disciple of our Lord, and the other apostles with whom he had associated; neither could Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it, as he said that he ought to follow the customs of the presbyters that had preceded him. But neither considered that the disagreement required them to break off communion and initiate

1648-583: The Gospel of John and four other books of the New Testament – the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation . In the Gospel, authorship is internally credited to the " disciple whom Jesus loved " ( ὁ μαθητὴς ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς , o mathētēs on ēgapa o Iēsous ) in John 20:2 . John 21:24 claims that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of the "Beloved Disciple". The authorship of some Johannine literature has been debated since about

1751-676: The Lord's Day should the mystery of the Lord's resurrection from the dead be celebrated, and on that day alone we should observe the end of the Easter fast. These synods were held in Palestine , Pontus and Osrhoene in the east, and in Rome and Gaul in the west. The council in Rome, presided over by its bishop Victor , took place in 193 and sent a letter about the matter to Polycrates of Ephesus and

1854-652: The New Testament list and says that the disciples included Peter , Philip , Thomas , Bartholomew , Matthew , Andrew , James , Jude , John and Simon the Zealot . Notably, narrations of People of the Book (Christians and Jews) are not to be believed or disbelieved by Muslims as long as there is nothing that supports or denies them in Quran or Sunnah. Druze tradition honors several "mentors" and "prophets", and John

1957-665: The New Testament . Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee and Salome . His brother James was another of the Twelve Apostles. The Church Fathers identify him as John the Evangelist , John of Patmos , John the Elder , and the Beloved Disciple , and testify that he outlived the remaining apostles and was the only one to die of natural causes, although modern scholars are divided on

2060-670: The Raising of Jairus' daughter , Transfiguration of Jesus and Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane . Jesus sent only Peter and John into the city to make the preparation for the final Passover meal (the Last Supper ). Many traditions identify the " disciple whom Jesus loved " in the Gospel of John as the Apostle John, but this identification is debated. At the meal itself, the "disciple whom Jesus loved" sat next to Jesus. It

2163-682: The Roman Catholic Church , which calls him "Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist", and in the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Calendars, which call him "Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist", is on 27 December. In the Tridentine calendar he was commemorated also on each of the following days up to and including 3 January, the Octave of the 27 December feast. This Octave was abolished by Pope Pius XII in 1955. The liturgical color

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2266-535: The Second Coming of Christ as translated beings . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches that John the Apostle is the same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, and the Beloved Disciple. As he was traditionally identified with the beloved apostle, the evangelist, and the author of the Revelation and several Epistles, John played an extremely prominent role in art from

2369-537: The day of the Lord's coming ... Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. All these observed the fourteenth day of

2472-524: The synaxis of the Apostle John at Diaconissa on 15 February. The Quran also speaks of Jesus's disciples but does not mention their names, instead referring to them as "supporters for [the cause of] Allah". The Sunnah did not mention their names either. However, some Muslim scholars mentioned their names, likely relying on the resources of Christians, who are considered " People of the Book " in Islamic tradition. Muslim exegesis more or less agrees with

2575-535: The "Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian" on 26 September. On 8 May they celebrate the " Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", on which date Christians used to draw forth from his grave fine ashes which were believed to be effective for healing the sick. John is also commemorated on 30 June as a member of the twelve apostles. There is also a commemoration of

2678-599: The "rulers of the Churches", not the ruler of a yet unknown or unformed "universal Church". As the date of observance of the Resurrection of Christ as being on the Sunday day of the week rather than the 14th day of the month was not resolved by Papal authority it was only finally resolved by an Ecumenical Council. Epiphanius of Salamis even called Quartodecimanism a heresy. The rejection of Bishop Anicetus ' position on

2781-403: The 14th day of Nisan. The practice had been followed by Polycarp , who was a disciple of John the Apostle and bishop of Smyrna (c. 69 – c. 155) - one of the seven churches of Asia , and by Melito of Sardis (d. c. 180). Irenaeus says that Polycarp visited Rome when Anicetus was its bishop (c. 68–153), and among the topics discussed was this divergence of custom, with Rome celebrating

2884-501: The 14th day. The decision of the council was unanimous that Pascha ( Easter ) was to be kept on Sunday, and on the same Sunday throughout the world, and that 'none hereafter should follow the blindness of the Jews ' ". A new translation, published in 1999, of Eusebius' Life of Constantine suggests that this view is no longer widely accepted; its view is that the dispute at Nicaea was between two schools of Sunday observance: those who followed

2987-514: The 19th and 20th centuries thought that the dispute over Pascha ( Easter ) that was discussed at Nicaea was between the Nisan 14 practice and Sunday observance. According to one account, "A final settlement of the dispute was one among the other reasons which led Constantine to summon the council at Nicaea in 325. At that time, the Syrians and Antiochenes were the solitary champions of the observance of

3090-553: The Apostle . However, most biblical scholars now contend that these were separate individuals since the text was written around 100 AD, after the death of John the Apostle, although many historians have defended the identification of the Author of the Gospel of John with that of the Book of Revelation based on the similarity of the two texts. John the Presbyter , an obscure figure in the early church, has also been identified with

3193-619: The Apostle is honored as a prophet . In the Druze tradition and doctrine, Matthew the Apostle is respected for his contributions to spiritual knowledge and guidance. Druze doctrine teaches that Christianity is to be "esteemed and praised", as the Gospel writers are regarded as "carriers of wisdom". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) teaches that, "John is mentioned frequently in latter-day revelation (1 Ne. 14:18–27; 3 Ne. 28:6; Ether 4:16; D&C 7; 27:12; 61:14; 77; 88:141). For Latter-day Saints these passages confirm

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3296-771: The Apostles through the Roman Empire 's provinces . A messianic community existed at Ephesus before Paul's first labors there (cf. "the brethren"), in addition to Priscilla and Aquila . The original community was under the leadership of Apollos (1 Corinthians 1:12). They were disciples of John the Baptist and were converted by Aquila and Priscilla. According to tradition, after the Assumption of Mary , John went to Ephesus. Irenaeus writes of "the church of Ephesus, founded by Paul, with John continuing with them until

3399-717: The Asian churches, many Catholic theologians point to this episode as evidence of papal primacy and authority in the early Church , citing the fact that none of the bishops challenged his right to excommunicate but rather questioned the wisdom and charity of doing so. From the Orthodox perspective , Victor had to relent in the end and we see that the Eastern Churches never grant him presidency over anything other than his own church, his own synod. Cleenewerck points out that Eusebius of Caesarea simply refers to Victor as one of

3502-462: The Beloved Disciple. For example, in Luke 24:12 , Peter alone runs to the tomb. Mark, Matthew and Luke do not mention any one of the twelve disciples having witnessed the crucifixion. There are also two references to an unnamed "other disciple" in John 1:35–40 and John 18:15–16 , which may be to the same person based on the wording in John 20:2 . Church tradition has held that John is the author of

3605-475: The Evangelist, John the Elder, and John of Patmos. Although the authorship of the Johannine works has traditionally been attributed to John the Apostle, only a minority of contemporary scholars believe he wrote the gospel, and most conclude that he wrote none of them. Regardless of whether or not John the Apostle wrote any of the Johannine works, most scholars agree that all three epistles were written by

3708-441: The Gospel of John has been written by an anonymous author. Regarding whether the author of the Gospel of John was an eyewitness, according to Paul N. Anderson, the gospel "contains more direct claims to eyewitness origins than any of the other Gospel traditions." F. F. Bruce argues that 19:35 contains an "emphatic and explicit claim to eyewitness authority." The gospel nowhere claims to have been written by direct witnesses to

3811-598: The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but these gospels spoke of Jesus primarily in the year following the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist . Around 600, however, Sophronius of Jerusalem noted that "two epistles bearing his name ... are considered by some to be the work of a certain John the Elder" and, while stating that Revelation was written by John of Patmos, it was "later translated by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus," presumably in an attempt to reconcile tradition with

3914-606: The Jewish calendar of the time was lamented by several Christian writers, who felt that the Jews were often using a wrong lunation as their Nisan month and advocated the introduction of an independent computus by the Christians. In a letter to the bishops who had not been present, Emperor Constantine I said that it had been decided to adopt a uniform date, rejecting the custom of the Jews, who had crucified Jesus and whose practice often meant that two passovers were celebrated in

4017-489: The Jewish calendrical year started before and after the equinox according to Exodus 12:2 and Deuteronomy 16:1. In case the previous year had started after the equinox, two Passovers would be celebrated in the same solar year (the solar New Year was starting on March 21). Note: (The word month being Hebrew Chodesh which literally means New Moon which is referenced in Deuteronomy 16:1). Since the 3rd century this disorder of

4120-453: The Jews. Most Johannine scholars doubt the reliability of its ascription to Papias, but a minority, including B.W. Bacon , Martin Hengel and Henry Barclay Swete , maintain that these references to Papias are credible. Zahn argues that this reference is actually to John the Baptist . John's tomb is thought to be located in the former Basilica of St. John at Selçuk , a small town in

4223-498: The Just , were collectively recognized as the three Pillars of the Church . He also referred to the recognition that his Apostolic preaching of a gospel free from Jewish Law was received from these three, the most prominent men of the messianic community at Jerusalem . The phrase "the disciple whom Jesus loved as a brother" ( ὁ μαθητὴς ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς , ho mathētēs hon ēgapā ho Iēsous ), or in John 20:2 ; "whom Jesus loved as

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4326-557: The Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said 'We ought to obey God rather than man.' On receiving the negative response of Polycrates, Victor attempted to cut off Polycrates and the others who took this stance from the common unity, but reversed his decision after bishops who included Irenaeus, bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, interceded, recommending that Victor follow

4429-422: The New Testament as a noun ( koinōnia 17x, koinōnos 10x, sugkoinōnos 4x), in its adjectival ( koinōnikos 1x), or verbal forms ( koinōneō 8x, sugkoinōneō 3x) . The word is applied, according to the context, to sharing or fellowship, or people in such relation, with: Of these usages, Bromiley's International Standard Bible Encyclopedia selects as especially significant the following meanings: The Eucharist

4532-580: The Nisan 14 practice, or a practice that was called by the same name, lingered into the 4th century. Because this was the first-recorded Paschal/Easter controversy, it has had a strong influence on the minds of some subsequent generations. Wilfrid , the 7th-century bishop of York in Northumbria , styled his opponents in the Paschal/Easter controversy of his day "quartodecimans", though they celebrated Pascha ( Easter ) on Sunday. Many scholars of

4635-426: The Passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith . And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in

4738-550: The Romans as belonging to the same category, whether Pagan, Jewish, or Christian. Prophecy with political implications, like that expressed by John in the book of Revelation, would have been perceived as a threat to Roman political power and order. Three of the islands in the Sporades were places where political offenders were banished. (Pliny Natural History 4.69–70; Tacitus Annals 4.30) Some modern critical scholars have raised

4841-414: The Sunday following first Full Moon following the vernal equinox, calling it "the day of the resurrection of our Saviour". The difference became an ecclesiastical controversy when the practice was condemned by synods of bishops. Of the disputes over the date when the Lord's Supper (Eucharist) should be celebrated, disputes known as Paschal/Easter controversies , the quartodeciman is the first recorded. In

4944-481: The Sunday observance was also believed to have originated with the Apostles. According to Eusebius, in the last decade of the 2nd century a number of synods were convened to deal with the controversy, ruling unanimously that the celebration of Easter should be observed and be exclusively on Sunday. Synods and conferences of bishops were convened, and drew up a decree of the Church, in the form of letters addressed to Christians everywhere, that never on any day other than

5047-482: The appointed fasts. It is, then, plainly the will of Divine Providence (as I suppose you all clearly see), that this usage should receive fitting correction, and be reduced to one uniform rule. It is not known how long the Nisan 14 practice lasted. The church historian Socrates of Constantinople knew of quartodecimans who were deprived of their churches by John Chrysostom , and harassed in unspecified ways by Nestorius , both bishops of Constantinople. This indicates that

5150-437: The biblical record of John and also provide insight into his greatness and the importance of the work the Lord has given him to do on the earth in New Testament times and in the last days. The latter-day scriptures clarify that John did not die but was allowed to remain on the earth as a ministering servant until the time of the Lord's Second Coming (John 21:20–23; 3 Ne. 28:6–7; D&C 7)". It also teaches that in 1829, along with

5253-512: The body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8) is a belief among some Christians. Their communion is believed to be "a vital fellowship between all the redeemed, on earth and in the next life, that is based on the common possession of the divine life of grace that comes to us through the risen Christ". Since the word rendered in English as "saints" can mean not only "holy people" but also "holy things", "communion of saints" also applies to

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5356-507: The book could have been put into its present form by the same person(s) responsible for the fourth gospel." There is no information in the Bible concerning the duration of John's activity in Judea . According to tradition, John and the other Apostles remained some 12 years in this first field of labour. The persecution of Christians under Herod Agrippa I (r. 41–44 AD) led to the scattering of

5459-495: The brothers wanted to call down heavenly fire on an unhospitable Samaritan town, but Jesus rebuked them. John was also the disciple who reported to Jesus that they had 'forbidden' a non-disciple from casting out demons in Jesus' name, prompting Jesus to state that 'he who is not against us is on our side'. John is traditionally believed to have lived on for more than fifty years after the martyrdom of his brother James, who became

5562-407: The celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul. For we have it in our power, if we abandon their custom, to prolong the due observance of this ordinance to future ages, by a truer order, which we have preserved from the very day of the passion until

5665-571: The churches of the Roman province of Asia. Within the same year, Polycrates presided over a council at Ephesus attended by several bishops throughout that province, which rejected Victor's authority and kept the province's paschal tradition. Polycrates emphatically stated that he was following the tradition passed down to him: We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on

5768-437: The circumstances of the believers for whom they were intended. For instance, John's feminine features are argued to have helped to make him more relatable to women. Likewise, Sarah McNamer argues that because of his status as an androgynous saint, John could function as an "image of a third or mixed gender " and "a crucial figure with whom to identify" for male believers who sought to cultivate an attitude of affective piety ,

5871-543: The discussion between Polycarp and Anicetus in Rome took place within the framework of a synod. Thus the churches in Asia appealed to the Apostle John in support of their practice, while Sozomen wrote that the Roman custom (observed, according to Irenaeus, since at least the time of Bishop Xystus of 115–25) was believed to have been handed down by the Apostles Peter and Paul, and Eusebius states that in Judea and Egypt

5974-422: The early 4th century all Christians were celebrating Easter on a Sunday. Accordingly, it was not the quartodeciman practice that Constantine sought to eliminate, but rather the so-called 'Protopaschite' practice which calculated the paschal full moon according to the Jewish lunar calendar and not the Julian solar calendar". As shown, for instance, by the Sardica paschal table , it was quite common at that time that

6077-456: The early Christian period onward. He is traditionally depicted in one of two distinct ways: either as an aged man with a white or gray beard, or alternatively as a beardless youth. The first way of depicting him was more common in Byzantine art , where it was possibly influenced by antique depictions of Socrates ; the second was more common in the art of Medieval Western Europe , and can be dated back as far as 4th century Rome. Legends from

6180-472: The early Epicureans—as it is used by Epicurus' Principal Doctrines 37–38. The term communion, derived from Latin communio ('sharing in common'), is related. The term "Holy Communion" normally refers to the Christian rite also called the Eucharist . The essential meaning of the koinonia embraces concepts conveyed in the English terms community, communion, joint participation, sharing and intimacy. Koinonia can therefore refer in some contexts to

6283-411: The east were Quartodecimans. By the 4th century the influence of Quartodecimans declined; later they would even be persecuted. The opponents of Quartodecimanism argued that it is a form of Judaizing . Blastus , a Montanist caused a schism in Rome about the date of Easter, argued that Christians must keep Easter at the same time commanded in Exodus for the Passover and gained a following in Rome, and

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6386-445: The first Apostle to die a martyr's death in AD 44. John is always mentioned in the group of the first four apostles in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts , listed either second, third or fourth. John, along with his brother James and Peter , formed an informal triumvirate among the Twelve Apostles in the Gospels. Jesus allowed them to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions during his public ministry,

6489-500: The first century AD right up to the start of the 2nd century (i.e. 90 – 100), is applicable. Nonetheless, today many theological scholars continue to accept the traditional authorship. Colin G. Kruse states that since John the Evangelist has been named consistently in the writings of early Church Fathers, "it is hard to pass by this conclusion, despite widespread reluctance to accept it by many, but by no means all, modern scholars." Modern, mainstream Bible scholars generally assert that

6592-512: The founding and guidance of the church. He was with Peter at the healing of the lame man at Solomon's Porch in the Temple and he was also thrown into prison with Peter. Later, only Peter and John went to visit the newly converted believers in Samaria . While he remained in Judea and the surrounding area, the other disciples returned to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council ( c.  48–50 AD ). Paul, in opposing his enemies in Galatia, explicitly recalled that John, along with Peter and James

6695-413: The instruction of Jesus from the Cross, the beloved disciple took Mary, the mother of Jesus , into his care as the last legacy of Jesus. Peter and John were also the only two apostles who ran to the empty tomb after Mary Magdalene bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus . After Jesus' Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost , John, together with Peter, took a prominent part in

6798-541: The mid– 2nd century , the practice in Asia Minor was for the pre-Paschal fast to end with a feast held on the 14th day of Nisan, when the barley was ripe after the new moon near the Jewish lunar month of Nisan (no matter the day of the week on which it occurred), the date on which the Passover sacrifice had been offered when the Second Temple stood, and "the day when the people put away the leaven". Those who observed this practice were called quartodecimani , Latin for "fourteenthers", because of holding their celebration on

6901-514: The more peaceful attitude of his predecessors. Thereupon Victor, who presided over the church at Rome, immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the parishes of all Asia, with the churches that agreed with them, as heterodox; and he wrote letters and declared all the brethren there wholly excommunicate. But this did not please all the bishops. And they besought him to consider the things of peace, and of neighborly unity and love. Words of theirs are extant, sharply rebuking Victor. Among them

7004-424: The obvious differences in Greek style. Until the 19th century, the authorship of the Gospel of John had been attributed to the Apostle John. However, most modern critical scholars have their doubts. Some scholars place the Gospel of John somewhere between AD 65 and 85; John Robinson proposes an initial edition by 50–55 and then a final edition by 65 due to narrative similarities with Paul. Other scholars are of

7107-404: The opinion that the Gospel of John was composed in two or three stages. Most contemporary scholars consider that the Gospel was not written until the latter third of the first century AD, and with the earliest possible date of AD 75–80: "...a date of AD 75–80 as the earliest possible date of composition for this Gospel." Other scholars think that an even later date, perhaps even the last decade of

7210-440: The other hand, the Asiatic bishops persisted in following the rules laid down by John the evangelist, they unanimously agreed to continue in the observance of the festival according to their respective customs, without separation from communion with each other. They faithfully and justly assumed, that those who accorded in the essentials of worship ought not to separate from one another on account of customs. A modern source says that

7313-543: The other. If a church recognizes that another church, with which it lacks bonds of pastoral governance, shares with it some of the beliefs and essential practices of Christianity, it may speak of "partial communion" between it and the other church. The communion of saints is the relationship that, according to the belief of Christians, exists between them as people made holy by their link with Christ. That this relationship extends not only to those still in earthly life, but also to those who have gone past death to be "away from

7416-513: The possibility that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos were three separate individuals. These scholars assert that John of Patmos wrote Revelation but neither the Gospel of John nor the Epistles of John. The author of Revelation identifies himself as "John" several times, but the author of the Gospel of John never identifies himself directly. Some Catholic scholars state that "vocabulary, grammar, and style make it doubtful that

7519-484: The power of his faith (the poison being symbolized by the serpent). Other common attributes include a book or scroll, in reference to the writings traditionally attributed to him, and an eagle, which is argued to symbolize the high-soaring, inspirational quality of these writings. In Medieval and through to Renaissance works of painting, sculpture and literature, Saint John is often presented in an androgynous or feminized manner. Historians have related such portrayals to

7622-467: The present time. Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way. A course at once legitimate and honorable lies open to our most holy religion. Beloved brethren, let us with one consent adopt this course, and withdraw ourselves from all participation in their baseness... being altogether ignorant of the true adjustment of this question, they sometimes celebrate Pascha (Passover) twice in

7725-665: The quartodeciman Passover on the evening beginning Nisan 14. John the Apostle John the Apostle ( Ancient Greek : Ἰωάννης ; Latin : Ioannes c.  6 AD – c.  100 AD ; Ge'ez : ዮሐንስ;), also known as Saint John the Beloved and, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity , Saint John the Theologian , was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to

7828-684: The quartodeciman by Polycarp, and later Polycrates' letter to Pope Victor I, has been used by Orthodox theologians as proof against the argument that the Churches in Asia Minor accepted the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the teaching of Papal supremacy . Jehovah's Witnesses and Bible Students celebrate the Memorial of Christ's death on Nisan 14, while the Living Church of God keeps

7931-406: The reported events. Mainstream Bible scholars assert that all four gospels from the New Testament are fundamentally anonymous and most of mainstream scholars agree that these gospels have not been written by eyewitnesses. As The New Oxford Annotated Bible (2018) has put it, "Scholars generally agree that the Gospels were written forty to sixty years after the death of Jesus." According to

8034-472: The resurrected Peter and the resurrected James, John visited Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and restored the priesthood authority with Apostolic succession to earth, though a few ex-Latter-Day Saints claim controversially that previous editions of Latter-day scripture contradict this claim of Priesthood authority and Apostolic succession. John, along with the Three Nephites , will live to see

8137-539: The revelation of John. The revelation of John could only be what is now called the Book of Revelation. The Gospel according to John differs considerably from the Synoptic Gospels , which were likely written decades earlier. The bishops of Asia Minor supposedly requested him to write his gospel to deal with the heresy of the Ebionites , who asserted that Christ did not exist before Mary. John probably knew of

8240-475: The same author and that the epistles did not have the same author as the Book of Revelation, although there is widespread disagreement among scholars as to whether the author of the epistles was different from that of the gospel. John the Apostle was the son of Zebedee and the younger brother of James the Great . According to church tradition, their mother was Salome . Also according to some traditions, Salome

8343-492: The same day that we do. For letters are carried from us to them and from them to us, so that in the same manner and at the same time we keep the sacred day. Historically, there had been a debate about when quartodecimanism disappeared and in particular whether it disappeared before or after the first ecumenical council (Nicaea I) in 325. According to Mark DelCogliano, "the older opinion persists" but Duchesne's opinion "has gained widespread acceptance." According to DelCogliano, "by

8446-603: The same solar year: (Even though there is a commandment to keep a second passover in Numbers 9:10-12 if found unclean to keep the first) It was resolved by the united judgment of all present, that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day. For what can be more becoming or honorable to us than that this feast, from which we date our hopes of immortality, should be observed unfailingly by all alike, according to one ascertained order and arrangement? And first of all, it appeared an unworthy thing that in

8549-463: The same year. Why then should we follow those who are confessedly in grievous error? Surely we shall never consent to keep this feast a second time in the same year... And let your Holinesses' sagacity reflect how grievous and scandalous it is that on the self-same days some should be engaged in fasting, others in festive enjoyment; and again, that after the days of Pascha(Easter) some should be present at banquets and amusements, while others are fulfilling

8652-415: The seer of the Book of Revelation by such authors as Eusebius in his Church History (Book III, 39) and Jerome . John is considered to have been exiled to Patmos , during the persecutions under Emperor Domitian . Revelation 1:9 says that the author wrote the book on Patmos: "I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation, ... was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for

8755-615: The share which one has in anything, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution. In the Politics of Aristotle it is used to mean a community of any size from a single family to a polis . As a polis, it is the Greek for republic or commonwealth. In later Christianity it identifies the idealized state of fellowship and unity that should exist within the Christian church, the Body of Christ . This usage may have been borrowed from

8858-482: The sharing by members of the church in the holy things of faith, sacraments (especially the Eucharist ), and the other spiritual graces and gifts that they have in common. The term "communion" is applied to sharing in the Eucharist by partaking of the consecrated bread and wine, an action seen as entering into a particularly close relationship with Christ. Sometimes the term is applied not only to this partaking but to

8961-461: The testimony of Jesus Christ." Adela Yarbro Collins , a biblical scholar at Yale Divinity School , writes: Early tradition says that John was banished to Patmos by the Roman authorities. This tradition is credible because banishment was a common punishment used during the Imperial period for a number of offenses. Among such offenses were the practices of magic and astrology. Prophecy was viewed by

9064-474: The times of Trajan ." From Ephesus he wrote the three epistles attributed to him. John was banished by the Roman authorities to the Greek island of Patmos , where, according to tradition, he wrote the Book of Revelation . According to Tertullian (in The Prescription of Heretics ) John was banished (presumably to Patmos) after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. It

9167-564: The traditional practice of relying on Jewish informants to determine the lunar month of the Nisan in which Passover would fall, and those who wished to set it using Christian computations using the spring equinox on the solar calendar. Laurent Cleenewerck suggests that the East-West schism could even be argued to have started with Victor's attempt to excommunicate the Asian churches. Despite Victor's failure to carry out his intent to excommunicate

9270-471: The veracity of these claims. John the Apostle is traditionally held to be the author of the Gospel of John , and many Christian denominations believe that he authored several other books of the New Testament (the three Johannine epistles and the Book of Revelation , together with the Gospel of John, are called the Johannine works ), depending on whether he is distinguished from, or identified with, John

9373-416: The vicinity of Ephesus. The opening of his tomb during Constantine the Great 's reign yielded no bones, giving rise to the belief that his body was assumed into heaven . Another fact that continues to advance the belief of St. John's assumption into Heaven is the fact that St. John belongs among a few saints who left no bodily relics. John is also associated with the pseudepigraphal apocryphal text of

9476-484: The whole of the rite or to the consecrated elements. A Christian fellowship is a community, social club , benefit society , and/or a fraternal organization whether formal or informal of Christians that worship, pray, cooperate, volunteer, socialize, and associate with each other on the foundation of their shared Christian faith. Members of Christian fellowships may or may not be part of the same church congregations or denominations , although many are associated with

9579-480: The year 200. In his 4th century Ecclesiastical History , Eusebius says that the First Epistle of John and the Gospel of John are widely agreed upon as his. However, Eusebius mentions that the consensus is that the second and third epistles of John are not his but were written by some other John. Eusebius also goes to some length to establish with the reader that there is no general consensus regarding

9682-406: The youngest of the apostles and survived all of them. He is said to have lived to old age, dying of natural causes at Ephesus sometime after AD 98, during the reign of Trajan , thus becoming the only apostle who did not die as a martyr . An alternative account of John's death, ascribed by later Christian writers to the early second-century bishop Papias of Hierapolis , claims that he was slain by

9785-403: Was Irenaeus, who, sending letters in the name of the brethren in Gaul over whom he presided, maintained that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be observed only on the "Lord's day" namely Easter. He fittingly admonishes Victor that he should not cut off whole churches of God which observed the tradition of an ancient custom. In the short following chapter of the account by Eusebius,

9888-428: Was a Roman Montanist who was also a Quartodeciman. It is unclear if the Ebionites were Quartodeciman, however they probably observed Passover in addition to other Jewish festivals. Melito of Sardis , Sagar of Laodicea , Papirius of Smyrna , perhaps Apollinaris of Laodicea and Polycrates of Ephesus held Quartodeciman views. The Didascalia likely drew from a Quartodeciman source. Some Novatians that spread into

9991-401: Was a student of John. In Against Heresies , Irenaeus relates how Polycarp told a story of John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, "Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus , the enemy of the truth, is within." It is traditionally believed that John was

10094-585: Was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved unharmed. A church ( San Giovanni a Porta Latina ) dedicated to him was built near the Latin gate of Rome, the traditional site of this event. The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite commemorate

10197-525: Was customary to recline on couches at meals, and this disciple leaned on Jesus. Tradition identifies this disciple as John. After the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane , only Peter and the "other disciple" (according to tradition, John) followed him into the palace of the high-priest . The "beloved disciple" alone, among the Apostles, remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary alongside myrrhbearers and numerous other women. Following

10300-505: Was first a disciple of John the Baptist , even though he is not named in this episode. According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11), Zebedee and his sons fished in the Sea of Galilee . Jesus then called Peter , Andrew and the two sons of Zebedee to follow him. James and John are listed among the Twelve Apostles. Jesus referred to the pair as "Boanerges" (translated "sons of thunder"). A Gospel story relates how

10403-525: Was popular in Asia Minor , Jerusalem and Syria , however it was rejected by churches in other regions. Polycarp , like other Asiatics, kept Easter on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan. According to Eusebius, Polycarp claimed that his practice came from the apostle John. Some of the Montanists were also Quartodeciman. Montanism brought Quartodeciman practices to the west, for example Blastus

10506-472: Was the sister of Mary, Jesus' mother , making Salome Jesus' aunt, and her sons John the Apostle and James were Jesus' cousins. John the Apostle is traditionally believed to be one of two disciples (the other being Andrew ) recounted in John 1:35–39 , who upon hearing the Baptist point out Jesus as the "Lamb of God", followed Jesus and spent the day with him, thus becoming the first two disciples called by Jesus. On this basis some traditions believe that John

10609-457: Was then accused of Judaizing by the Church. This schism in Rome likely influenced the hostility of Pope Victor I against Quartodecimanism. The Quartodeciman controversy arose because Christians in Jerusalem and Asia Minor observed Passover on the 14th of the first month (Nisan), regardless of the day of the week on which it occurred, while the churches in and around Rome celebrated Easter on

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