When John reached the age of 23, his father sought to find a Christian tutor who could provide the best education for his children. Records show that while spending some time in the marketplace, John’s father encountered several captives, imprisoned as a result of a raid for prisoners of war that had taken place in the coasts of Italy. One of these, a Sicilian monk by the name of Cosmas, turned out to be an erudite of great knowledge and wisdom. John’s father arranged for the release of this man and appointed him tutor to his son. Under the instruction of Cosmas, John made great advances in music, astronomy and theology. According to his biographer, he soon equaled Diophantus in algebra and Euclid in geometry.

A polymath whose fields of interest and contribution included law, theology, philosophy, and music, he wrote works expounding the Christian faith, and composed hymns which are still used. He is sometimes called the first apostle to the Muslims. It is believed that John became a monk at Mar Saba, and that he was ordained as a priest in the year 735.

In the early 8th century AD, iconoclasm, a movement opposed to the veneration of icons, gained acceptance in the Byzantine court. John of Damascus undertook a spirited defence of holy images in three separate publications. In these publications he not only refuted the Byzantine emperor’s misunderstanding of icons and their use in devotional life, but John also wrote in a simplified style that allowed the controversy to be followed by the common people, not only by the scholars, politicians and priests. It was important to him that even the general public be educated in their faith and its practices, and to know what was true and good and what was a lie perpetuated by the political class for their own gain.

In the monastery, John was known for writing poems that consoled people in grief after someone had died, and for writing hymns. Some of his hymns are included in our hymnbook, including one we sang last Sunday: ”The Day of Resurrection.”

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 offences. Among such offences were the practices of magic and astrology. Prophecy was viewed by 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)

The book of Revelation is full of images that are difficult to understand today, but at the time would have been recognisable to many as describing the political situation of the day, insisting that the one true God, made known in Jesus Christ and still seen in his church, was superior to the Roman Empire, and indeed would overpower the Empire. Revelation calls for our allegiance to be unswerving to God’s kingdom, and not to any human or earthly empire. This sort of prophecy was very threatening to the rulers of the day, so it is not surprising that John would have been banished for preaching in this way.

According to Tertullian, John was banished only after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. It is said that all in the audience of Colosseum were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle. While living on Patmos, John wrote the book we now know as Revelation, for it revealed to those who had eyes to see and ears to hear how the Empire would fall before God’s power and grace.

John recalls, perhaps with a smile, that he and Peter ran side by side, but then “the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first” (John 20:4b). He did not enter, but waited for Peter and let him go in first. “Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8).

After the ascension of Jesus Christ, John is found in several places in the Book of Acts, including healing the lame man outside the beautiful gate, testifying before the Sanhedrin, and conveying the gift of the Holy Spirit to new converts through the laying on of hands.

John is often depicted in art holding a chalice with a serpent in it, which is likely tied to his willingness to drink from the cup Jesus was to drink from. There is also a legend that suggests that at some point during John’s ministry, someone passed him a chalice filled with poisoned wine. As John said a blessing over the cup, the poison rose from the cup in the form of a snake.

Throughout the gospels, John is depicted as both impetuous—asking to sit at Jesus’ side in his glory—and also devoted, staying close to Jesus throughout his life. The gospel attributed to his name gives a cosmic view of Jesus’ life and ministry, beginning with the beautiful words “in the beginning was the word” and ending with “if everything about Jesus were written down, the world could not contain all the books.” For John, Jesus is God’s word made flesh, and that Word is all we need.

Opening times are: –
Monday 8th April – 12noon to 2pm
Tuesday 9th April – 10am to 2pm PLUS 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Wednesday 10th April – 10am to 2pm
Thursday 11th April – 10am to 2pm PLUS 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Friday 12th April – 10am to 2pm
Saturday 13th April – 10am to 2pm