INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS.

PAGE

. xvii

CHAPTER I.

THE PLACE IN HISTORY, AND CHARACTER OF THE PERIOD, IN WHICH THE

-

APOSTLE JOHN APPEARED.

Life of St. John coeval with the first century.-Date of Christ's birth.-

Julius Cæsar.-Pompey the Great.-His march into Judæa.-The Holy

Land becomes tributary.-He profanes the Holy of Holies.-Enters Rome

in triumph.-Julius Cæsar supreme.-He appoints Antipater procurator

of Judæa. His son Herod governor of Galilee.-Julius Cæsar assassin-

ated.-Herod appointed king of Judæa.-Augustus Cæsar becomes

emperor.-Extent of Roman empire.-Universal peace.-Birth of JESUS

CHRIST.-Death of Herod the Great.-Archelaus and Antipas.-Archelaus

deposed.-Quirinius governor of Syria.-Successive procurators of Judæa,

-Death of Augustus.-Tiberius Cæsar.-Caiaphas.-Pontius Pilate.-

Heathen world.-Pagan literature.-Alexandrian Library destroyed.—

Character of the period shown by the condition of the Jewish people.-

Development of the prophecies of Messiah.-The law a schoolmaster.-

Ceremonial law.-Light dawning when St. John came on the stage

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CHAPTER II.

PARENTAGE, EARLY LIFE, AND NATURAL TRAITS OF THE APOSTLE.

Position and physical features of the Holy Land.-Ruins.-Sacred as-

sociations. St. John a native of Galilee.-Bethsaida.-Childish pastimes.

--Sea of Galilee.-Zebedæus.-His early death.-Jewish education.-Pro-

fane and sacred literature.-Schools in the post-exile period.-Education

of apostles.-Mode of instruction.-John at school.-Outward life of the

boy.-Judas the Gaulonite.-Samaritans. - Pilgrimages. -Jerusalem.—

Saul of Tarsus a coeval of St. John.-The Passover.-St. John youngest of

the Twelve.-Was he ever married ?-Meaning of "Boanerges."-Strong

elements in his character.-Compared with Augustine and Luther.-His

intellectual character

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CHAPTER III.

ST. JOHN IN HIS EARLIEST STAGE OF PREPARATION FOR THE APOSTLESHIP, AS

A DISCIPLE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Preparation for the Advent.-Prophet of the preparation.-His important

influence on St. John the Evangelist.-Birth of John the Baptist.-Predic-

tions concerning him.-His prototype.-Miracles at his birth.-His holi-

ness. His life in the wilderness.-St. John his disciple.-Matter of his

preaching.-Manner.-Impression on his young Galilean disciples.-Jesus

pointed out to them as the Lamb of God.-John and Andrew follow

Jesus
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CHAPTER IV.

ST. JOHN UNDER THE TRAINING OF THE GREAT MASTER HIMSELF FROM THE

BEGINNING OF HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY.

His first meeting with Jesus.-Returns to Galilee with Jesus.-Call to

the discipleship.-Kâna el-Jelil.-His faith strengthened.-Capernaum.

-With his Master joins caravan to Jerusalem.-Route.-Transjordanic

country. Sacred reminiscences.-Jerusalem and the temple.-Nicodemus.

-St. John probably present at the interview.-Rural parts of Judæa.—St.

John engages in his first public work.-Unwritten history.-Central

Palestine. Jesus among the Samaritans.-Wonderful result.-Impression

on St. John.-Nazareth.-Miracles.-St. John forsakes all for Christ

His first circuit in Galilee with Jesus.-Call of St. Matthew.-Daughter of

Jairus and widow's son raised from the dead.-St. John's training and pre-

paration for his work.-Again at Jerusalem.-Apostles appointed.-Their

names.—Their gifts.-Sermon on the Mount an inaugurative discourse.—

Another circuit in Galilee.-Christ begins to teach by parables.—The

Twelve sent forth by two and two.-Who was St. John's associate ?-Jesus

walks on the sea.-Days of darkness drawing near.-Last year of St. John

with Christ.-Visit to the Gentile world.-Jesus foretells His death.—

Transfiguration.-Its design.-Its effect on St. John.-Faults of St. John.

-His jealousy and bigotry.-Anger.-Resurrection of Lazarus.-Peræa.—

Parables at this time.-Ambition of St. John.-End of pupilage drawing

near.-Last public discourses and parables of Jesus.-Impressions on St.

John.-St. John sent with St. Peter to prepare the feast of the passover 44

CHAPTER V.

PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK FROM INTERCOURSE AND INSTRUCTION IN PRI-

VATE; ESPECIALLY FROM THE GREAT SACRIFICE OFFERED BY JESUS, AS

WITNESSED BY THE APOSTLE HIMSELF.

lation and washing disciples' feet.-Treachery of Judas foretold.-St.

Peter's denial foretold.—Institution of the Supper.-Valedictory address.

Intercessory prayer. - Garden of Gethsemane. - The agony. - St.

John present.-St. Peter and his sword.-Flight of the disciples.-St.

John regains his natural bravery.-St. John alone accompanies Christ to

the palace of the high-priest.-Palace described.-St. Peter admitted at

the request of St. John.-Jesus led before Pilate.-Charged with sedition

and exonerated by Pilate.-Before Herod.-Mocked.-Herod and Pilate

made friends.-Again before Pilate.-Pilate's wife.-St. John at the side

of Christ.-Bearing the cross.-Simon the Cyrenian.-The penitent thief.

What St. John was taught.-St. John and the mother of Jesus.-The

blood and the water seen by St. John
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CHAPTER VI.

CROWNING PROOF OF THE MESSIAHSHIP OF JESUS, AS WITNESSED BY

ST. JOHN.

Chief functions of an apostle.—Evidence of resurrection of Christ as

addressed to St. John.-St. John's testimony on this subject.-Mary Mag-

dalene's message to St. Peter and St. John.-Christ's first appearance.—

St. John sees the empty sepulchre and believes.-Christ appears to Mary

Magdalene.-To St. Peter.-The two disciples going to Emmaus.—The ten

apostles in the evening.-To the eleven eight days after.-To St. John and

six other apostles at the Sea of Galilee.-To five hundred disciples on a

mountain in Galilee.-The ascension.-Competency of apostles as wit-

nesses.-St. John neither an enthusiast nor an impostor

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CHAPTER VII.

HISTORY OF ST. JOHN IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.

Returns to Jerusalem to await the promise of the Spirit-Galilee no

longer his home.-Apostles assembled in the upper room.-St. John and

the mother of Jesus.-Mary disappears from history.-Matthias elected

an apostle.-Day of Pentecost.-Apostles in one of the stoas of the temple.

-Tongues of flame.-Three thousand converted.-St. John engaged in

this work. Its effect on him.-Miracle at the gate Beautiful of the temple.

- His first imprisonment.-Arraigned before the high-priest.-Second

time imprisoned.-The work advancing.-The mission of St. John and St.

Peter to Samaria.-Tiberius.-Caligula.—Agrippa I.-Publius Petronius.

-Claudius.-Martyrdom of St. James, his brother.-Antioch.-The Jewish

party.-Council at Jerusalem.-St. John "a pillar" of the Church . 122