While their names may not roll off the tongue with the familiarity of John, Paul, George and Ringo--the Fab Four Beatles--in their day John, Paul, James and Peter, were something of a Fab Four themselves, who transformed an obscure Jewish sect into a national religion that stretched to the far reaches of the Roman Empire.
John, Paul, James and Peter. Who were they?
JOHN was Jesus' "beloved disciple". He would write the fourth Gospel (The Gospel of John), and the Book of Revelation. John was the only writer of the Bible to define God. He went straight back to the source and began with God himself. "God is spirit" (John 4:24). "God is light" (I John 1:5.) "God is love" (I John 4:6).
PAUL, an erstwhile Pharisee, and one-time persecutor of Christians, encountered Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus and, as a result, underwent an amazing transformation, that would result in his name being changed from Saul to Paul (Acts 9: 1-19; 13 :9). Immediately thereafter--and to the surprise of Jesus' disciples--he began healing people as Jesus had. And, like them, began making Christian converts of Jews, Gentiles, and pagans. As an indefatigable missionary, Paul opened the first Christian church to hold service outside of Israel. Paul also wrote a number of remarkable letters to the infant churches in Asia Minor and southern Europe, providing them with encouragement, guidance and christian doctrine to live by.
JAMES was Jesus' brother. Due to his piety and virtue, he became known as "James the Just", and was the first believer to be elected as Bishop of the Christian church in Jerusalem. In Galations 2:9, Paul mentions James, Peter and John as "the three Pillars of the Church." In Galations 2:12, he describes these pillars as the ones who would minister to the "circumscribed" (Jews), while Paul and his colleagues would minister to the "uncircumscribed" Gentiles (a.k.a. Greeks).
PETER was, of course, one of Jesus' twelve disciples. While he proved to be an inspired student and healer, he was also impulsive and rash, and would--upon the night of Jesus' arrest, deny knowing him--not once--but three times. Later, after Jesus' resurrection, he would meet with Peter once more, and ask him three times to "feed my sheep", one for each of Peter's denials. This exchange would have a transformative effect on a chastened Peter, who, in the book of Acts, would prove to be an effective healer, and inspired leader of the struggling community of Jerusalem Christians. Below is one of the healings Peter performed, this one in the company of John, as recorded in Acts:
"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God" (Acts 3:1–8).
Below is another "miracle" of Peter's, of an escape from prison, also recorded in Acts:
"Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
"When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews" (Acts 12:5–11).
While the Fab Four of John, Paul, James and Peter, preached to the multitudes, healed many, and converted thousands to the Christian faith, their enduring legacy is the letters they wrote--and, coupled with the four Gospels--continue to this day to convert many to the Christian faith. Below are their letters that have survived and later compiled into the New Testament.
LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
While credited to Paul, "The Letter to the Hebrews" was actually written by someone else, possible one of Paul's missionary companions: Barnabas, Luke, Silas, Timothy, or Titus. The letter was intended for Christian Jews probably living in large towns; Rome is favored by many scholars. The letter is believed to have been written before the fall of Jerusalem, possibly around AD67.
The Book of Hebrews' is not so much a letter as it is a sermon. It's addressed to Jewish Christians in need of knowing how the Hebrew Scripture traditions fits in with the coming of the Christ. Using over a hundred passages from the Hebrew Scriptures to prove his point, the author argues that Jesus Christ is the new high priest and that his way of worship supersedes the traditional Jewish priestly system. Below is an excerpt:
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" (Hebrews 12:2–9)
THE LETTER OF JAMES
If James' letter was written in AD50, as many scholars believe, it is the earliest known letter of the New Testament. The letter closely follows the teachings of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Below is an excerpt:
"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:14–16).
FIRST PETER
Likely written from Rome, the letter is believed to have been written in AD64. The letter, like that of James', is addressed to the Christian Jews scattered to various parts of Asia Minor. Below are two excerpts:
Excerpt one: "(S)ee that ye love one another with a dear heart fervently" (I Peter 1:22).
Excerpt two: "(T)he end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God " (I Peter 4:7,8,9,10).
SECOND PETER
Thought to be composed after Peter's death, the letter was surely written by another inspired writer, as the letter's date has been establish as being around AD130, well after Peter's martyrdom. Below is an excerpt:
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness" (II Peter 1: 2,4–6).
JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE
While awaiting death on the cross, Jesus directed his mother to stay with "the disciple whom he loved"; most scholars believe this to have been the Apostle John (John 19: 26 & 27). John did as directed, and included her in his company when he settled in Ephesus, to write "The Gospel of Jesus", as well as the book of Revelation (written while in seclusion on the nearby Island of Patmos). It should be noted that Ephesus was a crossroads of Asia, with a large colony of Jews. It was a center for Paul's missionary work, as well as the base of a "John the Baptist" sect (Acts 19:1-7). John lived to old age in Ephesus, where he wrote the three letters ascribed to him. With John's Gospel, and the Book of Revelation, this body of work is known collectively as"The Johanine Literature". Below are John's three letters:
FIRST JOHN
It is believed this letter was written in Ephesus, when John was a very old man. The date is likely AD90. Below are three excerpts:
Excerpt One: "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life" (I John 2: 24,25).
Excerpt Two: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; for when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purefieth himself, even as he is pure" (I John 3: 1-3).
Excerpt Three: "And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. We love him, because he first loved us" (I John 4: 16, 19).
SECOND JOHN
Written possibly about AD90, the letter is addressed to a Christian lady and her family, or a church and its members, scholars don't know which. Below is an excerpt:
"I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. . . . And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it" (II John 1: 3, 4, 6).
THIRD JOHN
Written about AD90, the letter is addressed to Gaius, possibly a leader of a small church in Asia Minor. Below is an excerpt:
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers" (III John 1: 2, 3, 4, 5);
JUDE
Jude, was the step-brother of Jesus. Like his brother James, he did not believe in the divinity of Jesus until after his resurrection. Jude's letter is believed to have been written between AD70 and AD80. It was addressed to an unknown church, where false teaching was prevalent, or possibly for general circulation. Below is an excerpt:
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever" (Jude 1:24, 25).
POSTLUDE
In the end it was the tireless and persistent work of the Apostle Paul, who did the most to spread Christianity throughout the ancient world. Paul preached with an intensity that never waned, while meeting stiff resistance from Jewish authorities, from government officials, and from those who worshipped pagan gods. He was imprisoned and narrowly escaped death several times on his long missionary journeys throughout the Aegean and Mediterranean world.
As with Peter, Paul was martyred in Rome around AD63-65. With their deaths, and the martyrdom of James, and the death of John, the Apostolic Age would come to a close.
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Note: In composing this piece, I am indebted to "The Reforming Power of Scripture", by Mary Metzel Trammell and William B. Davis; to the editors of "J.B. Phillips Translation of the New Testament into Modern English"; and to "The New Testament: A Student's Introduction", by Stephen L. Harris.
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