2. Mystery of the Fourth Gospel.mp4
2. Gospel's Author A Cold Case.mp4
2. The_Gospel_of_John_was_written_by_John_the_Elder.m4a
The topic undertakes a critical re-evaluation of external evidence to challenge the prevailing view that the Apostle John authored the Fourth Gospel, instead arguing that the writer was John the Elder, a separate disciple living in Ephesus. This hypothesis relies heavily on re-interpreting the writings of Polycrates and Papias, who represent local Asian church tradition. Specifically, the text analyzes Polycrates' puzzling description of John as a priest who wore the petalon (high-priestly vestment), concluding this was an exegetical identification that deliberately prevented conflation with John the son of Zebedee. Ultimately, the argument asserts that the most reliable traditions confirm John the Elder was the beloved disciple and author, while the eventual shift to the Apostle John was a later development intended to increase the Gospel's apostolic authority.
The Gospel of John stands apart. With its soaring theological language, its unique stories like the wedding at Cana and the raising of Lazarus, and its intimate portrayal of Jesus, it has profoundly shaped Christian thought and Western culture for two millennia. For most of that history, its authorship was considered settled: it was written by John, son of Zebedee, the "beloved disciple," one of the fishermen called by Jesus and a member of his innermost circle. This tradition lent the Gospel immense authority, rooting its profound claims in the testimony of a direct eyewitness.
But the traditional attribution, it turns out, is a later revision of the story. The original tradition, preserved in the Gospel's own homeland, pointed to a different man entirely. When we dust off the oldest historical records from the second century—the first century after the Gospel was written—a surprising picture emerges. The witnesses closest to the Gospel's origin in place and time point not to the famous Galilean apostle, but to a different John altogether.
This is a historical detective story. The clues, hidden in the letters of ancient bishops and the fragmented works of early church historians, challenge a centuries-old assumption. They invite us to reconsider who really wrote the fourth Gospel and reveal a far more complex and fascinating story about how the foundational texts of Christianity were formed and passed down.