SeekGod.ca Discussion Forum

I am curious now having read more about the Apostle John. If I understand correctly, he wrote Revelation after being sent to the Isle of Patmos. Wasn't he put in boiling oil by the Romans prior to that? Did he survive this attempted execution? Never really thought about this scenario much until reading further into it. Any clarification?

(12-04-2009 09:44 AM)Mark Wrote: [ -> ]I am curious now having read more about the Apostle John. If I understand correctly, he wrote Revelation after being sent to the Isle of Patmos. Wasn't he put in boiling oil by the Romans prior to that? Did he survive this attempted execution? Never really thought about this scenario much until reading further into it. Any clarification?

Hi Mark,

I've been doing a little research on this. So much about John is either legend or guesswork. The oil thing appears to be legend. There isn't even clear evidence of when he did die. Or if he is the John mentioned in various writings as living at Ephesus. Seems there's lots of speculation with some taking hard stances because some writer from the 3 or 4 or 5th century made a statement...but from the Scriptures, we don't know precisely what happened to him. We do know that his brother James was killed in Acts 12. Some time after that, we know for sure he was exiled to Patmos and wrote Revelation, (Rev 1:9). After that it's really unknown Scripturally, although apparently some think that might be a different John in Revelation. Always the confusion and arguments over these things.

I guess what's important is not so much how or when the apostles died, but that they were willing to die for Christ. And more importantly is the record we have of their willing example of living for Him.