Era: The time of Jesus and the early church (Mark 1:19; Acts 8:14)
John
One of the "sons of thunder," called beside his nets
John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called him. He was one of the twelve apostles and, with Peter and James, was present at moments few others saw, such as the transfiguration. Jesus gave the two brothers the surname "sons of thunder."
After the resurrection, the book of Acts shows him beside Peter: in the temple, before the council and in Samaria. Paul names him as one of the pillars of the church in Jerusalem. Later, tradition connected him with several books of the New Testament.
Keep getting to know this character
Sign up free to see where they appear in the Bible, what Scripture says about their life and what tradition adds. Already signed up? Enter your email to get right back in.
Reviewed by Jon J ·