The Johannine Writings/Part II, Introduction

PART II.

ORIGIN AND VALUE OF THE GOSPEL, EPISTLES, AND REVELATION OF JOHN. __________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION.

AMONG the twelve Apostles of Jesus a prominent place is taken by John, son of Zebedee and brother of the first of the two Jameses who were included in the band of twelve disciples. Tradition tells us that five of the writings contained in the New Testament are by him: the Fourth Gospel, the three Epistles of John, and "Revelation." By the side, on  the one hand, of the first three Gospels, and, on the other, of those Epistles which were either composed by the Apostle Paul or have been wrongly ascribed to him, these writings form a group of their own in  the New Testament which is quite as important as the others; and any one who proposes to examine them, must of course regard them all together. __________________________________________________________________