Repose of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;' but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 'It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,' but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 'Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 'You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'* But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,* and hate your enemy.*' But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.

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	Repose of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

According to tradition, St. John the Apostle was assisted by St. Prochoros in writing the Gospel According to St. John. St. John, "Son of Thunder" (Mark 3:17), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. John and his brother, the Apostle James, were fishermen by trade, like their father Zebedee. John is believed to be the youngest Apostle and also "the beloved disciple" of Christ (John 13:23; 21:7,20). On the Cross, Jesus entrusted His mother, the Virgin Mary, to John's care (John 19:26, 27). John was a "pillar" of the church in Jerusalem, and later moved to Ephesus. He served as the leading authority ("Elder," lit. "presbyter," in 2 John 1) of Ephesus for the remainder of his ministry. During the reign of the tyrannical Roman Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96), John was exiled to the nearby island of Patmos, where he wrote Revelation (also called the Apocalypse). Upon the emperor's death he returned to Ephesus to resume his episcopacy and to write his Gospel.

John is the first of only three saints in history to be named by the Church "the Theologian," because of the profundity of his Gospel, which has been called "the spiritual Gospel." The new Testament contains four other books attributed to John: three letters (1, 2, and 3 John, written about 90 A.D., and the Book of Revelation, written about 95 A.D.

St. John the Apostle was almost one hundred years old when he died, about 96-100 A.D.

Source: http://www.orthodoxchristian.info

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