marked by the phrase “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and also by the fact that he was one of the three chosen to be with Him at certain special and momentous crises. He was admitted to the death-chamber of the ruler’s daughter (Mark v. 37) and witnessed her restoration to life ; he was present at the Trans- figuration (Luke ix. 28), and with Peter and James was chosen by the Master to bear Him company during His agony in Geth- semane (Mark xiv. 83). He accompanied Jesus, after His ar- rest, into the palace of the High Priest, and secured entrance for Peter (John xviii. 15, 16). He stood by the cross with the mother of Jesus, and to his care Jesus committed her (John xix. 25-27). With Peter he ran to the sepulchre on the morn- ing of the Resurrection at the summons of Mary Magdalene, entered the empty tomb, and saw and believed (John xx. 2-8). After the Resurrection he appears engaged in his former em- ployment on the Lake of Galilee. He is the first to recognize the risen Lord standing upon the shore (John xxi. 7), and is the subject of Peter’s inquiry, “ Lord, what shall this man do?” when he is seen by Peter to be following Jesus (John xxl. 20).
His apostolic activity was in the first thirty years after the Ascension. In Jerusalem his position among the apostles was not exceptionally prominent. At the time of the Stephanic per- secution he remained with the other apostles at Jerusalem (Acts vill. 1); but when Paul, three years after his conversion, came to that city (Gal. 1. 18), he met there only Peter, and James the Lord’s brother. From this, however, it does not follow that the remaining apostles had permanently departed from Jerusalem and settled elsewhere. In Gal. ii. 9, Paul alludes to John as having been present in Jerusalem at the time of the council (Acts xv.). The narrative in Acts does not mention him in connection with the council, but Paul, in the Galatian letter, refers to him as one of the pillars of the church with James and Cephas.
The commonly received tradition represents him as closing his apostolic career in Asia and at Ephesus. An old tradition affirms that he left Jerusalem twelve years after the death of Christ. In no case, therefore, did he go immediately to Ephe-