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Those Who Came and Followed Him Essay The Gospel according to John draws a distinction to the destinies of Simon Peter and John the Apostle whom Jesus loves. In resemblance to his teacher who is in the person of Jesus Christ, Simon Peter’s life is a testament that the ultimate expression of love is the sacrifice of one’s own life for the benefit of the one he loves. As for the Apostle whom Jesus loves, John devoted his long life in proclamation of the love of the Heavenly Father through His only Begotten Son. Be that as it may, both disciples served as instruments in spreading the Good News as they lived in faithful accordance to the will of the Father. As recorded history would have it, it is for certain that Simon Peter worked in Rome at the latter his of his earthly life. It was there where he suffered and died as a martyr for being a believer of Jesus Christ (Niswonger, 1992). The death of Simon Peter establishes the historical basis of the Bishops of Rome’s assertion to his apostolic leadership. It was because of his bluntness that he unavoidably found himself in serious disagreement with Jewish powers that be. He had been placed under arrest twice as ordered by the high priests. It has been said that by some miracle he had been unchained from prison and surprised his fellow disciples by unexpectedly arriving on the scene before them. He then spread the Good News in Lydda and Joppa (Ruffin, 1998). In Caesarea, he came to know Cornelius and eventually convinced a Gentile to embrace the Catholic faith (Ruffin, 1998). Having recognized that the Gentiles’ maximum support is crucial for the sect, he facilitated in forming the early guiding principle towards them. As a result of such distinction he was elected Bishop of the See of Antioch (Ruffin, 1998). The idea that Paul was martyred at the time of Nero’s rule is firmly established on the writings of Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria as well as St. Irenaeus (Ruffin, 1998). The epistles he wrote are for those people from Asia Minor who chose to be converted and embraced Christianity. The First Epistle is full of concerns regarding shared kindness, charity, and meekness. Generally, it communicates the Christian duties expected to be practiced at all times. Towards the end, he offers good wishes from the church at Babylon. This is acknowledged as another proof that Paul wrote the letter in Rome, which was then referred to as Babylon (Ruffin, 1998). The Second Epistle cautions against wrong beliefs, tells about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and concludes with a brilliant doxology as it states that the faithful must grow in the love of God for He alone deserves the glory now and forever. The Apostle whom Jesus loves is regarded as the writer of one of the Gospels, the Book of Revelation as well as the Epistles (Ruffin, 1998). It is believed that he spent some time in Patmos though the exact length of his stay has not been recorded. Emperor Domitian of Rome believed that he had been able to silence the affectionate elder (Ruffin, 1998). However, the Emperor’s efforts cannot hinder the plan of the Heavenly Father to allow John to write a book which would form an integral part of the sacred scripture. The book of Revelation conveys the supreme victory over the power of evil by Jesus Christ as God the Savior (Life Application Study Bible NIV, 2005). When all else fails, it is a wonderful encouragement to be know that great things will come to put an end to the sorrows of life on earth. The assurance that in the end, God will reign supreme provides the utmost relief to the soul. The Revelation best concludes the sacred scripture as it imparts the promise of life eternal for those who believe. Old age did not allow John to conduct ministries as he used to. Instead, he sought the help of his brethren to transport him to places where he could spread the Good News (Ruffin, 1998). He has always said that children must love their brothers and sisters (Ruffin, 1998). It was the message he usually imparted. In this light, it forms the greatest expression of his Christian mission. By spreading the word of God, he allowed himself to be filled with the love of his Master, Jesus Christ and taught the faithful the way to salvation.