亦称传福音的圣约翰（St. John the Evangelist）或圣者约翰（St. John the Divine） 活动时期西元1世纪 耶稣的十二位使徒之一，传统上认为是《新约》中第四部〈福音书〉和〈使徒行传〉的作者。〈启示录〉传统上也认为是他的作品。其父是渔夫西庇太，约翰与兄弟雅各（参阅James, Saint）同属最早蒙耶稣召唤的诸门徒之列，耶稣复活后约翰在早期教会占一重要地位。约翰以后经历不详。据说他死后葬在以弗所，他的墓地成为朝圣地。〈约翰福音〉与其他三部〈福音书〉不同处是，它表达了成熟的神学观点，可与圣保罗的书信媲美。在一篇序言中他以文字确认上帝（参阅logos）后，他提出了从耶稣生平和圣职人员选出的一些事件。他的神学主题分析如∶伟大的上帝之子，对基督教教义的发展产生重大的影响。 or St. John the Divine One of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus, traditionally credited with writing the fourth Gospel and three New Testament epistles. The Book of Revelation was also traditionally assigned to him. His father was a Galilean fisherman. John and his brother James (see St. James) were among the first disciples called by Jesus, and John appears to have held a position of authority in the early church after the resurrection. Later accounts of his life are based on legend. He is said to have died in Ephesus, and his tomb became a site of pilgrimage. John's Gospel, unlike the other three, presents a well-developed theological point of view, on a level with the letters of St. Paul. After a prologue in which he identifies God with the Word (logos), he offers selected episodes from Jesus' life and ministry. His explications of theological issues such as the significance of the Son of God greatly influenced the development of Christian doctrine.
