John and the Robber

At this time the very one whom Jesus loved, John, apostle and evangelist alike, was still alive in Asia and governed the churches there, having returned from his exile on the island after Domitian’s death. That he was still alive up to this time, it is enough to establish by the word of two witnesses; and they should be trustworthy, as champions of the Church’s orthodoxy, if Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria are indeed such. [a] The first of these writes, word for word, in the second book of his work Against Heresies: “And all the elders who met with John, the disciple of the Lord, in Asia testify that John handed this down to them; for he remained with them until the times of Trajan.” [b] And in the third book of the same work he shows the same thing in these words: “But the church in Ephesus too, founded by Paul, with John remaining among them until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.” [c]

Clement, while marking the time, also adds a story most needful for those who love to hear what is noble and profitable, in the work he entitled Who Is the Rich Man That Is Saved? Take and read what he writes, which runs as follows: [d] “Listen to a story, not a made-up story but a true account, handed down and kept in memory, about John the apostle. When the tyrant was dead and he had come back from the island of Patmos to Ephesus, he would travel, when invited, to the neighboring territories of the nations too: in one place to appoint bishops, in another to set whole churches in order, in another to assign a lot to some one man of those whom the Spirit had indicated. [e] He came to one of the cities not far off, whose name some even give, and after refreshing the brothers in other matters, he looked at last at the bishop who had been appointed, and, seeing a young man of powerful build, handsome and full of fire, he said, ‘This man I entrust to you with all earnestness, with the church and Christ as witnesses.’ When the bishop had accepted him and promised everything, John gave the same charge and the same solemn testimony over again. Then he set out for Ephesus.

The elder took home the young man entrusted to him, brought him up, kept him, cherished him, and finally baptized him. After that he relaxed his greater care and watchfulness, thinking that he had set on him the perfect safeguard, the seal of the Lord. [g] But some young men of his own age, idle, dissolute and practiced in evil, attached themselves to him now that he had gained his freedom too early, and corrupted him. First they drew him in with expensive dinners; then they took him along at night when they went out to rob people of their clothes; then they wanted him to join them in something bigger. Little by little he grew used to it, and because of the greatness of his nature, once he had left the straight road, like a strong horse with a hard mouth that has taken the bit in its teeth, he rushed all the harder down into the depths. Having given up entirely on salvation in God, he no longer planned anything small, but, since he was lost once and for all, he resolved to commit some great crime and suffer the same as the rest. He took these same men, formed a band of robbers, and became their ready captain, the most violent, the bloodiest, the cruelest of them all.

Time passed, some need arose, and they called John back. When he had settled the other matters he had come for, he said, ‘Come now, bishop, give us back the deposit which Christ and I entrusted to you, with the church over which you preside as witness.’ At first the bishop was dumbfounded, thinking he was being falsely charged about money he had never received; he could neither believe a claim about what he did not have, nor disbelieve John. But when John said, ‘I am asking for the young man, and for the brother’s soul,’ the old man groaned deeply, burst into tears, and said, ‘He is dead.’ ‘How? What kind of death?’ ‘He is dead to God,’ he said. ‘He turned out wicked and ruined, and, worst of all, a robber; and now, instead of the church, he has taken over the mountain with a band like himself.’ The apostle tore his clothes, struck his head with loud wailing, and said, ‘A fine guard I left for the brother’s soul! But let a horse be brought me now, and let someone show me the way.’ He rode off just as he was, straight from the church. When he came to the place, he was seized by the robbers’ lookout. He neither ran nor pleaded, but shouted, ‘This is what I have come for. Take me to your captain.’

The captain was waiting, armed as he was; but when he recognized John coming toward him, he turned in shame to run. John went after him with all his might, forgetting his age, calling out, ‘Why are you running from me, child, from your own father, unarmed and old? Pity me, child; do not be afraid. You still have hope of life. I will give an account to Christ for you. If need be, I will gladly suffer your death, as the Lord suffered death for us. For you I will give my own life in exchange. Stand still; believe; Christ has sent me.’ When he heard this, he first stood still, looking at the ground; then he threw down his weapons; then he trembled and wept bitterly. When the old man came up, he threw his arms around him, pleading for himself with groans as well as he could, and was baptized a second time with his tears, hiding only his right hand. John gave his pledge and swore to him that forgiveness had been found for him with the Savior. He begged him, fell on his knees, kissed that very right hand as now cleansed by repentance, and led him back to the church. There he interceded for him with abundant prayers, struggled alongside him in continual fasting, and charmed his mind with every kind of spellbinding word; and he did not leave, so they say, until he had restored him to the church, giving a great example of true repentance and a great token of new birth, a trophy of a resurrection that could be seen.” [h]