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Glite Dictionary
Saint John the Apostle

Saint John the Apostle

7.7
A follower of Jesus who people believe wrote the Gospel of John, three letters, and Revelation
  • proper noun
translation icon : San Juan el Apóstol
  • Many consider Saint John the Apostle to be the author of the Book of Revelation.

Examples

  • The writings attributed to Saint John the Apostle are central to Christian theology.

  • A stained glass window in the church depicts Saint John the Apostle holding a scroll.

  • Many people revere Saint John the Apostle for his teachings.

  • Did Saint John the Apostle really write the Book of Revelation?

  • Many consider Saint John the Apostle to be the author of the Book of Revelation.

  • A stained glass window in the church depicts Saint John the Apostle holding a scroll.

  • The writings attributed to Saint John the Apostle are central to Christian theology.

Synonyms

John
vsSaint John the Apostle
∞ 1.0

One of Jesus's twelve followers who is said to have written the Gospel of John and other New Testament books

is the formal saintly title rather than the bare personal name
St. John
vsSaint John the Apostle
1 6.8

One of Jesus' twelve apostles who is thought to have written the fourth Gospel and Revelation

is the full formal name rather than the abbreviated title
John the Divine
vsSaint John the Apostle
1 8.5

A name for the Christian leader John believed to have written the fourth Gospel, three letters, and Revelation

is the general apostolic name not the theological honorific
St. John the Apostle
vsSaint John the Apostle
8.2

One of the twelve first followers of Jesus who is said to have written parts of the New Testament

is the standard canonical name used in the description
Saint John
vsSaint John the Apostle
6.0

One of Jesus's disciples in the New Testament believed to have written the Gospel and Revelation

is the specific apostle identity rather than only a saintly label
John the Evangelist
vsSaint John the Apostle
8.8

One of Jesus's followers long thought to have written the Gospel of John, three letters, and Revelation

is the broader apostle name not limited to authorship title

Surface Forms

Saint John the Apostle main

Morphology

saint + John + the + Apostle

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Saint' (a holy person) + 'John' (a personal name) + 'the Apostle' (a disciple chosen by Jesus) yields the meaning of a holy figure named John who is one of the apostles. This is not idiomatic or metaphorical and follows a cross-linguistically common naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Saint John the Apostle is John from the Bible who was one of Jesus' twelve followers and later called a saint. He is called the Apostle because he was sent out to teach, and people long believed he 'wrote' the Gospel of John, three letters, and the Book of Revelation, so churches often show him holding a scroll to mean his 'writings'.