John the Beloved: How the Son of Thunder Became the Apostle of Love

by Darryl DelHousaye

John the Apostle has become known as the Apostle of Love, writing more about love than all the other New Testament writers combined. He wasn't always viewed with such reverence, however. Long before he became "the disciple whom Jesus loved," his consuming temper earned him the nickname "Son of Thunder." In John the Beloved, Dr. Darryl DelHousaye presents some of his observations gleaned from a lifelong fascination with this enigmatic and revered apostle. At the foundation of John's remarkable transformation lies the simple truth of the Gospel of Jesus, as expressed by John in his last years of "My little children, love one another... if this is done, it is all-sufficient."

74 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2016

Reviews

[Joseph]

I think I was expecting a this to be a fully-fledged biography rather than a fairly short overview of the apostle John. Hence, 4 stars instead of 5. It was nice to see some citations from early church fathers and historical assumptions; it paints a fuller picture of how the early church viewed John.

If you want a bite-sized primer, this is the book for you. If you want something more in-depth, look elsewhere.

[John Bryant]

I was skeptical: Is there really enough information about John to write a book?

I was happy to find a short book full of insight, focused on the truths that transformed John from a son of thunder to the Apostle of love. No fluff or lengthy prose. Just appreciation for the miracle of love and grace applied to a man by walking with Christ. Jesus looks at each of us and sees us as we will become, not merely as we are. John is an encouraging example for us and Pastor DelHousaye's book proves the apostle's own theme: If we love one another as Christ commanded, it will be sufficient. Thank you, Pastor DelHousaye!

[Gary McCallister]

I suppose this is not a “great book”. But I was intrigued with the long life and destiny of the longest lived disciple of Christ. There is much that needs to be surmised, but it seems to me that this humble man served his God more than he served the church. I happen to believe that is what it is supposed to be about.

[Jeffrey]

This is a short and very readable biography of John the apostle, about 70 pages long.

Originally, this was a master’s thesis of the author, and a colleague of the author re-wrote it to make it more readable for the layperson.

The book draws on sources from the New Testament as well as from other early church historians, such as Josephus, and these are cited in the text.

[Antony Dayal]

Thunder becomes love

This book is well written and tells the story of the transformation of an angry young man into a wise loving teacher. It shows how Jesus moulded John and then how John passed this on through his own Ministry. John's take on Jesus's mission boils down to his call to love one another. No complex theology or Christology required, simply love one another.

[Reva Parks]

Darryl DelHousaye … John the Beloved

Great explanation of how discipleship to Jesus changed the young John from Son of Thunder to the Beloved Disciple . Then how his humility led to his writings after Peter and Paul’s being martyred, giving us the Gospel of love!

[John Devlin]

A nice primer on the Apostle John. Fluent, approachable, and written with a strong message.

[Ezekiel Rehn]

Good 1st book on John the apostle

This is a good first book on John
Baptist! Gives you the basics and good starting foundation.
Worth it! To learn...

[Alice M. Hall]

John the Beloved

I really enjoyed this brief but interesting overview of the life of John, the Apostle. He was a remarkable man who may have been the closest friend to Jesus throughout His ministry on earth. I was impacted by how Jesus influenced John’s life in such significant ways that he was a different man at the end of his life than he was at the beginning!