The Christology in the Prayers of St. John the Apostle as Contained in the ‘Acts of John Written by Prochorus’ and Its Relationship to the Teachings of the Council of Nicaea (325)

Abstract

This article examines the reception of the teachings of the First Council of Nicaea (325) within a significant work of ancient literature central to the religious tradition of Patmos - the island where St. John the Apostle was exiled by Roman authorities. The work in question, classified as apocryphal literature, is commonly known as The Travels of St. John the Theologian Written by Prochorus. It is most frequently dated to the period shortly after the aforementioned Council. This study focuses on the prayers of St. John contained in this work, as presented both in the critical edition by Th. Zahn and in the manuscript housed in the Library of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian in Chora, Patmos. The analyses reveal that these prayers explicitly affirm belief in Christ’s divinity and His consubstantiality with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This indicates full alignment with the Christological teachings of the Council, although it does not necessarily imply direct dependence on its formulations. The prayers suggest that the work emerged from a milieu where the Nicene definition of Christology was accepted unequivocally.