“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
My Notes
What Does Revelation 1:9 Mean?
John introduces himself and his circumstances: I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I John — the personal identification. The author names himself — not with titles but with his name alone. Like James calling himself a servant rather than a brother of Jesus, John's self-identification is marked by simplicity.
Who also am your brother (adelphos — sibling, family member) — John is family. The apostle who reclined on Jesus's breast (John 13:23), who was at the cross (John 19:26), who outran Peter to the empty tomb (John 20:4) — calls himself your brother. Not your apostle. Not your authority. Your brother. The shared identity precedes the unique vocation.
Companion (sunkoinonos — co-sharer, fellow-participant) in tribulation — John shares the suffering the recipients experience. He is not writing from comfort to those in difficulty. He is a companion in tribulation — experiencing the same pressures, the same persecutions, the same costs of faithfulness.
In the kingdom and patience (hupomone — endurance, steadfast perseverance under pressure) of Jesus Christ — three shared realities: tribulation, kingdom, and patience. The tribulation is the present experience. The kingdom is the present-and-future reality. The patience is the virtue that connects the two — enduring the tribulation while living in the kingdom. The three belong together: you cannot have the kingdom without the tribulation, and you cannot survive the tribulation without the patience.
Was in the isle that is called Patmos — Patmos is a small, rocky island in the Aegean Sea, used by Rome as a place of exile for political prisoners. John's presence there is not a vacation. It is banishment — the consequence of his faithfulness.
For the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ — the reason for the exile: the word and the testimony. John is on Patmos because of what he spoke and what he witnessed. The preaching of God's word and the testimony about Jesus Christ produced the exile. The cause of the suffering is the same as the content of the book he is about to write.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Why does John introduce himself as 'brother' and 'companion in tribulation' rather than with his apostolic authority?
- 2.How do tribulation, kingdom, and patience function as three inseparable aspects of the Christian experience?
- 3.What does John being exiled 'for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus' reveal about the cost of faithfulness?
- 4.How does God giving the Revelation to a man in exile encourage you in your own difficult circumstances?
Devotional
I John, who also am your brother. Brother. The last surviving apostle — the one who saw everything, who was there from the beginning to the end of Jesus's earthly ministry — introduces himself as your brother. Not your superior. Not your apostle. Your family. The relationship he claims is the one that puts him on equal footing with every believer who reads his letter.
Companion in tribulation. John is not writing from comfort. He is exiled — banished to a rocky island in the Aegean, separated from everyone he loves, punished for speaking the truth. The tribulation he describes is the tribulation he shares. He is not offering advice from safety. He is offering revelation from exile.
In the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Three shared experiences: tribulation (the present suffering), kingdom (the present reality of Christ's reign), and patience (the endurance that connects the suffering to the reign). You cannot separate the three. The kingdom does not eliminate the tribulation. The patience makes the tribulation survivable. And the tribulation, endured with patience, is how you live in the kingdom now.
Was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Patmos. A prison island. And the crime: preaching God's word and testifying about Jesus. The exile is the consequence of faithfulness. The rocky island is the price of the testimony. And on that island — in that exile, in that tribulation, in that patience — God gives John the most comprehensive revelation in Scripture.
The Revelation comes to a man in exile. Not a man in a cathedral. Not a man in comfort. A man on a prison island — banished for the word and the testimony. The visions of heaven are given to someone in the worst circumstances on earth. The glory is revealed to the suffering. The kingdom is unveiled to the exiled.
Wherever you are — whatever exile, whatever tribulation, whatever island your faithfulness has landed you on — the God who gave Revelation to John on Patmos gives revelation to you in your exile. The island is not the obstacle to seeing God's glory. It may be the venue.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
I, John, who also am your brother,.... Here begins the narrative of the visions and prophecies of this book, the former…
I John, who also am your brother - Your Christian brother; who am a fellow-Christian with you. The reference here is…
Your brother - A Christian, begotten of God, and incorporated in the heavenly family.
Companion in tribulation -…
We have now come to that glorious vision which the apostle had of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he came to deliver this…
I John, who &c. Better and more simply, 1 John your brother and partaker with you (for the condescending choice of…
Cross References
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