The Gospel of John held a cherished place in the minds and hearts of early Christian interpreters. It was for them, the “spiritual gospel,”1 or in the words of Origen of Alexandria, “the firstfruits of the gospels.” While scholars today debate its origins and authorship,2 early Christians were unanimous in attributing it to the apostle John, the “beloved disciple” of the gospel itself. Reclining “close to the breast of Jesus” (John 13:23, 25), John had deeply imbibed the rich