About the Book
Author: Kurt Brouwer
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: March 15, 2024
He awoke jailed in squalor…
Would he complete his final mission?
Or would he fail to record the story only he could tell?
The epic saga of the Last Disciple continues in this captivating Christian historical novel from Kurt Brouwer.
After surviving imprisonment, John faces his greatest challenge–exile in the distant city of Ephesus. Struggling with grief and despair over the destruction of Jerusalem, John doubts his ability to complete the mission entrusted to him by Mary—to write the true gospel account of Christ’s life.
But in Ephesus, John finds unexpected allies—Timothy, Priscilla, and Tychicus, who share his passion for spreading the message of God’s love.
As John shares the good news of Jesus, he makes dangerous enemies, including the influential high priest, Alexander Cosmo, who will stop at nothing to suppress the growing Christian faith.
Amid opposition from without and internal divisions from within the early church, John must contend with those pressuring believers to adopt Jewish law and compromise the radical teachings of Christ.
When tragedy strikes those close to him, can John’s fragile hope be rekindled? Will he finally show the world all the signs, miracles, and events he witnessed on his journey with Jesus?
Don’t miss this page-turning story of faith, courage, and love.
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
This novel is a good continuation of a fictional later life of the disciple John. I like how Brouwer weaves into the story actual historical events, such as the fall of Jerusalem. Included in the novel are also a number of insights into the early church, such as the meeting of believers for worship and instruction and the confrontation of heresy. He puts a human aspect on controversies like eating meat dedicated to idols. Guilds reflected pagan worship and Christians would face not being able to work if they maintained their Christian beliefs. My favorite part of this novel was John saying or hearing snippets of what would become his gospel.
This is an entertaining novel that provides an interesting possibility of the kind of life and ministry John had in the years following the death and resurrection of Jesus. Brouwer has done a great deal of research to provide readers with a realistic fictional account of the later life of John.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
This is the third book in this series. You can read my reviews of the earlier books: Crisis in Jerusalem and Escape to Antioch.
About the Author
Despite those temptations, he writes The Last Disciple series of Christian historical novels and he regularly writes blog posts.
A few years ago Kurt did a study for his church on the Apostle John. That little project got him hooked on the man who started out life as a fisherman and then became the last disciple of Christ. The more Kurt learned about John, the more he wanted to know.
If you’ve ever been obsessed by anything, you’ll understand that he couldn’t stop researching the life of John and all those around him. And the result of all that research is:
The Last Disciple Series
The Last Disciple is a series of Christian novels based on the Bible and Christian history. The first in the series: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem, begins in the year 62 AD. In it, you walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem. See how he faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean only on the Lord.
This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, with two more books planned. Kurt is now writing the fourth book, The Last Disciple: Gospel of John.
More from Kurt
It all started one day when I learned that the Gospel of John was published fifty years after Jesus died. Fifty years! What did John do all that time? Where did he live? Why did he wait?
But wait, there’s more. On the Cross, Jesus placed his own mother under John’s protection. How long did John take care of her? Where did they live?
I think you can tell I got a little obsessive about this man, who outlived all the others to become the last disciple.
In fact, that very phrase, the last disciple, came to me early one morning when I was reading about John and Peter going to Samaria in Acts 8. John lived so long that he outlived all the others and became the last disciple.
The Youngest Disciple
What do we know about John? He walked with Jesus when he was very young, probably a teenager or very early 20s. He and Andrew were the first disciples of Christ. Before that, they both followed John the Baptist.
Anyone who reads the New Testament would know John as:
- The son of Zebedee, his father, and Salome, his mother
- Brother to the disciple James
- A fisherman on the Sea of Galilee
- He and his brother James were friends and even fishing buddies with Peter and his brother Andrew
- Youngest of the 12 disciples.
- Author of five books of the Bible:
- The Gospel of John 80-90 AD
- The Letters or Epistles of John 90-95 AD
- The Book of Revelation 95-98 AD
But after the mention in Acts 8, that’s it for John. Radio silence for nearly 50 years. Why did it take him so long to write the Gospel of John? And that is the very question I seek to answer in The Last Disciple Series.
The Last Disciple Series
The Last Disciple is a series of Christian novels based on the Bible and Christian history. The first in the series: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem, begins in the year 62 AD. In it, you walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem. See how he faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean only on the Lord.
This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, following The Last Disciple: Escape to Antioch and The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem.
I’m now writing the fourth book, The Last Disciple: Gospel of John.
Blog Stops
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 2
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 3 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 4
Texas Book-aholic, March 5
Beauty in the Binding, March 6 (Author Interview)
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 7
She Lives To Read, March 8
For the Love of Literature, March 9 (Author Interview)
Exploring the written word, March 9
Blogging With Carol, March 10
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 11
By The Book, March 12 (Author Interview)
Cover Lover Book Review, March 13
Lights in a Dark World, March 14
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 15 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, March 15
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
2 comments:
This looks awesome! Thanks for hosting.
Thank you for sharing your review of The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus, this sounds like an excellent book and series that I am looking forward to reading
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