Jesus had told Peter that he would be martyred. Peter had asked about John, would he be martyred as well. Jesus basically told Peter to mind his own business: “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.” But some of the disciples mistook this to mean that John wouldn’t die. John sets the record straight here. The Church is not immune from mistakes, misunderstandings and false traditions. Some of them include the ideas that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and that the Lord will never give us more than we can handle. These things are not in the Bible, but they are passed around among Christians as if they were. It’s important for us to not assume these things are true. We check them against the Word of God and accept that as our truth.
The Bible is our ultimate source of truth, and we should measure everything else against it. People will make mistakes, in sermons, in devotionals, and in conversation. Check what you hear and read against what God tells us in the Bible. Become familiar with His Word, so you will know the truth.
Commit today to spend more time in the Word. Read it prayerfully, asking the Lord to help you understand what you read and how it applies to you.