About the Book

Book: The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus

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! --- not on amazon yet.

About the Author

Kurt is a Christian and a member of a vibrant Christian church on the Big Island of Hawaii. He also loves to write. In addition to all the usual temptations writers face, Kurt has to fight off the lure of beautiful beaches, pounding surf, great weather, and lush golf courses. Can you imagine?

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.

Author Interview with Kurt

Q: What was the inspiration behind the novel?

Kurt: It all started one morning 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? Frankly I got a little obsessive about John, the man who became the last disciple. That morning something else hit me--John outlived all the others to become the last disciple. I couldn't stop thinking about how lonely it must have been to be the last one standing. A few years later, I began writing The Last Disciple Series of Christian historical novels about the life of John.

Q: How long did it take you to write this novel?

Kurt: About eight months

Q: Do any of the novel’s characters hold a special place in your heart?

Kurt: I'm a bit obsessed with John, the last disciple.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this novel?

Kurt: One of my readers expressed precisely what I'm trying to do on a survey on my website. The reader wrote, 'I hunger to learn more of the Bible and the interpretation of scripture as it relates to historical significance and current application.' That's what I'm writing to accomplish.

Q: Who is an author you would recommend to anyone and everyone?

Kurt: John

Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your novel?

Kurt: I hope readers will stay in touch with me by signing up for a free subscription to my website. Go to the link below to join. It’s free. When you do, you'll receive an email link to instantly download a free eighteen-page ebook: John’s Journey with Jesus. Click this link to get your free subscription: KurtBrouwer.com.