The Apostles did not from the beginning believe one and the same thing. That much is certain. They do not lie when they make that obvious in their writngs. We all grow in faith, and the Apostles were no different in that regard. Their faith was not "downloaded" complete and indexed as St. Pauls seems to claim. GThey did not really have a clear concept of just who Jesus, and their faith was not exactly rock-solid until much later.
I'm sure John's theology grew, as it does with all of us, but I maintain that his original oral teachings were consistent with his later writings
If they were, they are nothing like the teachings of others.
Your Church could have been wrong on several things, as well as other churches. Perhaps the Church that was closest to being right was stamped out by a more powerful one
Then what you believe as far as the Holy Trinity, Christology and the Bible are concerned is posisbly wrong.
Trouble is, there is no record of any other "church." As early as 105 +Ignatius speaks of the "catholic Church." All other "churches" in those days differed from the catholic Church in that their disputed or denied one or more aspects of the Holy Trinity, Christology, and scriptre (e.g. Marcion).
But I thought that you all thought everything was sealed up at Pentecost, when you say your Church was born. Was your Church born in error? Or, when did your branch of God's Church start being "rock-solid"?
FK: I'm sure John's theology grew, as it does with all of us, but I maintain that his original oral teachings were consistent with his later writings.
If they were, they are nothing like the teachings of others.
Different intentions call for different tone and content. God wanted the book of John to be different in the style of its teaching, so it was. John doesn't contradict anything in the Synoptics.