[11] After a synod at the monastery and a meeting at Tikrit concluded in favour of the restoration of the union, John returned to Athanasius with Christopher and the bishops George of Sinjar, Daniel of Banuhadra, Gregory of Baremman, and Yardafne of Shahrzoul, and the monks Marutha, Ith Alaha, and Aha.
[12] Soon after his ascension to the patriarchal office, John witnessed the fall of Roman Syria and the Muslim conquest of the Levant.
[16] In the disputation, John was made to speak on behalf of all Christians, and was praised for his performance by Chalcedonians who attended the debate.
[18] The emir had initially demanded that mentions of the name of Christ, the baptism, and the Cross be removed from the translation, but relented following John's refusal.
[18] In addition to this, John produced a thirty-nine page plerophoria (confession of faith) for the chorepiscopus Theodore, in which he provided a history of the Julianist sect and its leaders, and a christological treatise against the Chalcedonians and Nestorians.