While the gospel of john does not specifically identify its author, and the disciple whom jesus loved is nowhere explicitly named in scripture, the early christians universally recognize john as the author of the gospel and the disciple whom jesus loved. Then much later in the book, chapter 18, verse 15, after jesus is. It written for a diverse audience who were expelled from synagogues after the roman revolt. This theory leads to the authorship being to someone who was a witness, but also a third party when it pertains to some of the accounts. Good points on the contrast between peter and the beloved disciple. Identify at least four differences and four similarities between johns gospel and the synoptics. The identity of the beloved disciple or the one john calls disciple whom jesus loved is unnamed and has remained a mystery. We read about several johns in the new testament, including john the baptist and john the apostle, the son of zebedee. The gospel of john refers five times to the disciple whom jesus loved. He leaves them out because he feels that the audience should already know who they are from reading earlier passages in the bible. Its been a while since i read it but it was an interesting take. Joseph of arimathea scholars believe that this man was a member of the sanhedrin, a court assembly of ancient israel.
Identifying the disciple whom jesus loved community in mission. Aug 02, 2016 there are various passages in the book of john pointing to an unnamed disciple whom jesus loved. The mystery of the beloved disciple national catholic register. The identity of the beloved disciple reformologist. It is the astonishing fact that the fourth gospel never mentions the apostle john from beginning to end. The beloved disciple has also been identified with lazarus of bethany, based on john 11.
It is about the identity of the author, or at least the source of the fourth gospel, the gospel of john. The gospel commonly called the gospel according to john has for long centuries of church tradition been attributed to john, the brother of james and son of zebedee, one of the twelve apostles. Scholars still debate about the identity of the mysterious beloved disciple. The two men rush to the empty tomb and the beloved disciple is the first to reach the empty tomb. I particularly like your comparison with mary and martha. The beloved disciple leader kit is no longer in print. John the apostle was the son of zebedee and the younger brother of james, son of zebedee james the greater. However it is universally accepted by biblical scholars both ancient and modern, by the church fathers as well that this beloved disciple is in fact the apostle john himself who writes the gospel.
In these scenes the beloved disciple stands in contrast to simon peter, who. Having been with jesus all the years of his ministry, john witnessed more miracles than he could count, saw more displays of power than he could comprehend, and experienced more love than he could fathom. The community of the beloved disciple by raymond e. This theory also identifies the son of zebedee as the author of the gospel of john.
As to the identity of the beloved disciple, ill wait for you to reveal since i have the inside scoop im currently reading bauckmans the testimony of the beloved disciple. Johns gospel claims to be based on the testimony of someone called the beloved disciple 19. Thank you for trusting lifeway with your bible study needs. Professor eric huntsman of brigham young university has released a new book exploring how the characters in the gospel of john serve as represe.
Scholars have debated the authorship of johannine literature the gospel of john, epistles of john, and the book of revelation since at least the third century, but especially since the enlightenment. Coming unto christ through the gospel of john springville, ut. The bridegrooms love is unmatched and inexhaustible, and he is waiting to lavish it on you, his beloved. To make this claim and maintain consistency with scripture, the theory is suggested that marys separate existence in the two common scenes with the beloved disciple jn 19. Scholars in the twentieth century have tended to doubt. We would then have seven appearances of the beloved disciple in the gospel. Cant wait for you to divulge who the loved disciple might have been bart. From introduction to the gospel according to saint john vol. Therefore that disciple whom jesus loved said to peter, it is the lord. According to church tradition, their mother was salome he was first a disciple of john the baptist. He has written many other books such as god makes me laugh. Later at the crucifixion, jesus tells his mother, woman, here is your son, and to the beloved disciple he says, here is your mother. I find beth moore irritating, but i keep reading her stuff because sometimes its really good despite her being really annoying.
Many early christian writers thought he was john the son of zebedee, although many recent scholars conclude that the beloved disciples identity remains unknown. He claims that following the death of the beloved disciple the elder composed the epistles iv. The most common identification of this character is drawn from an early tradition, which holds that the beloved disciple was an actual individual known as john, the son of zebedee, a disciple of jesus. The samaritan woman at the well, the woman taken in adulteryforgiven, healed and renewed by jesus, these too are the beloved disciple. It isnt the type of book that a galilean fisherman like john, whose native language. When he and peter race to the tomb after jesus resurrection, he wins. Perhaps like no other disciple, john understood that relationship.
The life and ministry of john leader guide by beth moore provides the stepbystep guidance for a leader to facilitate this 10week womens bible study. Schonfield says that this priest was a secret disciple of jesus who was also well enough acquainted with top jewish officials to be able to gain admittance to the interrogations of jesus. Peter, however, is the first to go inside and doesnt understand. This book shows the heart of jesus, by helping you address your own issues as you identify with john, the beloved disciple. The life and ministry of john by beth moore provides a personal study experience five days a week plus viewer guides for the group video sessions of this indepth womens bible study. The elusive contexts of the johannine literature bible. Regardless of who you think the beloved disciple was, its worth taking a closer look. However, upon closer study, there is another follower of jesus that is a stronger candidate that you have likely not considered. The gospel does not identify this disciple by name.
The beloved disciple attests to the full humanity and death of jesus. One reason given is the supposed evidence of late authorship, 100 ad or even later. Note that each of them required some additional designation to distinguish them. Beth explores the life of the apostle john who had the godgiven gift of seeing a larger picture. If you have further questions, please call customer service 7. Po box 885, lockport, il 60441 the disciple whom jesus. Peters threefold affirmation of his love for jesus restores his relationship with jesus. Nicodemus who comes to the lord by night seeking meaning in his life, he is the beloved disciple. Despite the fact john does not self identify nor names himself as the writer of the gospel of john or the beloved disciple, we have relied on tradition and church history. Seeing jesus through the eyes of the beloved disciple was breathtaking. While church tradition has attributed the gospel of john, the letters of john, and the book of revelation to the same authorjohn the apostle and son of zebedeeinternal and external evidence may require us to attribute them to other individuals who may or may not have also been named john. His book posits lazarus as the beloved disciple as well and identifies him as the head of a jerusalem based group of disciples with mary magdalenelazarus sister mary iirc. Scholars, such as raymond brown, have written heavily upon john as the one whom jesus loved. The gospel of john was composed around between 90 and 100 ad in ephesus or presentday turkey.
However we take the setting, the impetus of the chapter is the restoration of peter and the contrast of peters future with that of the disciple whom jesus loved john 21. The beloved disciple is an anonymous figure in the gospel of john who. Although not explicitly identified as the disciple whom jesus loved, many. As the other disciples were martyred one by one, john remained to w. It isn t the type of book that a galilean fisherman like john, whose native language. John the apostle must have thought he had seen everything.
Since the writer of the gospel is said to be the beloved disciple, who bore witness to what he testified, and since the beloved disciple is shown to have been present at the crucifixion of jesus, it is believed that the reference is to the beloved disciple. John, the beloved disciple compare and contrast the synoptic gospels to johns gospel. Rather, he used various terms like the disciple whom jesus loved, the other disciple, etc. Though not directly stated, we know that john was called the beloved disciple, or the disciple whom jesus loved john 21. Mar 07, 2020 peter is turning to the beloved disciple to find out the identity of the betrayer, or later on, the empty tomb. Traditionally, the beloved disciple is identified as the apostle john, the son of zebedee. John is traditionally believed to be one of two disciples the other being andrew recounted in john 1. The gospel of john provides no explicit internal evidence concerning its author. The purpose of the gospel is to tell the transfiguration story, the raising of jairuss daughter, and jesuss public life. They were singing a song that only they could learn. The bible singles out one disciple of jesus as the one whom jesus loved and the book the disciple whom jesus loved takes a closer look at what scripture tells us about this beloved disciple and the special role he played in the life of jesus. From the second through the present century, scholars have sought to identify this. I took up the community of the beloved disciple for a graduatelevel new testament course, and though it should be accessible to any serious student of the bible, the highly academic presentation could prove to be somewhat dry. The gospel of john was probably completed around 90 c.
Beloved disciple encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Traditionally, john the gospel writer was the disciple whom jesus loved. Dec 15, 2018 eric huntsman, becoming the beloved disciple. May 26, 2010 the beloved disciple is never directly named and john appears in several verses with the beloved disciple, so scholars have hypothesized that the beloved disciple represents any and all who respond to the gospel message and believe. The secret identity of the beloved disciple paperback october 1, 1991 by joseph a. Identifying the disciple whom jesus loved community in. A note from beth moore every disciple and early follower of christ left a legacy for future believers. A better bible study method, book one chapter 3 was john the beloved disciple. Therefore, the beloved disciple could very well be different persons with different accounts.
We find all of the references to the disciple whom jesus loved in the book of john john. We get the vast majority of our information about john from the pages of the four gospels. But the fourth gospel might provide us with clues concealed in the enigmatic figure of the beloved disciple. Grassi, and i probably first read it about ten years ago. The testimony of scripture regarding john there is no evidence john ever claimed to be the author of the fourth gospel, so the fact it came to bear his name was not his fault. I recently reread the secret identity of the beloved disciple. Narrative, history, and theology in the gospel of john ebook 9781441200792 by richard bauckham. Either way, we now get back to the fact that no one is a disciple whom jesus did not love. The earliest writers to attest 2 johnirenaeus, and clement of alexandria identify the beloved disciple and the elder as one in the same person. Its quite obvious that if we identify the disciple whom jesus loved, then we have revealed the books author. John the apostle is traditionally identified as the beloved disciple or the disciple whom jesus loved based on the use of the phrases five times in the gospel of john, which he presumably wrote. The beloved disciple in relation to peter yeshua in context. While the gospel of john does not specifically identify its author, and the disciple whom jesus loved is nowhere explicitly named in scripture, the early christians universally recognize john as. Did the blessed mother know she was free from original sin.
In johns appearances in the book of acts, he is portrayed as a strong, steady. While scholars still debate the identity of the beloved disciple, if he were the. It was customary for writers at the time to write in third person to disguise their identity. Other scholars have variously identified the beloved disciple as lazarus john 11. But this contradicts the earliest christian memories. The beloved disciple simply kept andrew unnamed on this occasion to mirror chapter 1.
This disciple an apostle really is never mentioned by name. From the second through the present century, scholars have sought to identify this disciple, traditionally concluding that he is the author of the gospel and is indeed none other than john the son of zebedee. The beloved disciple is the one to recognize the risen christ on the morning shore. One gospel, three letters, and the book of revelation are all attributed to john. Perhaps a woman at the last supper a beloved disciple leans on jesus chest john. The part that i liked the best was the part about the vision of the book of revelation where john recorded seeing the tribulation saints. Brown was the foremost scholar of johannine literatureand possibly all new testament literaturein the 20th century. And one unforgettable morning young john outran peter to his saviors empty tomb. Since the end of the first century, the beloved disciple has been commonly identified with john the evangelist. The phrase the disciple whom jesus loved or, in john 20. Lazarus, not john, was the disciple whom jesus loved. Were the first readers able to identify this beloved disciple. So when simon peter heard that it was the lord, he put his outer garment on for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. We know that john was the younger brother of james and the son of zebedee mark 10.
Continue reading identifying the disciple whom jesus loved. However, digital video options are available for purchase and rent for you to complete the study. Po box 885, lockport, il 60441 who was that beloved disciple. The beloved disciple is not one person but an image of all disciples.
Joseph grassi is a professor of religious studies at santa clara university. Another school of thought has proposed that the beloved disciple in the gospel of john really was originally mary magdalene. The shadowy figure known as the disciple whom jesus loved appears in five scenes in the gospel of john john. The reader is supposed to identify with the beloved disciple and become a beloved disciple himself. Beth moore did an excellent job of presenting johns gospel, letters and revelation in a way that helped me to go deeper in my faith, affirm my faith and to know the heart and mind of christ better than ever than before. John the apostle biography biography facts, childhood. The beloved disciple goodreads meet your next favorite book. A disciple of jesus, thus referred to only in the gospel of john, but never identified by name. The beloved disciple kindle edition by moore, beth. In his book the passover plot, author hugh schonfield argues that the beloved disciple was an otherwise unknown priest who lived in jerusalem.
His own thesis is that the beloved disciple was probably thomas. Lazarus, not john, was the disciple whom jesus loved alan. Nevertheless, the gospel never gives the name of this disciple, which makes it difficult to identify him with certainty. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Charlesworths book is an excellent survey of the scholarly research that has gone into the attempt to identify the anonymous beloved disciple of the fourth gospel. The beloved disciples testimony is preserved in the gospel of john, though the gospel was apparently completed after his death.
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