The Beloved Disciple
We know that Jesus had at least one secret disciple in Jerusalem. According to John Another influential man that Jesus knew was Nicodemus, who John 3: Thus Jesus had at least two friends or secret disciples who lived in Jerusalem. The Beloved Disciple could have been a third. So who was this "disciple whom Jesus loved"?
Why Did God Create Satan? Gerd Theissen and Annette Merz suggest the testimony may have come from a lesser known disciple, perhaps from Jerusalem. The Christians fled into the outlying districts of Judea and Samaria to hide from their persecutors. Also and this is a nitpick , I'm not sure couples took "a little time to themselves" in those days. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in John Amen, amen I say to you:
Now that we have reviewed the main items of evidence, we can look at specific possibilities:. As already noted, the main reason for identifying John Zebedee as the Beloved Disciple is church tradition. However, there is no known mention of this tradition until near the end of the second century, probably at least 80 years after the gospel was written.
Also, the identification could have resulted from confusion between John Zebedee and John the Elder, a later figure who may have put the gospel into its final form. For these reasons, many scholars doubt the validity of the tradition.
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Several items of evidence also seem inconsistent with the idea that John was the Beloved Disciple. For example, it is unlikely that a Galilean fisherman would have had a house in or near Jerusalem, or would have been allowed to witness the interrogations of Jesus by the Jewish leaders and Pilate. Also, if a prominent disciple like John was the authority behind the fourth gospel, its author most likely would have mentioned it within the gospel itself, since this would add legitimacy and prestige to the work.
These arguments seem plausible to many people. But they are not conclusive, and for that reason the traditional view that John Zebedee was the Beloved Disciple can't be completely ruled out. And many Christians still accept it. 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. The book also suggests that the Last Supper took place in this priest's home.
That would explain why he was present. And since he was the host, he would have had the privilege of sitting next to Jesus during the meal. This proposal appears to fit the known facts. But it is incomplete in that it doesn't identify a specific person. A number of scholars have argued that the Beloved Disciple was Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany, and the man that Jesus raised from the dead. Much of the argument is based on John Some argue that this isn't a coincidence, but that the gospel simply changed its way of referring to Lazarus.
This could mean that he had enough social status to gain admittance to the interrogations of Jesus.
His house was also close enough to Jerusalem to serve as a home for Jesus' mother. The other three gospels never mention Lazarus, at least not by name. It seems odd that the other gospels would fail to mention such a remarkable miracle. However, a fragment of the Secret Gospel of Mark does appear to describe the incident, although it doesn't give the raised man's name. Overall, Lazarus seems a good fit for the evidence, and many scholars think that he is the best candidate. Several books and movies have promoted the idea that Mary Magdalene was the Beloved Disciple.
Some people have gone even further, claiming that she secretly married Jesus and bore him a child. While most scholars dismiss the idea that she married Jesus, or bore him a child, a few still think that she could have been the Beloved Disciple.
Leading Candidates
In fact there is some evidence that she did have a "special" relationship with Jesus. For instance, in a fragment of the apocryphal "Gospel of Mary", the disciple Levi tells Peter "Surely the Savior knows her very well.
The phrase "the disciple whom Jesus loved or, in John , the disciple beloved of Jesus is used six times in the Gospel of John, but in no other New Testament. At the very end of the Gospel, we are told that it was written by a figure who has become known as “the beloved disciple.” But he never names.
That is why he loved her more than us. Some people think that the figure immediately to the left of Jesus in the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, traditionally identified as John Zebedee, looks more like a woman than a man. This has led to the theory that Leonardo had secret knowledge about Mary Magdalene which indicated that she was the Beloved Disciple.
One problem with this identification is that the bible always uses "he', "him" and "his" when referring to the Beloved Disciple.
But some people argue that these are false clues which an unknown person deliberately inserted into the text to try to hide the truth. The individuals listed above are generally regarded as the best candidates for the role, but others are occasionally proposed. These have even included such unlikely possibilities as Saint Paul and Judas Iscariot.
Some scholars even argue that the Beloved Disciple wasn't a real person, but a symbolic figure created to represent anyone who embraces Christ as his redeemer. To many scholars, Lazarus appears to be the most likely possibility. But John Zebedee can't be completely ruled out, and many Christians hold to the traditional view that he was the Beloved Disciple. Most scholars reject the frequent assertion that Jesus had a homosexual relationship with the Beloved Disciple. The Beloved Disciple One of the biggest mysteries in biblical scholarship concerns the identity of "the disciple whom Jesus loved.
But before we get to their arguments, we first need to list the main items of evidence: Now that we have reviewed the main items of evidence, we can look at specific possibilities: Lazarus A number of scholars have argued that the Beloved Disciple was Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany, and the man that Jesus raised from the dead. Other Candidates The individuals listed above are generally regarded as the best candidates for the role, but others are occasionally proposed.
Summary To many scholars, Lazarus appears to be the most likely possibility. Was a new ending added later? Judas Iscariot Why did Judas betray Jesus? The Devil Does he really exist? Golgotha Jesus was crucified somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
The Beloved Disciple
But can the exact location be identified? The Nazarenes The Nazarenes were the first believers. Retrospect and Prospect Society of Biblical Literature, He blogs, along with Nijay Gupta, at cruxsolablog. The Gospels tell of John as a zealous early disciple of Jesus; later traditions attribute to him major parts of the New Testament and tell of his continuing witness into the second century. Could Matthew and John have been written by someone close to the inner 12 or one of the eyewitnesses of Jesus' life?
While there are two different men named Lazarus in the New Testament—one in Luke and the other in John—their stories share some interesting parallels. A collection of first-century Jewish and early Christian writings that, along with the Old Testament, makes up the Christian Bible. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus and Thomas 24But Thomas who was called the Twin , one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb;12and she saw two angels in white, s Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of Jesus and the Beloved Disciple 20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
Related Articles 3 Apostle John The Gospels tell of John as a zealous early disciple of Jesus; later traditions attribute to him major parts of the New Testament and tell of his continuing witness into the second century. Authorship Could Matthew and John have been written by someone close to the inner 12 or one of the eyewitnesses of Jesus' life?
Lazarus While there are two different men named Lazarus in the New Testament—one in Luke and the other in John—their stories share some interesting parallels. Related Publications Encountering Jesus: The Life of a Legend. A gospel is an account that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Browse by subject - click on a letter below. Home People Places Passages Bibles. Bible Odyssey has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: