Care to take a stab at this?
I'm going to state up front, that it is NOT John.
Now who do you think it is.
I have heard it debated that it was Mary Magdalene, Lazarus and others. But the point is that it was John himself who called attention to himself as the disciple Jesus loved.
John 13:23 tells us, "One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him."
John 19:26declares, "When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son.'"
John 21:7says, “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” This disciple is never specifically identified, but the identity of the disciple whom Jesus loved is clear. The disciple whom Jesus loved is John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James.
and just how clear is it? Like I said the style of John is not the same as John the Apostle's Epistles nor Revelation.
There are at least two principal arguments for this view. The first is that the epistle often uses a demonstrative pronoun at the beginning of a sentence, then a particle or conjunction, followed by an explanation or definition of the demonstrative at the end of the sentence, a stylistic technique which is not used in the gospel. The second is that the author of the epistle, "uses the conditional sentence in a variety of rhetorical figures which are unknown to the gospel."
John identifies himself in his epsitles and Revelation but does not do so in The Book of John.
Why did John live so long and die of old age and was head of the Eastern Church, when all the other apostles died young and by horrendous martyr deaths? He was blessed to this as he was the only apostle to remain with Christ while he died on the cross, at the same time all the others went scurrying off and most notably Peter denied he was the apostle of Christ not once but three times. This is evidence enough to show that John was indeed the most loved of all.
I asked HOW Major...no need getting all defensive. Why bother coming on a thread like this if you're not willing to look at possibilities? Many people don't think it was John the Apostle, and I am one of them. That is why I posted the OP.
John 15:13. was there ever a disciple whom Jesus died more for than he did for me?
It seems to me that the original twelve had real problems with this issue, but Jesus taught them otherwise.
Mark 9:34. Luke 9:46. Sigh...they just didn't learn. Luke 22:24. Seems that this issue of who Jesus loved (above all others) was one that was born out of extreme carnality, and just wouldn't go away.
We need to keep our focus on Jesus, and our own personal walk with Him.
I see a line of reasoning that the greater a disciple I am, the more Jesus will love me. That of course is a load of rubbish, it is without justification, it is devoid of righteousness, it is carnal.
Why would you think I was defensive Stan??????
I simply said that in responce to your comment in posting #6......"and just how clear is it?"
To ME I said. To ME. I did that so as to NOT have any confrontational issues.
It seems to me that you are the one a little defensive on this question or you would not have stated what you did IMO.
Then you stated........."Why bother coming on a thread like this if you're not willing to look at possibilities"
Well, I guess the answer to that is the same one anyone would use......I WANTED TO.
I considered the possibilities and gave my thoughts.
Isn't that the reason you responded to the postings on this site as well??
I just simply do not agree with your thoughts on this and I said as much.
I really think that Calvin gave the definitive responce and I defer to his wisdom on this.
John 13: 23 -
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
John 19: 26 - When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
John 20:2 -
Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
John 21:7,20 -
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
Based on the way you responded and highlighted/capitalized certain words. I know what I said and all this response does is serve to enforce in my mind your uneasyness with the subject. But hye I'm not a moderator so feel free to say WHATEVER you want.
I guess in future I'll just address your thoughts with the same kind of attitude as you have, as you seem to feel our personal convictions outweigh the need to "give a reason for the hope in us."
and exactly where is this disciple identified as the Apostle John?
It is obviouse to me that John used the second person to describe himself instead of saying "Me or I".
But you think as you wish.