The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

[Guest]

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

If you had been living in the time of Jesus, do you think you would have felt worthy to be called as one of His disciples? The honest truth is that those twelve men were not outstanding personalities, at least most were not. Only three or four give evidence of gifts of leadership. In fact they were not called to be "leaders." They were called to be witnesses. And it doesn't take a great personality to be a witness!

Among the three or four who were leaders is John. When we read his sweet, gentle, gracious three letters written near the end of his life, we can't imagine what he was like at first. We read that at first he was harsh, boisterous, ambitious, combative, critical, impetuous, outspoken, proud, resentful, revengeful, self-assertive, violent in spirit. (Where did I get those phrases? All in the Index!). That's the kind of man that John was when the Lord invited him to leave his fishing business and follow Him in that special 3-year "university training" course.

Some four or five times in his Gospel, John speaks of himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20). Sounds strange. Was he boasting, telling everybody that he (John) was sort of "teacher's pet"? If so, how do you think the other disciples felt? Didn't Jesus love them too? (Of course they may all have been dead by the time John wrote his Gospel; but that wouldn't forgive his apparent arrogance.)

This had bothered me a long time. Then I remembered: the word John used when he said Jesus loved him was agape; and agape is the kind of love that loves bad people, ugly people, arrogant, harsh, rude, violent people. I think John may be saying, "Folks, the agape of Jesus singled me out simply because I was the most violent, harsh, combative, unworthy of the lot! No, he was not being proud when he said, speaking even after the resurrection, that he was the disciple whom Jesus especially loved. He meant that he was the one who needed that love the most! And look what it did to him. Receive that love yourself--that's all you can do and that's all that John did.

[Musicman1228]

Yes indeed, Robert, John was beloved by Jesus. Your essay was right on the mark. God called the disciples to Jesus Christ to be witnesses (as you rightly pointed out) to what He said and did while on earth. He also trained these men to do the will of His Father, carrying on the task after Jesus went back to Heaven, the task that God had assigned first to Jesus Christ-to bear witness to the truth. Jesus spoke only the truth; therefore His disciples remembered and wrote only the truth having heard what Jesus said directly from their Master.

How is it possible, then, for you to gainsay what these men witnessed and wrote in favor of the words of a self proclaimed apostle that taught a gospel that was completely opposite of what these men witnesses to as coming directly from Jesus Christ? Please explain this to me as it is quite confusing.

[Guest]

How is it possible, then, for you to gainsay what these men witnessed and wrote in favor of the words of a self proclaimed apostle that taught a gospel that was completely opposite of what these men witnesses to as coming directly from Jesus Christ? Please explain this to me as it is quite confusing.

That's because you are one confused individual. First of all, Paul's writings are not opposite in any way. Second of all Tommy, if you keep calling me Robert, I'm going to drive to California, and thump your ears. That's twice tonight.

[Musicman1228]

As I already said on another thread, sorry for the mix up-I was just really tired.

Speaking of 'Tommy', it is 'tommy rot' that Paul's gospel was not different than what Jesus taught; Paul himself called it a different gospel. If he knew it was different why don't you? The differences are one reason that Peter, John and James (the brother of Jesus) as the leaders of the Jerusalem Assembly (the Way) sent messengers/missionaries to the churches that Paul founded in order to try to straighten them out. This is why Paul got so mad at them, calling them "So called pillars" of the church, and also defending his status as an apostle.

Please do your homework before you make statements that are untrue and cannot be backed up by Scripture.

[Guest]

You're the one who needs to do some homework. No he didn't call his gospel different from Jesus' If you would read the text without those blinders on you would know that. But you can't have Paul around because he proves your whole paradigm wrong. So you have to despise him and and say things about him that aren't true, no matter what the cost. You don't have a choice. Isn't that called lying? But what makes it worse is that not only are you lying to yourself, but trying to teach the lie to others.

[Dr. Rich]

Now Now kids---Jesus loves both of you--even with all of your faults. What Jesus does not like are all of the lies spoken about Him--just as you Robert, (oops,) I mean Richard, don't like lies about you. It is up to us to find out what the difference is between fact and fiction.

[Guest]

I hear ya Rich