John the Apostle

===The disciple whom Jesus loved===
{{main|Disciple whom Jesus loved}}
[[File:Johannesminne BNM.jpg|thumb|upright|Jesus and the Beloved Disciple]]

The phrase "the disciple whom Jesus loved as a brother" ({{lang|el|ὁ μαθητὴς ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς}}, {{transliteration|el|ho mathētēs hon ēgapā ho Iēsous}}), or in [[John 20:2]]; "whom Jesus loved as a friend" ({{lang|el|ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς}}, {{transliteration|el|hon ephilei ho Iēsous}}), is used six times in the [[Gospel of John]],<ref>{{bibleref2|John|13:23}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|19:26}}, [[John 20:2|20:2]], {{bibleref2-nb|John|21:7}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|21:20}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|21:24}}</ref> but in no other New Testament accounts of Jesus. {{bibleref2|John|21:24}} claims that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of this disciple.

The disciple whom Jesus loved is specifically referred to six times in the Gospel of John:

* It is this disciple who, while reclining beside Jesus at the [[Last Supper]], asks Jesus, after being requested by [[Saint Peter|Peter]] to do so, who it is that will betray him.<ref name="bibleverse|Jn|13:23–25"/>
* Later at the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]], Jesus tells his [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|mother]], "Woman, here is your son", and to the Beloved Disciple he says, "Here is your mother."<ref>{{bibleverse|Jn|19:26–27}}</ref>
* When [[Mary Magdalene]] discovers the empty tomb, she runs to tell the Beloved Disciple and Peter. The two men rush to the empty tomb and the Beloved Disciple is the first to reach the empty tomb. However, Peter is the first to enter.<ref name="bibleverse|Jn|20:1–10"/>
* In [[John 21]], the last chapter of the [[Gospel of John]], the Beloved Disciple is one of seven fishermen involved in the [[miraculous catch of fish|miraculous catch of 153 fish]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Jn|21:1–25}}</ref><ref>James D. G. Dunn and John William Rogerson, ''Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003, p. 1210, {{ISBN|0-8028-3711-5}}.</ref>
* Also in the book's final chapter, after Jesus hints to Peter how Peter will die, Peter sees the Beloved Disciple following them and asks, "What about him?" Jesus answers, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|21:20–23}}</ref>
* Again in the Gospel's last chapter, it states that the very book itself is based on the written testimony of the disciple whom Jesus loved.<ref>{{bibleverse|John|21:24}}</ref>

None of the other Gospels includes anyone in the parallel scenes that could be directly understood as the Beloved Disciple. For example, in {{Bibleverse|Luke|24:12|KJV}}, Peter alone runs to the tomb. Mark, Matthew and Luke do not mention any one of the twelve disciples having witnessed the crucifixion.

There are also two references to an unnamed "other disciple" in {{Bibleref2|John|1:35–40|NKJV}} and {{Bibleref2|John|18:15–16|NKJV}}, which may be to the same person based on the wording in [[John 20:2]].<ref name="brown">Brown, Raymond E. 1970. "The Gospel According to John (xiii–xxi)". New York: Doubleday & Co. Pages 922, 955</ref>