John 1:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter 's brother.

NIV: Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

NASB: One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

CSB: Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him.

NLT: Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.

KJV: One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

NKJV: One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

Andrew was one of two disciples who heard John's comment about Jesus, which was apparently an instruction to follow Jesus (John 1:35–37). Scripture does not specify whether Andrew and John were the only ones who heard John, at all, or if they were simply the only two who got the hint and acted on it. Either way, these two men are the first to follow Jesus as disciples.

Andrew—originally Andreas—is a Greek name, rather than Hebrew. This is evidence of how much influence Greek culture had on the people of Israel by this time. Jewish people of that day used a relatively small roster of given names. Even within the Bible, there are multiple characters with the same "first" name. For instance, three of the women at the foot of Jesus' cross are named "Mary" (John 19:25). Andrew's brother had the common name of Simon but would later be renamed "Peter" by Jesus. Their father was also named "John" (John 1:42).

John 1:29–42 describes more conversations, these between John the Baptist, his disciples, and Jesus. It includes the moment Jesus recruits His first two disciples. Jesus is identified as "the Lamb of God," and "the Son of God." The Baptist describes his vision of the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, landing on Jesus. This confirms that He is the Messiah. The Baptist seems to tell John and Andrew to go and follow Jesus. They, in turn, introduce Jesus to Peter.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including "the Word," "the Son of God," and "the King of Israel." This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 8/31/2024 11:52:45 PM