The title of one disciple who was apparently the author of the Gospel of John (John 21:20–24).
The Beloved Disciple in the Gospel of John
Five passages in John’s Gospel mention the disciple whom Jesus loved:
The beloved disciple lay close to Jesus’s chest during the Last Supper and was prompted by Peter to ask Jesus who the betrayer would be (John 13:21–26).
The beloved disciple stood near the cross, and Mary, Jesus's mother, was given to his care (John 19:25–27).
Mary Magdalene came to Peter and the beloved disciple, reporting that Jesus’s body was missing from the tomb (John 20:2).
The beloved disciple was in a fishing boat with Peter and the other disciples and recognized Jesus standing on the shore (John 21:7).
The beloved disciple was following Jesus by the lakeshore, and the author reminded his readers that this was the same disciple as the one at the Last Supper (John 21:20–23; compare 13:21–26).
Who Was the Beloved Disciple?
The phrase is only used in John’s Gospel. Could it be the author’s way of referring to himself? Several passages make that seem very likely.
A list of names given in John 21:2 indicates that the disciples present at the lakeshore were Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two others. The beloved disciple was one of the sons of Zebedee or else one of the two unnamed disciples.
The beloved disciple was one of the Twelve since he was at the Last Supper, and evidently, only the 12 disciples were there with Jesus (Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17–20; Luke 22:14, 30). This means it cannot be Lazarus or John Mark, who are sometimes suggested as the beloved disciple.
The beloved disciple appeared to be close to Peter (John 13:23–24; 20:2; 21:7; see also Acts 3; 8:14; Galatians 2:9). Matthew, Mark, and Luke record that Jesus often chose Peter, James, and John to be with him. Since Peter was mentioned in connection with the disciple whom Jesus loved, and since James was martyred (killed for his beliefs) early (Acts 12:2), only John is left as a reasonable possibility if John’s Gospel was written long after James’s death.