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.

Verse 40 says Andrew was one of the two who heard John the Baptist's command to follow Jesus. The Bible doesn't specify if Andrew and John were the only ones who heard, audibly, or if they were the only ones who listened to the Baptist's instructions. Either way, these two men are the first to follow Jesus as disciples. "Andrew" is a Greek name, not a Hebrew one. 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 fairly small set of given names. Even within the Bible, there are multiple characters with the same "first" name. Three of the four women at the foot of Jesus' cross are named "Mary." Andrew's brother had the common name of Simon, but would later be renamed "Peter" by Jesus. Their father was named Jonah (or John), according to John 1:42. The term bar means "son of," so Simon Barjona is literally, "Simon, the Son of Jonah."

John 1:29–42 is a conversation between Jesus and John the Baptist, and records the moment when 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 tells two of his followers, 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 identical to 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 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/3/2024 8:31:21 AM