Expert: Brenda Martin - 2/7/2010

Question
I read your response to the question concerning these two scriptures. It does not seem likely to me that the beloved apostle was the privileged associate of the high priest. Would it not be more accurate to say that the Bible does not say specifically, rather than offer up an errant answer?

Answer
MARK 14:51 & JOHN 18:15, 16 APOSTLE WAS ASSOCIATE OF THE HIGH PRIEST?

The person known to the high priest was the apostle John;-

1.The apostle John uses the name “John” in reference to John the Baptizer but never refers to himself by name. For instance, he writes of “THE disciple that bears witness about these things and that wrote these things.” Similarly: “HE that has seen it has borne witness, and HIS witness is true, and THAT MAN knows he tells true things.” (John 19:35; 21:24)

Note also John 13:23: “There was reclining in front of Jesus’ bosom ONE OF HIS disciples, and Jesus loved HIM.” That was shortly before Jesus’ arrest.

Later that day the impaled Jesus singled out one disciple, whom John mentions in similar terms: “Seeing his mother and THE DISCIPLE whom he loved standing by, [Jesus] said to his mother: ‘Woman, see! Your son!’”—John 19:26, 27; compare John 21:7, 20.

This same characteristic of not naming himself is evident at John 18:15.
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2.Furthermore, John and Peter are linked in the postresurrection account at John 20:2-8.

These indications suggest that the apostle John was “that disciple [who] was known to the high priest.”

The Bible does not provide background information as to how the Galilean apostle (John) might have got to know, and got to be known by, the high priest. But his being known by the household of the high priest enabled John to get past the doorkeeper into the courtyard and to gain entrance for Peter also.

all the best
Brenda