João 21

João 21

Barclay writes that "All his life a Christian should be learning more and more about Jesus. The shut mind is the end of discipleship!" (Matthew 5) In summary Mathetes simply means “learner” or “follower” and in Acts is the most common term for believers, however not ever use of mathetes describes a genuine follower of Christ (eg, Jn 6:66 describes "disciples" who choose to no longer follow Jesus). The Bible also speaks of the disciples of the Pharisees (Mk 2:18; Lk 5:33) and of John the Baptist (Mt. 9:14; 11:2; Lk 5:33; 7:18-19; 11:1; Jn 1:35; 3:25). In this present context clearly mathetes refers to a genuine follower of Christ. The important corollary is that every genuine follower of Christ is also a disciple. In other words, there is not a false division (as promulgated by a number of evangelical teachers) between believers and then an "elite" group known as disciples. This is a false and potentially dangerous teaching! NIDNTT - (EXCERPT FROM 8 PAGE DISCUSSION OF MATHETES) - A man is called a mathētēs when he binds himself to someone else in order to acquire his practical and theoretical knowledge. He may be an apprentice in a trade, a student of medicine, or a member of a philosophical school. One can only be a mathētēs in the company of a didaskalos, a master or teacher, to whom the mathētēs since the days of the Sophists generally had to pay a fee. An obvious exception to this is when mathētēs refers to spiritual dependence on a thinker long since dead. Socrates never wanted to have any mathētēs and never regarded himself as a didaskalos… It is used to indicate total attachment to someone in discipleship (Ed: But see distinction below between a true disciple and a pseudo-disciple of Jesus). The secular Gk. usage of the word in the sense of apprentice, pupil or student is not found… Mathētēs in Jn. is often simply a term for “Christian” (Jn. 8:31+; Jn 13:35+; Jn 15:8+)… mathētēs has the general sense of “Christian”, one who believes in Jesus. (See online 8 page article on Mathetes in the New International Dictionary Of New Testament Theology, volume 1, page 490) MATHETES IN GOSPEL OF JOHN - Jn. 1:35; Jn. 1:37; Jn. 2:2; Jn. 2:11; Jn. 2:12; Jn. 2:17; Jn. 2:22; Jn. 3:22; Jn. 3:25; Jn. 4:1; Jn. 4:2; Jn. 4:8; Jn. 4:27; Jn. 4:31; Jn. 4:33; Jn. 6:3; Jn. 6:8; Jn. 6:12; Jn. 6:16; Jn. 6:22; Jn. 6:24; Jn. 6:60; Jn. 6:61; Jn. 6:66; Jn. 7:3; Jn. 8:31; Jn. 9:2; Jn. 9:27; Jn. 9:28; Jn. 11:7; Jn. 11:8; Jn. 11:12; Jn. 11:54; Jn. 12:4; Jn. 12:16; Jn. 13:5; Jn. 13:22; Jn. 13:23; Jn. 13:35; Jn. 15:8; Jn. 16:17; Jn. 16:29; Jn. 18:1; Jn. 18:2; Jn. 18:15; Jn. 18:16; Jn. 18:17; Jn. 18:19; Jn. 18:25; Jn. 19:26; Jn. 19:27; Jn. 19:38; Jn. 20:2; Jn. 20:3; Jn. 20:4; Jn. 20:8; Jn. 20:10; Jn. 20:18; Jn. 20:19; Jn. 20:20; Jn. 20:25; Jn. 20:26; Jn. 20:30; Jn. 21:1; Jn. 21:2; Jn. 21:4; Jn. 21:7; Jn. 21:8; Jn. 21:12; Jn. 21:14; Jn. 21:20; Jn. 21:23; Jn. 21:24 John 21:2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Thomas: John 20:28 Nathanael: John 1:45-51 Cana: John 2:1,11 Jn 4:46 Jos 19:28 the sons of Zebedee: Mt 4:21-22 Related Passages: John 20:28+ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Matthew 4:21-22 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed (akoloutheo) Him. SEVEN MEN IN A BOAT Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus (twin), and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two others of His disciples (mathetes) were together - Seven out of eleven (including 2 unnamed) disciples would fit in one boat (Jn 21:3) it must have been a large boat. THOUGHT on TWO OTHERS - "They are unnamed, and I believe purposely unnamed. They represent the anonymous and hidden multitudes of faithful souls, whose names are never published in human documents, and whose deeds are never recorded in human reports. To these He manifested Himself, as surely as to the others. Those "two other" represented the majority of the saints. Let all such remember that of His fullness they also receive. Manifestations are needed for fidelity in obscure places of service, and they are granted. To all His own, He ever comes with unveilings of His glory, with ministrations of His grace and truth." (BORROW G Campbell Morgan in Life applications from every chapter of the Bible PAGE 324)