Disciple whom Jesus loved
The phrase disciple whom Jesus loved or Beloved Disciple is used several times in the Gospel of John. Traditionally, it has been seen as a self-reference to John the Evangelist, for example by King James I of England when he justified his relationship with the duke of buckingham by saying Jesus had his John and I have my George. It may alternatively be a reference by the author to John the Apostle, if that disciple is not the author of the gospel (the question of the Authorship of John is an unsolved one).
Other interpretations contend this refers to a different follower. It has been suggested this was Mary Magdalene, although John 20 has these two figures together, even in early times. This may be related to the gnostic gospels such as the Gospel of Mary which give her this prominence (as their own esoteric reasons were often taken to favour female leadership).
Another more recent interpretation is that the beloved disciple is Lazarus, due to the content of the Secret Gospel of Mark, identifying him with the semi-naked youth who flees when Jesus is arrested, and the youth who is found in the empty tomb. There are two main theories as to what this might imply, both controversial; the first is that Jesus was initiating the figure into a mystery religion (implying that this was the original form of christianity) (either in fact, or having been added to the story by the writer as a symbolic figure of such initiation); the second is that Jesus is gay or bisexual, and that the figure is his boyfriend, and that teaching the mystery of the kingdom of god is a euphamism for sex.
In the gospels, the Beloved Disciple is never named and his identity remains uncertain and controversial.
See also
References
The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved: Unveiling the Author of John's Gospel, by Edward R. Smith. SteinerBooks Anthroposophic Press, 2000. ISBN 0880104864
The Beloved Disciple: Whose Witness Validates the Gospel of John? by James H. Charlesworth. Trinity Press, 1995. ISBN 1563381354
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