»We have Found the Messiah« (John 1:41) - The Formation of Disciples in the Gospel of John

Abstract

The disciple is a seminal topic for every Evangelist. The Johannine image of the followers of the Rabbi from Nazareth diverges from the Synoptic vision. In the Fourth Gospel, the disciples follow and serve the Master – like in Mark, Matthew, and Luke – yet the Johannine Jesus does not ask them to break their family ties or leave anything behind. A narrative analysis of the Fourth Gospel lets Culpepper consider the disciples of Christ from the perspective of their literary functions and determine the criteria of their discipleship. The critic divides their formation process into three stages related to seeing, believing, and continuing in the word. In the eyes of the reader, the followers of Jesus – perceived individually or as a community – perform functions as role models or representatives. To be a disciple is to accept the gift of becoming a child of God (John 1:12), which presumes a broad, universal perspective. For this reason, the author of John uses the term »disciple« as many as seventy-eight times, »Twelve« – only four times, while the word »apostle« is never spoken.