John 1:40Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why did the Evangelist not indicate the name of the other disciple? Some explain it by saying that this disciple who followed Christ was the very one who wrote about it. Others think differently, namely that he was not among the chosen disciples, while the Evangelist spoke only of the more notable persons. But what profit is there in learning this disciple's name, when even the names of the seventy-two disciples are not given? The same can be seen in Paul. "With him we have sent the brother," he says, "who is praised in all the churches for the Gospel" (2 Cor. 8:18). Andrew is mentioned for another reason also. What is that reason? It is so that, knowing how Simon and Andrew heard only, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Mt. 4:19), you may not doubt this extraordinary promise. I say this so that you may also know that the firstfruits of faith, even before Simon, had been laid by his brother.

The Evangelist tells us Andrew’s name, but keeps silent about the name of the other. Some say that the other was John himself, the writer of this. Others say he was of no distinction. Besides, no benefit would have come from knowing his name.

Andrew is mentioned both because he was distinguished and because he brought his brother.

Verses 40-42. "Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Him. He first found his brother Simon and said to him: We have found the Messiah. And he brought him to Jesus." Those who had just received the talent immediately gain profit from it and bring it to the Master. Souls that love learning and are diligent truly show themselves to be such. For their profit they do not require many words, nor do they bear fruit from instruction only after many months and years. Rather, with the beginning of teaching they join the end of understanding. It is written: "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning" (Prov. 9:9).

Thus we have said why it was the tenth hour. Let us see what follows. One of the two who had heard John speak of Jesus and had followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He finds his brother Simon and says to him, We have found the Messiah, which means Christ (Jn 1:40-41).

Messiah is Hebrew, Christ is Greek, and Unctus, the Anointed One, is Latin. For He received the name Christ from anointing, ab unctione. Χρίσμα in Greek means anointing, unctio.

He was anointed in a special and unique way. Because He is anointed in a special way, all Christians are anointed.

By saying, "We have found Christ" (Jn. 1:41), he shows that the news of the birth of Christ had been continuously preserved from the time of the Magi. It had also been strengthened by John, who baptized Him, and by the testimony of the Spirit. After this, when the Lord withdrew and again hid Himself for the time of His forty-day fast, contrite souls strongly desired news of Him. They were His vessels, as He Himself said: "I chose you" before the foundation of the world (cf. Jn. 15:16). He chose Galileans, a people without understanding. The prophets called them a people without understanding and dwelling in darkness (Is. 9:2), who saw the light, so that He might put to shame those skilled in the Law. "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise" (1 Cor. 1:27).

He kept silent about the name of the other, either because he was not known or renowned, or because it was the writer himself, as some say.

Such precision in indicating the time clearly shows that the Evangelist personally lived through all these events. Therefore no one else, but he himself, was the other disciple besides Andrew who followed Jesus at the Baptist's direction.

This is also supported by the fact that the Evangelist John elsewhere either says nothing about himself or designates himself only by hints (13:23; 18:15; 19:20; 20:3; 21:20).

Therefore some think that the word πρώτος in verse 41 is not without significance: He, Andrew, first finds his brother Simon. Here the Evangelist perhaps humbly restrains himself from speaking about himself, and does not say that afterward he also called his own brother to Christ.

Who were these disciples? The Evangelist names one of them Andrew, but is silent about the other. Andrew first finds his brother and brings him to Jesus. That is, he is the first of John's disciples to preach the coming Messiah, and therefore he is called the First-Called.

But who was the other disciple? When the Evangelist John speaks of himself, he never once names himself. He calls himself simply a disciple, or the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn 13:23; Jn 18:15; Jn 19:26; Jn 20:2; Jn 21:20). The other Evangelists, when speaking of the same events, call that Apostle John, whom the Evangelist John avoids naming.

Therefore, John's silence here about the name of the other disciple gives us full grounds to think that this disciple was John himself, who later became Apostle and Evangelist.

Having grasped this great mystery, Andrew first hastened to share his joy with his brother Simon. He brought him to Christ.

Jesus cast upon him that royal gaze which read all the hidden mysteries of the heart. At once He saw in this fisherman all the weakness, yet also the noble greatness, of human nature.

Defining his character and future calling, He said to him, You are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas, which means stone (Jn 1:42).

From this translation of the word stone into Greek, Πέτρα, meaning stone or rock, Simon later became better known under the name Peter. See Mt 16:18.

By this change of name Christ forever defined the great destiny that awaited this fisherman in the future. And these three followers of Christ became the first members of the New Testament Church.

The first followers of Jesus, verses 37-41. The testimony of the Forerunner moved his two chosen disciples to go after Jesus. Then the voice of these two called several others to Jesus. "Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them: What do you seek? They said to Him: Rabbi, which means Teacher, where do You dwell?" Jesus saw the secret desire of the disciples. When He asked what they sought, by this gentle question He only encouraged their meek and troubled hearts. Encouraged, the disciples said that they wished to be in the house where He dwelt. This meant that they wished to hear His instruction in free solitude.

There can be no doubt that the other disciple, whose name is passed over in silence, is the Evangelist John himself. He recounts the events as an eyewitness and as a witness of the Lord (Jn 15:27), because he was with the Lord from the beginning.

As we have already indicated, John, out of humility, nowhere names himself in the whole Gospel. Compare Jn 13:23; 19:26; 21:7.

If we compare John's account with the accounts of the other Evangelists concerning the calling of the first four Apostles, Simon and Andrew, James and John (Mt 4:17-22; Mk 1:14-20; Lk 5:2-11), we understand that John supplements the Synoptic Gospels.