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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_1:35-42
35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" 39He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
Joh_1:35 "two of his disciples" Mar_1:16-20 seems to be a different account of the calling of these two disciples. It is uncertain how much previous contact occurred between Jesus and His Galilean disciples. There were specific stages of discipline involved in the process of becoming a full-time follower of a rabbi in Jesus' day. These procedures are spelled out in the rabbinical sources, but are not exactly followed in the Gospel accounts. The two disciples mentioned are Andrew (cf. Joh_1:40), and John the Apostle (who never refers to himself by name in the Gospel).
The term disciple can mean (1) learner and/or (2) follower. This was an early name for believers in Jesus Christ as the promised Jewish Messiah. It is important to note that the NT calls for disciples, not mere decisions (cf. Matthew 13; Mat_28:18-20). Christianity is an initial decision (repentance and faith) followed by an on going decision of obedience and perseverance. Christianity is not a fire insurance policy or a ticket to heaven, but a daily servant/friend relationship with Jesus.
Joh_1:37 "The two disciples heard him speak" John the Baptist pointed beyond himself to Jesus (cf. Joh_3:30).
Joh_1:38 "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher)" This was a common title in first century Judaism to identify those who could expound the implications and applications of the Mosaic Law and the Oral Tradition (Talmud). It is literally "my master." It is used by John the Apostle as equivalent to "teacher" (cf. Joh_11:8; Joh_11:28; Joh_13:13-14; Joh_20:16). The fact that John explains his terms (cf. Joh_1:38; Joh_1:41-42) shows he was writing to Gentiles.
▣ "where are You staying" This seems to follow the traditional procedures of the establishing of the unique bond between teacher and student. Their question implies that these two men wanted to spend more time with Jesus than just being able to ask a few questions on the road (cf. Joh_1:39).
The word menô (remain) occurs three times in Joh_1:38-39. It can refer to a physical place or a spiritual place. The three usages seem to imply another word play, bringing both connotations together, which is so common in John (i.e., Joh_1:1; Joh_1:5; Joh_3:3; Joh_4:10-11; Joh_12:32). This purposeful ambiguity is characteristic of John's writings!
Joh_1:39 "it was about the tenth hour" It is uncertain whether John is using Roman time, beginning at (1) 6:00 a.m. or (2) day break, or Jewish time, beginning at 6:00 p.m. (twilight). When one compares Joh_19:14 with Mar_15:25 it seems to imply Roman time. However, when one looks at Joh_11:9 it seems to imply Jewish time. John possibly used both. Here it seems to be Roman time, about 4:00 p.m.
Joh_1:40 "One of two who heard John" The writer (the Apostle John) never names himself in the Gospel (i.e., Joh_21:2). It is surely possible that one of the two disciples who heard John the Baptist make this declaration was John, the son of Zebedee (i.e., Mat_4:21; Mar_1:19).
Joh_1:41
NASB "He found first his own brother"
NKJV, NRSV "He first found his own brother"
TEV "At once he found"
NJB "the first thing Andrew did"
There is a manuscript variant that affects the translations. The options are
1. the first thing Andrew did
2. the first person he found
3. Andrew was the first to go and tell
▣ "the Messiah (which translated means Christ)" See note at Joh_1:20.
Joh_1:42 "Jesus looked at him" This term refers to an "intensive look."
▣ "Simon the son of John" There is some confusion in the NT concerning the name of Peter's father. In Mat_16:17 Peter is called "son of Jonah" ('Iônas), but here he is called "son of John" ('Iôannçs). The name John is found in MSS P66, P75, × and L. MS B has the same name but with only one "n" ('Iôançs). The name Jonah occurs in MSS A, B3, K and most other later Greek manuscripts. There seems to be no clear answer to this question. Variant spellings are common with transliterated names from Aramaic.
Michael Magill, The New Testament TransLine, p. 303, says, "'Jonah' and 'John' may be alternate Greek spellings of the same Hebrew name, like 'Simon' and 'Simeon.'"
▣ "'you shall be called Cephas' (which is translated Peter)" The term Cephas is an Aramaic term for rock (kepa), which comes into Greek as kephas. The name would remind one of stability, strength, and durability.
This is one of many comments by the author of the Gospel to help explain the life and teachings of Jesus to Gentile readers of Joh_1:38.
It is interesting that the two later technical terms (verbs) for Bible interpretation appear in this chapter.
1. exegesis, to lead out, used in Joh_1:18
2. hermeneutics, to explain, to interpret, to translate, used in Joh_1:42