In the gospel of John, the call of Andrew, the apostle with the Greek name, precedes the call of Simon, whose name is derived from Aramaic. For this reason, Andrew is referred to as the “First-Called.” In the narrative, Andrew goes and tells his brother that they have found the Christ. The same pattern is repeated in the call of Phillip - a classic Greek name - who goes and finds Nathanael, who is explicitly identified as “an Israelite.” In this, John seems to be reversing the Scriptural sequence of “Jew first, then Greek” (Romans 2:9-10).
Tune in to this bonus episode of A Light to the Nations as we discuss the importance of Andrew as “first called” and how it relates to calling Jesus “the Lamb of God.”
Notes:
The Rise of Scripture by Paul Nadim Tarazi (OCABS Press, St. Paul, MN, 2017).
“Ruff Enuff” performed by Prince featuring MonoNeon.
What is A Light to the Nations - Scripture Analysis Podcast?
A Light to the Nations is a bi-weekly podcast examining all parts of the biblical story from a functional perspective. Instead of asking what words means, we consider instead their function, i. e., how they are used in other parts of the Bible. In each episode will discuss the functionality of words and how that allows us hear the teaching.