Who is nathaniel in the bible

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Nathanael

Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16). The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning “son of Tolmai.” Nathanael means “gift of God.” He was from Cana in Galilee (John 21:2). The gospels and the book of Acts don’t tell us much about him (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; John 1:45-49, 21:2; and Acts 1:13).

Jesus’ Call

The most significant reference to him was his first encounter with Jesus. In the gospel of John we read that after Jesus called Philip to follow Him, Philip found Nathanael and said him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see” (v. 46).

There was a touch of scorn in this disciple’s response to Philip’s declaration. He was from Cana (John 21:2), which is a short distance from Nazareth, and there is no doubt that he spoke from firsthand knowledge of that city.

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you” (John 1:47,48).

Nathanael was one of that few devout who earnestly waited for “the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25) and purposed to observe God’s principles in his life. For a true Israelite was not necessarily a physical descendant of Abraham (John 8:33–44), but one who lived in harmony with the will of God (John 8:39; Acts 10:34, 35; Romans 2:28, 29).

It was Nathanael’s deepest desire for clearer light regarding the Baptist’s identification of Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36) and as “the Son of God” (v. 34), that had led him to seek a quiet place for meditation and prayer. And in response to that prayer, he was given the conclusive proof that Jesus was divine (Mark 2:8).

Nathanael answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49). Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50). Jesus here pointed to the many convincing proofs of divinity Nathanael was to see during his association with Him.

In Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael, He concluded the conversation by indicating that Nathanael, as well as others, would see the blessings of God through the ministry of Jesus Christ His Son. “And he said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51).

Ministry and Martyrdom

When Nathanael accepted Jesus’ call, he became His disciple. As an apostle, he witnessed the risen Savior at the Sea of Tiberias, (John 21:2) and was present at His blessed ascension (Acts 1:1–11). He served the Lord diligently in spreading the truth and became a missionary, spreading the gospel. Christian tradition says that the apostle preached the gospel in Persia and India. Finally, his faithful ministry to the Lord ended when he was martyred for his faith. Legend claims that he was crucified upside down in Albania.

In His service,
BibleAsk Team

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JOHN 1:46-49 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Look, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Why did Nathanael say, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46)?
A Roman garrison was stationed in Nazareth. The Jewish men who made money doing business with the Roman soldiers were considered traitorous collaborators, while the women who did the same were considered worse.

How would Nathanael know that?
This Nathanael is most likely the "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee" mentioned in John 21:2, so he would be familiar with Nazareth, which is only 6 kilometers (4 miles) southwest of his hometown of Cana. And since the passage above is in the context of Jesus meeting the men who will become His apostles, and since John 21:2 names two of His apostles just before and two of His apostles just after Nathanael, Nathanael most likely became one of Jesus' twelve apostles as well, in which case "Nathanael" is the first name of "Bartholomew," which is a Hebrew surname that literally means the "son of" (Bar) Tholomew, and whom the Bible tends to mention with Philip, who also became Jesus' apostle (see Judas).

What do you think of Nathanael’s initial reaction to what Philip told him?
It was based on his unqualified impressions - i.e., prejudices - against all people from Nazareth ("Nazarenes" - see He shall be called a Nazarene).

How did Philip respond?
He told Nathanael to “come and see” (John 1:46) Jesus for himself.

How applicable is his advice for people today?
Most people who don’t believe in Jesus base their beliefs or the lack of it also on unqualified impressions. They may have heard people who claim to know the Bible talk about it, but they have never studied the evidence - the Bible - for themselves. To them, Philip's invitation to “come and see” Jesus - the Word of God - for themselves applies as much today as it did to Nathanael two thousand years ago.

What trait did Jesus praise about Nathanael?
Honesty: “Look, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit” (John 1:47).

What other traits did Jesus praise in people?
Faith in Him: And when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, terribly tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said to those following, “Truly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew 8:5-10), sacrificial service (see Spikenard), etc.

Did Jesus ever praise people’s personal wealth or physical beauty?
No.

How about their nice house, car, clothes or ability to play with a ball?

What traits do you admire in people?

JOHN 1:50-51 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Who is “the Son of Man” (John 1:51)?
See Son of Man.

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JOHN 2:1 1 On the third day, a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there.

To what does “the third day” (John 2:1) refer?
The third day from the end of the previous “chapter.” When originally written, the Gospel of John and the other books of the Bible were not marked with chapter or verse numbers. That was done in the 16th century to make it easier to locate passages.

Where is “Cana” (John 2:1)?
Cana is in the region of “Galilee” (John 2:1), about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of the Sea of Galilee (photo) and about 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of the Mediterranean Sea.

JOHN 2:2-5 2 And Jesus also was invited, even His disciples, to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “What have I to do with you, woman? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Why do you think Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding?
Mary is probably one of the people organizing the wedding.

What clues are there?
Mary tells the servants what to do. She knows the wine has run out even before the Master of the Feast knows, is concerned about it, and is trying to resolve the problem.

Why would running out of wine be a problem?
In those days, wine was the only drink other than water. Running out of wine at a wedding feast would be like a wedding reception today running out of all drinks except for tap water, and Jewish wedding feasts back then went on for up to seven days.

Why would Mary be helping to run the wedding feast in the first place?
It’s probably the wedding of a relative or a close family friend, hence the invitation to Jesus as well, and it was customary for the disciples of a rabbi to go everywhere he went.

Did Jesus praise Mary for telling Him that the wine has run out?
No, He rebuked her, and while γuναι (gynay), the original Greek word for “woman” (John 2:4) isn’t derogatory, the fact that Jesus addresses His mother with this term is significant.

Jesus must have called her, “mother” growing up. Why does He now call her, “woman”?
Since His ministry had started, Jesus was differentiating Himself - God the Son - from her, a human vessel through whom God chose to come into the world (see Birth of Jesus).

If His ministry had started, why did Jesus say, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4)?
The term, “my hour” refers not to His ministry but to his final confrontation with the Jewish leaders that will lead to the cross. The timing of that confrontation had to be precise and Jesus knew that His miracles would draw the attention of the Jewish leaders. We will read other references to His time not yet coming until Jesus declares, “the hour has come” in John chapter 12.

What did Mary say after hearing from Jesus?
“Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

What else does the Bible quote Mary as having said after this?
Nothing. These are the final words that God, the author of the Bible, chose to quote from Mary. So anyone who seeks guidance from Mary should heed her final guidance and simply do whatever Jesus instructed.

Where are His instructions?
In the Bible.

JOHN 2:6-7 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone for the purification of the Jews, each able to hold two or three metretas. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

What do you think about the description of the waterpots?
They are not described simply as “some” waterpots. There are “six” of them. They are made of “stone.” And they can hold “two or three metretas” (John 2:6), using the ancient measurement for the amount of liquid. Such precision in number, composition and volume is evidence of the gospels being eyewitness accounts.

How much were “two or three metretas” (John 2:6)?
2 metretas = 78.8 liters = 20.8 US gallons = 17.3 imperial (UK) gallons.
3 metretas = 118.2 liters = 31.2 US gallons = 26.0 imperial (UK) gallons.

What is meant by “for the purification of the Jews” (John 2:6)?
To be ceremonially clean, the Jews had to wash not just their hands before a meal, but their hands and the dishes after every course of the meal. They also had to wash their feet for the reasons mentioned earlier (see John the Baptist), hence the need for such large waterpots.

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JOHN 2:8-9 8 And He said to them, “Draw out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

What might the servants have been thinking as they approached the master of the feast?
‘We’re going to be in trouble for bringing washing water instead of wine...’

JOHN 2:10 10 And he said to him, “Every man sets out the good wine first, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Did Jesus come through for that wedding feast? He gave them 135 to 177 gallons (US)* of arguably the finest wine ever made.

* 135 = 5 x 20.8 + 1 x 31.2, and 177 = 1 x 20.8 + 5 x 31.2 (see metretas).

What’s lesson does the obedience of the servants and Nike’s marketing slogan have for us?
When God says to do something, just do it, even if you don’t understand why you should do it. If you’re sure that God wants you to do it, it's reason enough.

“What if it goes against my logic, knowledge or desires?”
Who do you think is more logical, knowledgeable and holy - you or God, who told us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9)?

What is “Lord”?
Someone you obey unconditionally.

“How do I know what God wants me to do?”
The vast majority of what God wants you to do is already in the Bible. Occasionally, God may speak to you directly or send a message via another Christian, but such extra-Biblical communication is rare and must be qualified through the Bible to see if it is consistent with His instructions already given and confirmed to be truly from Him. And God never contradicts His own words.

JOHN 2:11 11 Jesus did this beginning of the signs in Cana of Galilee and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

What does John call this changing of water into wine?
“Beginning of the signs” (John 2:11).

“Signs” of what?
That Jesus is God, which will be proven throughout and beyond this Gospel.

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JOHN 2:12 12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Who went to Capernaum with Jesus, His disciples and Mary?
Jesus’ “brothers” (John 2:12).

Jesus had brothers?
Yes, and sisters too.

How many brothers and sisters did Jesus have?
Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters: “55 Is this not the son of the tektonos? Is not His mother called Mary? 56 And His brothers James and Joses and Simon and Judas and His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56)

Could “brothers” refer to those who believed in Jesus?
John 7 mentions that Jesus’ brother did not believe in Him, so those who believed in Jesus were “His disciples,” already mentioned in John 2:12.

Could “brothers” refer to Jesus’ more distant relatives?
αδελφοὶ (adelphoi), the Greek word translated “brothers” above sometimes can be used to refer to more distant relatives - “brethren” in the wider sense - but such usage doesn't fit the narrow nuclear family context above: the sequence of “father, mother, brothers and sisters” fits, while “father, mother, relatives and sisters” doesn’t.

Could Jesus’ “brothers” be His half brothers from Joseph’s marriage(s) prior to his marriage to Mary?
Since Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ biological father, all of Jesus' brothers and sisters mentioned above were His biological half brothers and half sisters. But there is no evidence to suggest that Joseph had been married before he married Mary. Indeed, if Joseph had any children from any previous marriage(s), they would have accompanied Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem of Judea to register for the census ordered by Augustus Caesar.

What does this mean for Mary’s alleged virginity throughout her life?
It is a myth concocted by people who want to deify her and try to twist the meaning the “brothers” in Matthew 13:55-56. But there is another passage in Matthew that they cannot get around: “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25). The expression, to “know” is used in the Bible to indicate sexual intercourse, as is evident from the context of the passage above. Saying that Joseph did not have sex with Mary “until” she had brought forth her firstborn son means that Joseph did have sex with her thereafter.

What is “tektonos” in Matthew 13:55 above?
τεκτονος (tektonos) is the original Greek word and means “builder.”

Does that mean “carpenter”?
It doesn't. While builders built with wood in northern Europe, where the Bible was first translated into English, builders in Israel at the time of Jesus built with rocks. They did occasionally work with wood to make doors and other fixtures, but most of their time was spent quarrying and building with rocks. The people quoted in Matthew 13:55 above are not calling Jesus the son of a carpenter but the son of a builder who built with rocks (photo).

Where is “Capernaum” (John 2:12)?
See Capernaum.

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JOHN 2:13 13 And the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

What is “the Passover of the Jews” (John 2:13)?
Passover is a Jewish feast that commemorates God’s deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt and destruction of the idol-worshipping Egyptians who had enslaved the Jews and disobeyed God’s repeated commands to release them: ... ‘It is the sacrifice of the Passover of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households’... (Exodus 12:27).

When is Passover?
Passover is the evening of the fourteenth day of the Jewish calendar’s first month, Nisan, which typically falls on March or April in our Gregorian calendar: “The LORD’s Passover is at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Leviticus 23:5).

Why is it called, “Passover”?
While destroying Egypt, the LORD passed over and spared the houses of the Jews that had been marked by the blood of the Passover lamb: 1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month, every man shall take to himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his next door neighbor take it according to the number of people. According to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted with fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire, with its head, its legs and its entrails. 10 And you shall not leave any of it until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus shall you eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. 12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will slay all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 And this shall be for you a memorial day; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; as a perpetual statute you shall keep it a feast.” (Exodus 12:1-14)