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So, maybe the Apostle John did come from a rich family!

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Actually there is some good evidence in Scripture, besides the one Scripture that I quoted in the other post that James and John bar Zebedee came from a rich family. In fact, it has been pointed out to me that there are some very good Scriptures that point to Zebedee’s family having some money and influence. Let’s take a look at some of those Scriptures.

Mark 1:19-20 — When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Luke 5:9-12 — For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

Matthew 27:55-56 — And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Mark 15:40-41 — Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Mark 16:1 — Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

Now let’s put the picture above together. Remember the Scripture that I quoted a couple of days ago from the Gospel of John that mentioned that the Apostle John was able to simply walk into the high priest’s palace. Now look at the Scriptures above.

Daddy Zebedee had enough money to have “hired servants.”

John and James were partners with Andrew and Simon and owned more than one boat between them. This may well be in addition to whatever boat(s) Daddy Zebedee owned. It is true that it says that they “forsook all,” but my point is that they grew up in a well-off family.

Salome was the mother of James and John. She was also one of the well-off women who “followed him and cared for his needs.” The Zebedee family had enough money allow Salome to give part of it away in order to support Jesus’ ministry.

Salome was one of the Myhrr-bearing women, but it is often not well noted that those women also bought the spices which they had planned to use on Jesus. Again, there is an indication of money being readily available.

I suspect that there are other allusions in the Scriptures, but these have convinced me that the Apostles James and John came from a well-off well-connected family.

Related posts:

1. Were the apostles poor and illiterate?
2. Poor and illiterate apostles and New Testament people?
3. John 6 was not just offensive to Jews
4. Martha & Mary – the Gospel of the Dormition
5. Our pious ideas about the Apostles

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