The New Church (Swedenborgian) among the books of the New Testament includes only the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and the Book of Revelation. Only these books contain an internal symbolism in a series, and are thus divinely inspired. Although this leaves out the Book of Acts and the letters of the apostles, the New Church holds them in esteem similar to that of the Jews for the Writings of the Old Testament. Swedenborg stated that these books were included as an act of divine providence, as books explaining Christian doctrine were needed for the general public. Paul's letters, although not containing a
John the Apostle "ho mathētēs hon ēgapā ho Iēsous") or, in , the Beloved Disciple (, "hon ephilei ho Iēsous") is used five times in the Gospel of John, but in no other New Testament accounts of Jesus. claims that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of this disciple. The disciple whom Jesus loved is referred to, specifically, six times in John's gospel: None of the other Gospels has anyone in the parallel scenes that could be directly understood as the Beloved Disciple. For example, in , Peter alone runs to the tomb. Mark, Matthew and Luke do not