TRADITION VS SCHOLARSHIP
The answer
"The disciple whom Jesus loved." John's Gospel ties its witness to this figure (John 21:20-24) but never gives his name — the tradition that he is John the apostle is a later identification.
Why it’s interesting
A Gospel that turns on a named beloved disciple, yet leaves him anonymous, is a genuine puzzle. Some scholars read the anonymity as modesty; others, as a clue the author wasn't the apostle at all.
Genuinely debated
You can know the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.