• Disciple = "learner, pupil, student"  (Gk. mathetes, from the verb manthano, "to learn")
• Jesus is not the only "teacher" to have "disciples" in the New Testament;
  • there are also "disciples of John [the Baptist]" and "disciples of the Pharisees" (Mark 2:18; 6:29; Matt 9:14; Luke 5:33).
• In the ancient world, students/disciples usually sought out a teacher (cf. Luke 9:57-62);
  • but Jesus usually reverses the dynamic, "calling" people to become his disciples (Mark 1:16-20; 2:14-17; 3:13; etc.).
• Jesus did not establish a "school" in a particular location, but was an itinerant (wandering) preacher/teacher;
  • thus, his disciples literally had to "follow" him around (Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:57-62; John 1:43).
• The word "disciples" is used 233 times in the Gospels for Jesus' followers, but one should not assume that it refers only to "the twelve";
  • the phrase "twelve disciples" occurs only three times (Matt 10:1; 11:1; 20:17), and "disciples" often refers to this core group;
  • but other people are also called "disciples" of Jesus (Matt 8:19-22; Luke 6:13, 17, 20; 19:37; John 4:1; 6:66; 8:31; 9:28; Acts 6:1-7; etc.).
• Apostle = "missionary, messenger, emissary"  (Gk. apostolos, from the verb apo-stello, "to send out")
• Many people assume (falsely!) that the words "apostle" and "disciple" have the same meaning in the New Testament;
  • one first has to be trained as a "disciple" (learning from the teacher), before one can be sent out as an "apostle" (representing the teacher).
• The phrase "twelve apostles" occurs surprisingly rarely in the NT:
  • From among his many "disciples," Jesus chooses "twelve, whom he also named apostles" (only Mark 3:14 and Luke 6:13);
    • but the exact expression "twelve apostles" occurs only twice in the NT (Matt 10:2; Rev 21:14).
  • A few other passages refer to these men simply as "the Twelve" (see below) without calling them "apostles";
    • Matthew sometimes also refers to them as the "twelve disciples" (Matt 10:1; 11:1; 20:17).
  • In the NT Epistles, Peter identifies himself as "an apostle of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 1:1; cf. 2 Pet 1:1).
    • the Letter of Jude once refers to "the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 17), but without specifying who is meant.
• In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus chooses twelve men "to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message..." (Mark 3:14),
• but he does not actually send them out on a mission until later, after he has taught them further (Mark 6:7-13).
• The Fourth Gospel never calls any of Jesus' followers "apostles," but consistently refers to them only as "disciples";
  • John does not contain a list of the twelve, nor even mention all their names individually (see below for more details on John).
• Elsewhere in the NT, other people are also called "apostles," aside from the twelve men familiar to us from the Synoptics:
• Matthias - selected to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15-26).
• Barnabas - a missionary "sent out" by the Jerusalem apostles (Acts 11:22, 30; 12:25), later by the Church of Antioch (Acts 13:1-15:39); Luke and Paul explicitly call him an "apostle" (Acts 14:14; 1 Cor 9:1-6).
• Paul - often calls himself an "apostle" of Jesus, esp. in beginning his letters (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; etc), or when stressing his equal status with the other apostles (Rom 11:13; 1 Cor 9:1-5; 15:7-10; 2 Cor 12:12; Gal 1:17-19).
• Apollos - never individually called an "apostle," but clearly included when Paul refers to "us apostles" (1 Cor 4:9; cf. 1:12; 3:4—4:6)
• Silas & Timothy - again, not called "apostles" individually, but included when Paul says, "we... as apostles of Christ" (1 Thess 2:9)
• Andronicus and Junia - a married couple (or brother & sister?), "relatives" of Paul, who are "prominent among the apostles" (Rom 16:7)
• Jesus! - referred to in the Letter to the Hebrews as "the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to the one who appointed him" (3:1b-2a)
• False apostles - warned against, but not identified more specifically (2 Cor 11:13; Rev 2:2).
• Brothers and Sisters / Saints / Believers / Followers / Converts / Christians
  • Click here for a glossary explaining these and other discipleship-related terms.

• Simon (Peter) & Andrew; James & John = two pairs of brothers, fishermen whom Jesus calls by the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:16-20; Matt 4:18-22; cf. Luke 5:1-11)
  • In Mark 1 and Matt 4, this story is the first time Jesus encounters these men, but they immediately drop everything to follow him;
  • In Luke 5, the focus is on Simon Peter; Andrew is not mentioned at all (only in 6:14); James and John only briefly at the end (5:10);
  • In Luke, Jesus calls these men only after they had seen some of his healings (4:38-39) and heard some of his teachings (5:1-3).
• Levi = a tax collector called by Jesus (Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32); possibly the same person called "Matthew" (Matt 9:9-13).
• Peter, James & John = the three disciples closest to Jesus in the Synoptics (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33).
• Mary Magdalene and other Women = although never directly called "disciples," several women "follow" Jesus, learn from him, support his group, are present at his burial, witness the empty tomb, and are among the early post-resurrection believers (Mark 15:40-41, 47; 16:1-8; Matt 28:1-10; Luke 8:1-3; 10:38-42; Acts 1:14; 12:12-15).
• Minor Characters = characters who "follow" Jesus and/or serve as models of "faith", even if they are not explicitly called "disciples" (e.g., Jairus and the Hemorrhaging Woman in Mark 5:22-43; Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:48-52; etc.)
• The Twelve = the core group of disciples/apostles in the Synoptics, whose names are listed in only four passages (Mark 3:16-19; Matt 10:2-4; Luke 6:14-16; and Acts 1:13; but never in John). Note some curious details:
  • some of the names differ in these lists (Thaddeus = Judas, son of James? Simon the Cananaean = Simon the Zealot? and Matthew = Levi of Mk 2:14?);
  • one can subdivide each list into three groups of four apostles, with Peter always named first and Judas Iscariot always last;
  • the order within the three subgroups also differs (Andrew 2nd or 4th? James before or after John? Thomas 6th, 7th, or 8th? Who is 10th & 11th?).
  • the change from Luke 6:14 to Acts 1:13 subtly reflects the increasing prominence of John in the early church (often appearing with Peter), in contrast to the decreasing roles of James (John's brother) and Andrew (Peter's brother).

Disciples of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel:

• The First Five Disciples:
• Andrew - one of two disciples of John [the Baptist] who follow Jesus (1:35-40)
• [Anonymous] - a second disciple of John, who accompanies Andrew but is not named (cf. 1:35, 40)
• Simon Peter - told about Jesus by his brother Andrew (1:41-42)
• Philip - called directly by Jesus (1:43-44)
• Nathanael - called by Philip (1:45-51)
• "The Twelve":
• as a group, "the Twelve" are mentioned only in 6:67-71 and 20:24;
• but John's Gospel does not list the names of all twelve apostles (seven are mentioned in 21:2, but not all named here).
• in fact, the word "apostle" is not used as a title anywhere in John (only once in 13:16, meaning "messengers" in general).
• "The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved" = the most important disciple in the Fourth Gospel:
• He appears only from the Last Supper to the resurrection appearance stories (13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20).
• He is said to be the authority behind this Gospel, and is even credited with writing it, or at least most of it (21:24).
• He is often more briefly called "the Beloved Disciple" today, although this exact phrase is never used in John's Gospel.
• Other Individual Disciples:
  • The Man Born Blind -
  • Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany -
  • Thomas Didymus -
  • Judas Iscariot -
  • another Judas -
  • Mary of Magdala -
  • Jesus' mother and other women -
  • Sons of Zebedee -
  • (more info coming some day)

Types of Discipleship or Church Vocations since the New Testament Era:

Christian Churches today use many different titles for leaders and ministers who have various levels of authority and roles of responsibility in the community.  One basic distinction is between the clergy and the laity; important subcategories include religious men and women, ecclesial lay ministers, and Christian married couples/parents. Yet one should not forget that all Christians have a common "vocation," since are "called" by God to live out their baptismal promises in lives of service to both the Church and the world.

• Clergy or "clerics" = ministers who are "ordained" to lead and serve the Christian community, usually on a full-time, life-long basis.
  • Categories and titles for the clergy in the Catholic Church include Deacons, Priests, Chaplains, Pastors, Monsignors, Auxiliary Bishops, Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals, and the Pope:
    • a "Bishop" is the primary leader of a local "Diocese" (geographical territory) of the church;
    • an "Archbishop" is the head of a larger "Archdiocese," usually centered in a country's largest cities;
    • a "Cardinal" is an honorary position (usually a bishop, or a priest or layperson) with the added responsibility of electing the Pope;
    • the "Pope" is technically the "Bishop of Rome," but also has leadership responsibilities for the universal Church.
  • Titles for leaders in other Christian Churches may include Deacon, Elder, Brother, Sister, Reverend, Pastor, Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, President, Patriarch, etc., although which titles are used by which Churches varies greatly.
• Religious or "consecrated persons" = members of religious orders, societies, congregations, or other communities within the Church.
  • Some religious men and women are "hermits" who live almost completely alone, but most are members of various types of religious communities:
    • some communities are "monastic" (monks or nuns living in monasteries or cloisters somewhat separated from the secular world);
    • other groups are "mendicant" (friars and preachers who often travel, live simply, beg for their living, and serve the poor);
    • still others are more "apostolic" (sisters or priests living in religious convents or communities more involved in serving the world);
    • some newer ecclesial communities are hard to classify, since they may include a mixture of priests and lay people, married couples and singles, full members living in community and associate members living separately, or even a mixture of Catholics and Protestants.
  • Religious men and women normally profess "vows" or the "evangelical counsels" of poverty, chastity, and obedience:
    • religious women are either called nuns (in cloistered orders) or sisters (in apostolic congregations);
    • religious men are usually called monks (in monastic orders) or brothers (in apostolic communities);
    • some religious men are ordained as priests (hence "clergy"), but most religious sisters and brothers are not ordained; these religious are technically members of the "laity," although they are popularly considered a third group between the clergy and the laity.
• Laity or "lay people" = non-ordained Christians, most of whom live and work primarily in the "secular" world, although many also serve actively in the Church on a volunteer and/or professional basis (full-time or part-time):
  • Ecclesial Lay Ministers are lay men and women who are called by God and offer their lives in dedicated service as ministers of the Church. Although they are technically not "ordained," more and more lay ministers today serve professionally as parish administrators, pastoral associates, religious education directors, catechists, sacristans, music directors, cantors, organists, hospital or prison chaplains, school & college campus ministers, parochial school administrators and teachers, etc., in addition to all the secretaries, cooks, janitors, gardeners, and other service employees of parishes and dioceses.
  • There are also many Part-time Volunteers in the Church, especially those serving in liturgical ministries (lectors, altar servers, eucharistic ministers, greeters, ushers, choir members, musicians, etc.), but also including social service, sacramental, and educational ministries (catechists, baptismal sponsors, confirmation sponsors, homebound visitors, bereavement teams, volunteers collecting and/or distributing food or clothing to the poor, etc.).
  • Christian Married Couples also live out an important "vocation," since God calls married people to share their love (ultimately God's love) with each other, with their children, and beyond in service to the wider church and world; Christian Parenthood includes the responsibilities of bringing Christ alive in one's children, thus building up the Church for the future; the family is sometimes even referred to as a "Domestic Church."
• Baptism is not just a sacrament of initiation, through which a person becomes a member of the Church, but is the foundational "vocation" that "calls" all Christians to live out their faith in whatever career, family, community, and/or lifestyle they choose or find themselves in.