disciple. In the N.T., a learner or a follower of a teacher. There were disciples of a teacher. There were disciples of a Pharisee, Matt. 22:15-16, and John the Baptist had disciples, John 1:35. The disciples of Jesus were numerous. Luke 6:13. From them he chose twelve to work with him. The lists of Jesus' twelve disciples* are in Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:14-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:12-13. These lists do not agree with one another. The differences are accounted for by the use of diferrent names for the same person (for example, Bartholomew and Nathanael; Thaddaeus and Judas the son of James).

In the book of The Acts, "disciple" also means a member of the church. Acts 20:1; 21:16.

You are strongly recommended to add to your library the excellent revised edition of Harper's Bible Dictionary titled, The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition, edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, with the Society of Biblical Literature (NY: Harper Collins, 1996). It is currently the best one-volume Bible dictionary in English, and it is available at Border's Books, Christian Science Reading Rooms, http://www.borders.com, or http://www.christianbook.com.

disciple (translates the Gk. for ‘learner’), an apprentice or pupil attached to a teacher or movement; one whose allegiance is to the instruction and commitments of the teacher or movement. Closely paralleling rabbinic custom, most nt references to ‘disciple’ designate ‘followers’ of Jesus, often a large group including both his closest associates (the Twelve*) and a larger number who followed with varying positive response (Luke 6:17). For disciples of other persons, see Luke 11:1 and John 1:35 (John the Baptist), Matt. 22:16 and Mark 2:18 (Pharisees), John 9:28 (Moses), and Acts 6:1-7 (Christians); cf. also Isa. 8:16 (Isaiah).

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