Disciple

DISCIPLE. Every one knows the proper signification of this word. The word Disciple absolutely taken, signifies, in the New Testament, a Believer, a Christian, a Scholar, a Follower of Jesus Christ or his Acts vi. 1.Apostles. For example, The number of the Disciples being multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, &c. And in another place, There was a certain Acts ix. 10.Disciple at Damascus named Ananias: and Paul breathing out slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord, that is to say, against the Christians.

The name of Disciple is often set down for that of Apostle; particularly in the Matth. v. 1. viii. 23, 25, &c. Luke vi. 13. Matth. x. 2, &c.Gospel; but in other places the Apostles are distinguished from Disciples. The Apostles were chosen particularly by Jesus Christ out of the number of his Disciples, to be the Stewards of his most secret Mysteries, and the principal Ministers of his Religion. They were twelve in number.

But the Disciples, who followed our Saviour from the beginning, and are called simply Disciples, were seventy-two in number. Luke x. 1—17.He appointed them by their names, and sent them two and two before his face into every city, and place, whither he himself would come, and said unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways; behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves: carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way; and into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house; and if the Son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give; for the labourer is worthy of his hire. And into whatsoever city ye enter, heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you: and if they receive you not, wipe off the dust against them which cleaveth on you… He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the Spirits are subject unto you: but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven, &c. These are the Precepts and Admonitions which our Saviour gave his seventy Disciples, when he sent them to preach in the Cities of Judæa¹. We find, particularly among the Greeks, lists of the seventy Disciples, but they are neither ancient nor certain. There was not as yet any Catalogue Euseb. l. 1. c. 12. Hist. Eccl. Vide Euseb. l. 1. c. 12. Apud Euseb. l. 3. c. 39. Hist. Eccl. Vide Epiphan. de Christo, c. 4. Rom. xvi. 7. Acts xxi. 16.of them in Eusebius’s time, that is to say, in the fourth Age. The Latins keep the Festival of the seventy Disciples (for they are reckoneda seventy or seventy-two indifferently) on the 15th of July; and the Greeks on the 4th of January.

In the number of the seventy Disciples we may reckon St. Barnabas, Sosthenes, St. Matthias, Joseph Barsabas, Thaddæus the brother of St. Thomas, the seven Deacons, viz. Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Parmenas, Nicanor, Timon, Nicholas of Antioch, St. Mark, St. Luke, Andronicus and Junius, St. Paul’s relations; Judas surnamed Barsabas, Silas, Simon the Black, Luke of Cyrene, Manahem, Mnason, who is called the old Disciple; Ananias, who baptized St. Paul; Aristion and John, whom Papias speaks of.

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