Disciple vs Apostle - Living Church (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between the disciples and apostles? ›

An apostle is a "messenger" or "one who is sent" while a disciple is a "student" or "learner." Apostles were primarily people who had met and followed Jesus during his life and were called by him to spread the gospel. Disciples were simply any of Jesus' followers who devoted themselves to learning from him.

Paul says that the risen Jesus called him directly to preach the gospel of Jesus to the gentiles, which is why he travels throughout the Roman empire starting Jesus-following communities and writing letters to them addressing their problems and questions. This is why Paul calls himself an apostle and not a disciple.

Acts 1:21–22 states that for a man to be an apostle, he had to have been a member of the band of disciples from the beginning, and to have been an eyewitness of Christ's resurrection.

Peter was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. Roman Catholic tradition holds that Jesus established St. Peter as the first pope (Matthew 16:18). Jesus also gave him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19), which is why he is often depicted at the gates of heaven in art and popular culture.

In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament.

Modern-day apostle in the apostolic movement

An "apostle" is one who has a call to plant and oversee churches, has verifiable church plants and spiritual sons in the ministry, who is recognized by other apostles and meets the biblical qualifications of an elder.

Paul's humility is most clearly seen in his own self-appraisal. Writing to the Corinthians in ad 55, he calls himself “the least of the apostles unworthy to be called an apostle because [he] persecuted the church of God (1 Cor. 15:9).

Paul was not one of the Twelve Apostles, and did not know Jesus during his lifetime. According to the Acts, Paul lived as a Pharisee and participated in the persecution of early disciples of Jesus, possibly Hellenised diaspora Jews converted to Christianity, in the area of Jerusalem, prior to his conversion.

To understand the differences, it is essential to look at the definition of both. An apostle is someone who was chosen by Jesus to spread the gospel, while a disciple is someone who follows Jesus and his teachings.

Can a woman be an apostle? ›

Junia is also mentioned. According to Bart Ehrman, Paul praises Junia as a prominent apostle who had been imprisoned for her labour. Junia is "the only female apostle named in the New Testament".

Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve disciples. The twelve disciples were Jesus' closest friends, and they were dedicated to His teachings. We don't know the heart behind why Judas betrayed Jesus, but we do know he was given thirty pieces of silver (about a day's wage at the time–Matthew 26:15-16) for doing so.

Jesus had done. Their decision meant that they had to abandon their wives and young children as well. Hence, we might conclude that on the issue of casting aside family attachments the disciples were asked to give up more than Jesus himself was required to relinquish.

Definition. Nicodemus was an early follower of Jesus Christ, uniquely mentioned only in the fourth gospel, the Gospel of John. According to that gospel, he was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council) in Jerusalem at the time of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.

In Luke 6:13 it is stated that Jesus chose 12 from his disciples “whom he named apostles,” and in Mark 6:30 the Twelve are called Apostles when mention is made of their return from the mission of preaching and healing on which Jesus had sent them.

So if you believe Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour then you are a Disciple. I am a disciple. An Apostle was specifically chosen by Jesus to spread the gospel after his death and resurrection. The twelve apostles mentioned above were Jesus' closest disciples.

Therefore, when Jesus chooses twelve apostles, he's symbolically expressing his intention to rebuild Israel—to reconstitute Israel around himself with the apostles as the central leaders. The word “apostle” means “one who is sent.” An apostle represents the one who sends him, and shares in that person's authority.

“Whereas Pauline apostles tend to cross cultures to pioneer new missional communities, Petrine apostles tend to mobilize existing communities to become and remain missional” (Hirsch and Catchim, The Permanent Revolution).