Disciple in the New Testament

In the New Testament, disciples do not seek out Jesus; rather, they answer when He calls them. Twelve disciples with different backgrounds are called into a special relationship with Jesus. According to Matthew and Mark, these twelve are the only disciples of Jesus.

The Gospels describe how Jesus called disciples to follow Him. Many of them came from villages in Galilee, especially Capernaum and Bethsaida. They had diverse backgrounds, including fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, and John), a tax collector (Matthew), and a revolutionary (Simon the Zealot). Their role is especially clear in Matthew’s Gospel, where the expression “the twelve disciples” is used more often than “the Twelve” (e.g., Matt 11:1). Jesus’ disciples were not to choose another master, or become masters themselves. Instead, Jesus’ disciples were told to go and make disciples of the nations—to teach them what Jesus had taught them.

In Matthew’s Gospel, discipleship is a radical way of life and Jesus emphasizes that the disciples should be perfect (Matt 5:48). The disciples are positive characters, but the Gospel also shows their strengths and weaknesses. They are often referred to as a nameless group—Peter stands out as the only one receiving focused attention. He functions as an example to readers, with positive and negative characteristics, in the same way as the larger group of disciples. To some extent, the whole Gospel is a manual on discipleship, where most major discourses are directed towards the disciples (and to the readers as presumed followers).

Mark’s portrayal of the disciples is more ambiguous than Matthew’s. While they are shown with both positive and negative features, Mark emphasizes the failure of the disciples and uses it to show the meaning of true discipleship. Readers can identify with the disciples’ difficulties and are shown that failure does not mean the end of discipleship. The disciples’ misunderstanding, fear, and lack of faith play an important role in the plot. Their dedication and failures instruct the reader on the essence of discipleship: the disciple is a servant who must reject worldly expectations and concentrate on God’s way, which travels through suffering and servanthood.

In Luke’s Gospel, the term disciple is used from its first appearance in chapter 5 until the events at Gethsemane in 22:45. After the betrayal, it is never used in the Gospel again. Similarly, after Peter denies Jesus in 22:62, he is not called Peter—the name he received from Jesus as a disciple—ever again in the Gospel, but only Simon. Their behavior constitutes a breach of relationship with Jesus—they can no longer be true disciples.

The disciples are more frequently described as a large group. Jesus does not only send out the Twelve, but also 70 (or 72) others (Luke 10:1–12). To be a disciple is to be a follower of the Way, which is the way of salvation through self-denial. In Acts, this broader understanding is shown in the way that all believers in Christ, whether they have met Jesus or not, can be called disciples. It functions as a synonym for other terms, such as “saints” (e.g., 9:32), “Christians” (e.g., 11:26), and “Nazarenes” (24:5).

In John’s Gospel, the first followers of Jesus were disciples of John the Baptist (John 1:35–37). They start to follow Jesus when John the Baptist identifies Him as the Lamb of God, and only after this does Jesus turn and tell them to follow Him. In John’s Gospel, the usual circumstance of Jesus calling His disciples is only partially true. There is a strong contrast between disciples and non-disciples in John. A disciple is one who believes and accepts Jesus’ claims about His identity (John 6:69). Such a belief will then radically change the life of the disciple, resulting in externally recognizable marks of one’s belief: that the disciples love each other (John 13:34–35), that they stick to Jesus’ words (John 6:66–68), and that their lives bear fruit (John 15:8).