What Is a Disciple?

In the final chapter of the gospel according to St Matthew, we read what has been known as the Great Commission. Before returning to the Father, the Risen Christ commanded his disciples: “Go, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

The word disciple translates the Latin word discipulus, the Greek word mathetes, and the Hebrew word talmid. It literally means learner, student, pupil, or apprenticeship. Hence, a disciple is one who freely puts himself or herself in the school of a teacher and shares his or her views.

In the books of the Old Testament, it is mentioned that the prophet Elijah had a disciple named Elisha (1 Kings 19:19ff) and that the prophet Isaiah was surrounded by a group of fervent disciples (Isaiah 8:6). Wise men often had disciples whom they call their “sons”( Proverbs 1:8; 2:1; 3:1).

Centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, the reading and study of the Torah, the Jewish Bible, gradually gained prominence. This gave rise to “professional teachers” in Judaism, teachers of the Torah, the rabbi. The rabbi was and is both a scholar and a teacher, a spiritual leader tasked with explaining the Word of God to the people. “Now, to the authority of the Word of God upon which they commented is added little by little their own personal authority [cf. Matthew 23: 2, 16-22] especially when they pass on the tradition that they themselves have received from their masters.” (Andre Feuillet, “Disciple” in Dictionary of Biblical Theology, p. 103) Early rabbis compiled the Talmud, a series of writings that further explain the Torah.

In order to pass on their knowledge of the Torah as well as their experience and wisdom, rabbis trained disciples, talmid. A disciple did not only want to learn from the experience and wisdom of the teacher. “Of course they did learn much from the rabbi’s experience and wisdom, from his verbal teaching, but what they really sought was to actually be like the rabbi himself. To this end, a talmid followed his rabbi everywhere…rarely leaving the rabbi’s side for fear that he would miss an important moment. The talmid watched his rabbi’s every action, word and deed, trying to think and act in a similar fashion. His deepest desire was to follow his rabbi so closely that the student would eventually think and act exactly like the rabbi.” (Barbara Davis, “Jesus as Rabbi: The True Meaning of Biblical Disciplesship”)

It is into this context that Jesus was born and exercised his public ministry. In the gospels Jesus is often referred to as “Rabbi” (Teacher or Master). The twelve men chosen by Jesus to be with him are given the name disciple. Beyond this intimate circle, anyone who has acknowledged Jesus as his teacher is considered a disciple of Jesus. This second group was undoubtedly large in number. It includes the 72 whom Jesus sent on the mission, the women disciples, the ‘secret’ disciples.

As a matter of fact, there were three main groups of people who followed Jesus during his public ministry. The first group was “the crowd” who thronged around Jesus to listen and to benefit from his miraculous deeds, healings, multiplication of loaves and fishes. The second group was more attached to Jesus, followed him for a period of time, when their life and work would allow them, and even supported him and his intimate group out of their means. The closest to Jesus were the twelve he chose to be with him all the time and whom he would later send.

To be a disciple of Jesus, the first requirement is the call or invitation that comes from Jesus. “At that time, young men interested in “ministry” would listen to a variety of local rabbis, then approach the one they most admired and ask, “May I follow you?”…The student asked to be counted as a follower, but it was only the rabbi who could determine if the “follower” had what it took to be like his teacher. At this point, the rabbi would either accept the student (or talmid) or he would encourage the young man to choose a trade rather than aspire to be a rabbi. […] As was often the case, Jesus shattered this concept when he went out seeking and choosing his own talmidim.”

“To become Christ’s disciple, intellectual or even moral aptitudes were not important. What matters is a call, the initiative of which comes from Jesus [Mark 1:17-20; John 1:38-50] and behind Him the Father, who ‘gives’ Jesus His disciples [John 6:39; 10:29; 17: 6,12]”

To become a disciple of Jesus also implies “attachment to the person of Jesus.” To be a disciple of Jesus means to “follow” Jesus which in the Bible implies attachment to the person of Jesus. The disciple is bound firstly to the person of Jesus and secondly to his teaching. To follow Jesus is to shape one’s behaviour to his, to listen to his divine teachings, and to conform one’s life to that of Christ.

Finally, the disciple of Christ is called to share the life of God and the destiny of Christ. The disciple of Christ is made a son or daughter of God in the Son. The disciple is made partaker of the divine nature. At the same time, he or she must be willing to follow the path of self-denial, to carry His cross daily, and grow in love of God and neighbor.

After Pentecost, which took place fifty days after Jesus’ Resurrection, every Christian believer, whether or not he or she had known Jesus during his earthly life, is considered a disciple of Jesus. Every disciple must persevere in knowing who Jesus is and in conforming his or her life to Christ’s life. The mission that Risen Christ entrusted to his disciples is to go and make disciples of all nations. Every believer therefore has the mission of reproducing Christ in himself or herself and in others.