Jesus has many followers. From that group of people he chooses twelve men to teach in particular. These twelve disciples, disciples, go with Jesus. They see the miracles he does and hear his message. After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples and sends them out to preach his message everywhere. Through this mission the disciples become apostles of the Lord. In addition to these twelve apostles, there are also other people in the New Testament who are given the title of apostle. Paul is the most famous apostle besides the twelve.
A disciple as a student
A disciple is a student. The word is derived from the Latin word for ‘learner’. In the New Testament, the Greek word mathètès is used to describe a student. The word disciple appears approximately 250 times in the New Testament. It is only used in the four Gospels and the book of Acts. In ancient times, philosophers had students, but also religious leaders. John the Baptist is said to have had disciples. Most disciples are men. Once there is mention of a female disciple, Tabita (Acts 9:36). Paul was the only apostle recorded as having disciples. In Acts 9 verse 25 it is told that Paul’s disciples lowered him in a basket over the wall of Damascus at night.
The twelve disciples of Jesus
Jesus chooses twelve disciples, disciples. Jesus chose twelve because the number twelve has an important symbolic meaning. It refers to the twelve tribes of Israel. They are not twelve representatives of the twelve tribes. These twelve tribes no longer existed in the time of Jesus. The twelve tribes lived only in the memory of the people.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter and his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and the publican Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and finally Simon Cananeus, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray him. (Matthew 10:2-4)
Bartholomew or Nathanael
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Bartholomew is mentioned as a disciple of Jesus. The evangelist John does not mention Bartholomew’s name, but he does mention Nathanael’s name as a disciple of Jesus. His full name was probably Nathanael son of Tolomeus. ‘Bar’ at the beginning of a name means ‘son of’. Then Nathanael is the same as Bartholomew.
An apostle
The word apostle comes from Greek. It is derived from the Greek verb apostlo which means to send out. An apostle is literally someone who has been sent out. Jesus sent out twelve apostles. Before they were sent out they were students, disciples of Jesus. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark the difference is clear in their use of words. In Matthew 10:2 and Mark 6:30 the twelve disciples are called apostles because they were temporarily sent out by Jesus. The twelve disciples were mentioned both before and after the broadcast.
Source: Meister der Reichenauer Schule, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
The twelve apostles
In the first chapter of the Bible book of Acts the number of apostles is very clearly defined. Only the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus are entitled to the title of apostle. The number is important. There should be twelve. The number of the fullness of the tribes of Israel. However, there is a problem. After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he regretted his action and took his own life (Acts 1). A replacement for Judas must be chosen from the wide circle of students. Invoking words from Psalm 109 verse 8, ‘His days are numbered, and another will take over his office’, a replacement for Judas is chosen. This replacement must meet a few criteria. It must have been one of the men who were with the disciples all the time Jesus was among them, from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up into heaven, and the new apostle must have witnessed the Lord’s resurrection (Acts 1 : 21-22). Two men qualify, Joseph Barsabbas, who was nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. The lot fell to Matthias (Acts 1:23). With him there were twelve apostles again.
Paul, the thirteenth apostle
From the first chapter of Acts, the group of apostles seems very defined. Only the twelve Jesus chose are apostles. Paul’s letters show that this was perhaps less the case initially. Paul also calls himself an apostle. In the letter to the Romans, Paul introduces himself thus: ‘From Paul, servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and chosen to preach the gospel of God’. Later in this letter, Paul indicates that he is an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11: 13). The letters to the church at Corinth show that Paul’s apostleship was not undisputed.
I wouldn’t be an apostle? But have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the work that I have accomplished through the Lord? Even if others do not recognize me as an apostle, you should, for you are the hallmark of my apostleship through your faith in the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1-2). I have shown you everything that makes an apostle: every perseverance, every sign and wonder, every power (2 Corinthians 12:12).
The least of the apostles
Ultimately, Paul himself is ambivalent about his apostleship. On the one hand, he indicates that he is an apostle, because he has seen the Lord and he has led many pagans to believe in Jesus. He calls that a hallmark of his apostleship. On the other hand, he writes that he is not worthy because he once persecuted the church of Christ: ‘For I am the least of the apostles, I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God’ (1 Corinthians 15 :9).
Other apostles
In the New Testament there are also other people who are given the title of apostle who were not among the first twelve disciples of Jesus. In addition to Paul, for example, it concerns Barnabas (Acts 14: 4 and 14). James, the brother of Jesus, is also counted among the apostles (Galatians 1:19). In the Didachè, a writing from early Christianity, the preachers who tour the various Christian communities are called apostles.
Female apostles
The Bible mainly mentions the names of men when it comes to apostles. The cirteria expressed in Acts 1 for choosing a new apostle also explicitly states that it must be a man. Are there no female apostles? Yes. and we find this in Paul’s letter to the Romans. He greets a certain Junia there and calls her an apostle. The name Junia is a name for a woman, not a man. The fact that a woman is called an apostle by Paul is important in the discussion about women in office.
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen who were in prison with me, who are highly respected as apostles and who became one with Christ before I did (Romans 16:7).