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Bible Term: Disciple

In general terms, a disciple is someone who follows another. John the Baptist had disciples (John 1:35), the Jewish religious leaders had disciples (Luke 5:33), and Jesus had disciples (Matthew 10:1).

Also, the Pharisees affirmed that they were Moses’s disciples, albeit centuries after Moses’s death (John 9:28).

Sometimes Disciple, as a proper noun, refers to one of Jesus’s original twelve followers, whereas other times it refers to any follower of Jesus (John 8:31).

Often the terms disciple and apostle are used interchangeably, but they aren’t quite the same. A disciple is anyone who follows and learns from Jesus, while an apostle, meaning “sent one,” usually refers to the original twelve, plus Paul and a few others.

Key verse about Disciple: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, NIV)

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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