Disciples

Disciples as Students

It has been said that the word Disciple means "One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another."

But the word we see translated disciple in the Greek text is mathetes ^[1] from the word manthano ^[2] which means to learn or be appraised. The word mathetes consistently means a pupil, someone who is learning and being examined.

"In Christianity, the term disciple primarily refers to students of Jesus and is found in the New Testament only in the Gospels and Acts. The New Testament records many followers of Jesus during his ministry, but only some became disciples." While we may all be learning and students of life the term disciple in the Bible was used to describe those who were studying for the ministry of the kingdom of God Christ would appoint to His trained disciples.

The word Disciple appears over 252 times.^[3]

It appears mostly in the Gospels and some in the Acts of the Apostles but not in the other Epistles.

The apostles had the greatest teacher in the world but they had a lot of difficulty figuring out the nature of the Kingdom of God that was being preached by Jesus. Part of the problem was they had to unlearn what they had been taught and be humble enough to accept the truth that what they thought was true was just not so.

One of the reasons the established ministry of that kingdom in Judea at that time wanted to crucify Christ was because of what would become the conflict between those who promoted a socialist system of welfare run by governments that called themselves Benefactors but exercised authority one over the other.

There had always been two welfare types used by societies through out history. Both these system of social welfare established by different societies were called Corban in Israel and Judea. Both these systems required sacrifice, which is the meaning of Corban, from the people where what they contributed to the needs and needy of society was managed by chosen group of public servants.

There were similarities and differences in these two social systems. In both there was a daily ministration to the needy of society. In both the methods used for the collection of funds and the method by which their public ministers were chosen were different. One was top down and the other was bottom up. One used force to collect funds and the other used charity, one offered entitlements and the other hope, one depended upon allegiance and the other faith, in one the public servants exercise authority and the other they exercised love and care. One brought the people into bondage and the other set them free.

Religion was defined at the time of Christ and the the authoring of the Constitution as "practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men.” Pure religion was the performance of those duties through charitable practices while false religion was using force to provide for the welfare of society and the performance of those duties through covetous practices.

The System of Cain, Nimrod, Pharaoh and Caesar operated by forcing the contributions of the people by statutory commands while the system of Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the early Church operated by Freewill offerings or what the Bible calls faith, hope and charity or James calls the perfect law of liberty.

The first system weakens society and increases the power of central governments through civil benefactors. The latter strengthens the individuals who gather and therefore the community itself by awakening virtue in the people and therefore provides the foundation for a free society.

Christ instituted the Church by appointing a kingdom to His disciples to be those Benefactors who do not exercise authority one over the other but feed His sheep, provided daily bread and took care of the Daily ministration of the needy in Pure religion as Rome declined.

As history is now repeating itself we desire to do what those early Christians were doing. Like the early Church we must be foreign to the state religions which includes social security.

If you are interested in being disciples of Christ Join the Network

"Follow me!" —Jesus the Christ.

One of the most important things to do is to become involved in a network of Charitable Practices. Everyone should want to join a Living Network of Love and Charity.

If you think you have a calling to be a Minister of God or you might want to dedicate your life to Christ as an Ordained Minister of His Holy Church, contact us to start the process of discipleship and become the benefactors who exercise only love, NOT authority.^[4]

Footnotes

↑ 3101 ~μαθητής~ mathetes \@math-ay-tes’\@ from 3129; TDNT-4:415,552; {See TDNT 464} n m AV-disciple 268, vr disciple 1; 269
1) a learner, pupil, disciple
↑ 3129 ~μανθάνω~ manthano \@man-than’-o\@ prolongation from a primary verb, another form of which, matheo, is used as an alternate in certain tenses; TDNT-4:390,552; {See TDNT 464} v AV-learn 24, understand 1; 25
1) to learn, be appraised
1a) to increase one’s knowledge, to be increased in knowledge

1b) to hear, be informed

1c) to learn by use and practice
1c1) to be in the habit of, accustomed to
see also 521 apaideutos, 62 agrammatos, and 2399 idiotes from 2398 idios, [1]
↑ see disciple usage.
↑ Matthew 20:25-26 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mark 10:42-43 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Luke 22:25-26 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

[mathetes-1] 3101 ~μαθητής~ mathetes \@math-ay-tes’\@ from 3129; TDNT-4:415,552; {See TDNT 464} n m AV-disciple 268, vr disciple 1; 269
1) a learner, pupil, disciple

[2] 3129 ~μανθάνω~ manthano \@man-than’-o\@ prolongation from a primary verb, another form of which, matheo, is used as an alternate in certain tenses; TDNT-4:390,552; {See TDNT 464} v AV-learn 24, understand 1; 25
1) to learn, be appraised
1a) to increase one’s knowledge, to be increased in knowledge

1b) to hear, be informed

1c) to learn by use and practice
1c1) to be in the habit of, accustomed to
see also 521 apaideutos, 62 agrammatos, and 2399 idiotes from 2398 idios, [1]

[3] see disciple usage.

[4] Matthew 20:25-26 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mark 10:42-43 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Luke 22:25-26 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

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Disciples

Disciples as Students

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