Reference: Disciples
Hastings
In the ancient world every teacher had his company of disciples or learners. The Greek philosophers and the Jewish Rabbis had theirs, and John the Baptist had his (Mr 2:18 'the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees'; cf. Joh 1:35; Mt 14:12). In like manner Jesus had His disciples. The term had two applications, a wider and a narrower. It denoted (1) all who believed in Him, though they remained where He had found them, pursuing their former avocations, yet rendering no small service to His cause by confessing their allegiance and testifying to His grace (cf. Lu 6:13; 19:37; Joh 4:1; 6:60,66-67). (2) The inner circle of the Twelve, whom He called 'Apostles,' and whom He required to forsake their old lives and follow Him whithersoever He went, not merely that they might strengthen Him by their sympathy (cf. Lu 22:28), but that they might aid Him in His ministry (Mt 9:37; 10:1,5), and, above all, that they might be trained by dally intercourse and discipline to carry forward the work after He was gone. These were 'the disciples' par excellence (Mt 10:1; 12:1,49; 15:23,32; Mr 8:27; Lu 8:9; Joh 11:7; 12:4; 16:17,29). See also Apostles.
David Smith.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then he said to his disciples: The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.
And he called to him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they might cast them out, and care every disease and every infirmity.
And he called to him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they might cast them out, and care every disease and every infirmity.
These twelve Jesus sent forth after he had charged them, saying: Go not into the road that leads to the Gentiles, and enter not a city of the Samaritans.
At that time Jesus was going, on the Sabbath, through the fields of grain; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pull the ears of grain, and to eat.
And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said: Behold my mother and my brothers.
And his disciples came and took away the body, and buried it; and went and told Jesus.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she cries after us.
Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said: I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. And I am not willing to send them away fasting, lest they faint on the road.
And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were in the habit of fasting; and they came, and said to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not?
And Jesus and his disciples went out into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road, he asked his disciples, saying to them: Who do men say that I am?
And when it was day, he called to him his disciples; and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:
And the disciples asked him, saying: What does this parable mean?
And when he was now near the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God, with a loud voice, for all the mighty deeds which they had seen,
You are they that have continued with me in my trials;
Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples.
When, therefore, the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and immersing more disciples than John,
Therefore, many of his disciples, when they heard him, said: This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
After this, many of his disciples went back, and walked with him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
Then after this, he said to his disciples: Let us go into Judea again.
Then said one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, who was about to deliver him up:
Then some of his disciples said one to another: "What is this that he says to us, A little while, and - you will not see me; and again, a little while, and you will see me? and, Be cause I go to the Father?
His disciples said to him: Lo, now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no parable.