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 saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few.
And he called to him his twelve disciples, and gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every disease.
And he called to him his twelve disciples, and gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every disease.
These twelve Jesus sent forth, when he had charged them, saying, Go not away to gentiles, and enter not any city of the Samaritans;
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of grain, and to eat.
And stretching forth his hand toward his disciples, be said, Behold, my mother and my brothers!
And his disciples came and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying Send her away, for she is crying out after us.
And Jesus having called his disciples to him, said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have remained 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 the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples fast not?
And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way 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 he chose from them twelve, whom he also named apostles;
And as he was drawing near, just at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen;
When therefore Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This teaching is hard; who can listen to it?
From this time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Do ye also wish to go away?
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, he who was about to betray him, saith,
Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, What is this that he saith to us, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye will see me? and, Because I go to the Father?