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 indeed is great, but the laborers few.
AND calling his twelve disciples, he gave them power over impure spirits to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every infirmity.
AND calling his twelve disciples, he gave them power over impure spirits to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every infirmity.
These twelve Jesus sent out and charged them, saying; Go not into a way of gentiles, and enter not into a city of Samaritans,
AT that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the sabbath; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pick the heads and eat.
and stretching out his hand to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother, and my brothers!
And his disciples went and took up the body and buried it, and came and told Jesus.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and asked him, saying, Dismiss her, for she cries after us.
And Jesus calling his disciples, said, I pity the multitude, for it is now three days that they have continued with me, and they have nothing to eat; I will not dismiss them fasting lest they faint by the way.
And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fasted. And they came and said to him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, and your disciples fast not?
And Jesus went away, and his disciples, to 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 his disciples; and having chosen twelve of them, whom he named apostles,
And when he was now approaching, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples began to rejoice, and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they saw,
When, therefore, the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
Then many of his disciples hearing him said, This is a hard saying; who can hear him?
From this time many of his disciples went away from following him, and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve Will you also go away?
Then some of his disciples said one to another, What is this that he says to us, A little while and you shall not see me, and again a little while and you shall see me? and, Because I go to the Father?