When we see or hear these two words, apostle and disciple, our mind likely goes straight to the religious connotations, but they also have distinct meanings in our personal and professional lives. They are tied together by a great teacher. Thankfully, the Power of the Wisdom of Three shows us the way.
A disciple is generally considered a follower, student, or learner. In the Bible this term is used to describe all the followers of Jesus, regardless of their role or level of leadership. It comes from the root meaning of being a “student” or a “learner” and implies someone who is constantly learning, following, growing, and putting into practice the teachings they are learning. This should be our mindset in all aspects of our life.
A disciple chooses to follow the teacher.
An apostle, on the other hand, is derived from the Greek term meaning “one who is sent off.” Apostles are those who are on a mission to accomplish something specific. In the Bible, it applies to the twelve closest followers of Jesus whom He sent out into the world to preach the Good News of salvation. In today’s church, this mission has been handed down to their successors, our modern-day bishops. However, in a broader sense, anyone sent on a mission to proclaim the Good News, profess the truth, while being a positive example to others can also be considered an apostle. We are each charged with spreading the truth.
An apostle is chosen by the teacher.
This indicates that while all apostles are disciples, not all disciples are apostles. The twelve closest followers of Jesus were his disciples first and later became apostles spreading the gospel. Our children, while young, are disciples of their parents and once they go out on their own, they should become apostles of their parents. A person starting a new job is a disciple, once promoted to a supervisor position, they become an apostle of the business.
The big take away of this lesson is that once elevated to apostle status, discipleship never ends! Mentors of whom we follow, be it our God, our parents, or a businessperson, should be a constant source of learning for us. Learning is a lifelong endeavor. The experiences we encounter as an apostle will be accompanied by new questions, and who better to turn to than those who sent you out, and who you selected to follow in the first place.
In most cases, your teacher or mentor will have bonded with you, built a solid relationship of trust, respect, and eventually one of love. This trust, respect, and love combination brings with it total honesty and true loyalty. When doubts arise, who better to turn to than people who showed you love throughout your growth journey.
If this is my last post, I want all to know, there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.
Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”