In general terms, a disciple is someone who follows another. John the Baptist had disciples (John 1:35), the Jewish religious leaders had disciples (Luke 5:33), and Jesus had disciples (Matthew 10:1).
Also, the Pharisees affirmed that they were Moses’ disciples, albeit centuries after Moses’ death (John 9:28).
Sometimes Disciple, as a proper noun, refers to one of Jesus’ original twelve followers, whereas other times it refers to any follower of Jesus (John 8:31).
Often the terms disciple and apostle are used interchangeably, although some would say that a Disciple is one of the original twelve followers, whereas an Apostle is a more generic term that applies to all followers of Jesus.
Key verse about Disciple: Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14, NIV)
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
