Mathetes: What Does a Disciple Look Like?

Word of the Week

March 22, 2025

Mathētēs: What Does a Disciple Look Like?

 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Matthew 16:24 NASB

 

Someone has said, “Too many churches are like a football game: 22 people on the field desperately in need of rest, and 22,000 people in the stands desperately in need of exercise.”

That’s why churches have discipleship programs.  They aim to move people from mere observer so full-hearted participants – out of the stands and onto the field.   Not just casual bystanders, but genuine disciples of Jesus.

Discipleship is a big topic.  Most churches make a concerted effort to help people become thriving disciples of Jesus.

It’s a big topic in the New Testament too.  The Greek word for “disciple” appears over 265 times in the Gospels and the book of Acts.

The question is, “What does a disciple look like?”  What are we actually trying to produce in our discipleship programs?

We can start searching for an answer by examining the Greek word used in the New Testament for a disciple.

In Greek, “disciple” comes from the word mathētēs [mah-thay-TAYSS].  It is related to the verb manthanō, which means “to learn.”  The root meaning of “disciple” is thus “a learner.”  It describes a person who puts themselves under the instruction of a teacher.  A disciple engages in purposeful learning to gain knowledge and skills from an expert.

Being a mathētēs looks different at various stages of Greek history.

For classical Greek writers, a disciple could cover many relationships: an apprenticeship to a weaver, a student learning from a physician, or the devotee of a philosopher.  It could even describe an intellectual debt to a bygone thinker.  Socrates called himself a disciple of Homer, who lived only through his writings.

The Greek Old Testament never uses the word mathētēs.  There were examples of people who “apprenticed” under an established leader, like the “sons of the prophets” who were involved with Elijah and Elisha (see 2 Kings 2:3, 15).  But Old Testament faith focused directly on God and His laws, not the expertise of a human teacher.

Things changed, however, in the centuries leading up to Christ’s coming.  Rabbis or human teachers became increasingly important.  They were the experts on the meaning of the Law, and their interpretations turned in a layer of tradition that made it more and more difficult for the average person to understand the law.  The leading rabbis began to take the place of mediators for the Scriptures.  A layperson would not go directly to the Bible; they would consult a gifted teacher to find out what God meant.

In this setting, a serious-minded follower of God would attach himself to a prominent teacher, learning from them in the hope of one day becoming a teacher himself.  These disciples of the rabbis would carry out the most menial tasks as they served the teacher.

 

That forms the background for our picture of disciples in the New Testament.  The old style of rabbinical discipleship shows up occasionally:

The Pharisees had disciples, who tried to snare Jesus in debate (Matthew 22:16).

Christ’s enemies claimed to be “disciples of Moses” (John 9:28).

Even John the Baptist had “disciples,” who showed up to hear his preaching.  They were so identified with John that they were tempted to be upset when the crowds started shifting from John to Jesus (John 3:26).

We are primarily interested, however, in the disciples of Jesus.  Who were they?

1. Mathētēs refers most directly to the twelve men who formed Christ’s inner circle.

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness (Matthew 10:1).

These men were selected by Jesus and invited to be with Him full-time.  They were commissioned to spread His message.  This period of training eventually turned into a lifelong commitment to preach the gospel everywhere.

2. There was a larger circle of disciples who attached themselves to Jesus.

Luke 6:17 mentions “a large crowd of his disciples” as well as a “great multitude of the people” who came to see His miracles and hear His teachings.

Being a disciple did not always translate into a firm allegiance to Jesus.  John 6 describes the negative response of some of these followers to some of the harsher sayings of Jesus:

• Many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This statement is very unpleasant; who can listen to it? (John 6:60).
• Jesus was “aware that His disciples were complaining about this” (John 6:61).
• As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him (John 6:66).

Disciples of Jesus came in all shapes and sizes, all levels of commitment.  Some disciples were only interested until He failed to meet their expectations.  Others had begun a path that would eventually lead to their martyrdom.

Jesus set a high bar for discipleship.  Although the Twelve consisted of fractious, unstable personalities who consistently misunderstood His teachings, Jesus called for complete allegiance.  He said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).  See also Luke 14:27, 33.

An interesting thing happens when we come to the book of Acts.  The word mathētēs appears frequently, but it consistently functions as another name for all believers.  For practical purposes, every believer is a disciple.

Perhaps Christ had already made His expectations clear:  a disciple should be completely obedient to the Master Teacher.  By the time you get to Acts, such a deep-rooted loyalty was assumed.

 

What can we learn from the Greek word for “disciple”?

First, a disciple is linked to the Teacher.  The core reality is a relationship, not a theology book.

Second, a disciple learns to live in obedience to the Teacher, not just sharpen his skills in debating theology.

Third, a disciple of Jesus has a lifelong commitment to practice what He learns from the Teacher.

To adapt a verse, “You shall love your Teacher with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.

 

Study Hint:

The subject of discipleship extends far beyond a simple word study.  If you really want to explore it more fully, you should read through the entire four Gospels, watching the way Jesus trains His disciples and shapes their character.  A helpful classic book on this subject is The Training of the Twelve by A. B. Bruce.

 

Coming Up

What happens when good Christians disagree?  Next week we will look at two words that illuminate a sharp controversy between two pioneer missionaries.

Ezra Project 2025