What Does it Mean to Be a Disciple?

 The Apostle Paul
We gain a little bit of insight into what is was like to be a disciple (talmidim) from the Apostle Paul. He was from Tarsus, a city which is today in present day south central Turkey. Paul studied under the teacher Gamaliel. Gamaliel was the grandson of the famous Hillel the Elder. Gamaliel taught in Jerusalem. In order for Paul to be a student of Gamaliel, he had to leave his family behind and live in Jerusalem. The distance between Jerusalem and Tarsus is approximately 440 miles. Driving in today’s vehicles, it would take about 8 hours. If you did this route walking, going 20 miles a day, it would take 22 days.

Needless to say, Paul was familiar with what it meant to be a disciple. He would have left his land, his birthplace and his father’s house to come to Jerusalem to learn at the feet of Gamaliel.

The disciple selection process
To be a disciple of a teacher, a student would have to apply for the position. The student would have to show a willingness to learn, dedication and intelligence. Many times there were tests and challenges to overcome to determine if a student would be selected by a teacher for discipleship. Even if a student was not allowed to be a disciple, often, the person would be near the teacher to glean teachings and perhaps prove his worth to become a disciple.

Some teachers had a large cohort of disciples; some had a small number. The usual number of disciples for a teacher to have is 12. So, Jesus walking around with 12 disciples, plus there were often other people around who wanted to be a disciple, but were never picked, was common.

We see Jesus has the 12 inner circle disciples, but there are also a large number of other people who are considered part of Jesus’ teaching ministries.

1Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. (Luke 10:1)


Jesus Selects His disciples
Usually, a person came to a teacher and asked to be discipled by the teacher. The teacher would make the decision if the person will be accepted as a student.

With Jesus, we see the exact opposite. Jesus hand picks His disciples and tells them to “Follow Me”.

The calling of Simon and Andrew
16As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. (Mark 1:16-20)

The calling of Levi (Matthew)
14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. (Mark 2:14)


It may seem strange to us to have a complete stranger approach you, say follow me, and the person obeys. Being selected by a rabbi to be a disciple was a big deal. Even today, it is very hard for a teacher to accept a person to be his student. There still exists today in the Jewish community rabbis and talmidim. This is a very special and intimate relationship. It is highly sought after. The expectations are high, and a student can be dropped for any reason.


Talmud-Rabbi relationship
The talmid studies not only to learn what their teachers knows but studies to become the type of man the teacher is. The Hebrew root from which the word talmid comes from is the word limmud which means instructed.

To be a disciple does not mean one shows up for class, takes a few tests and then gets a certificate saying he passed the course. No, to be a disciple means you are EXACTLY like your teacher. It means if the teacher uses a knife and fork to eat a piece of pizza, the disciple also uses a knife and fork to eat a pizza of pizza. In everything the teacher does, so does the student. The student-teacher relationship is very intimate.

Most rabbis and their students live together, eat together and sleep together. To learn everything about your teacher, the student needs access to everything the teacher does. Unlike our school systems in which being a teacher is a 9 to 5 job, being a rabbi with talmidim means the rabbi is working 24/7. Every moment is a teaching moment. Every moment the teacher is being observed. And so it was with Jesus and His disciples. Wherever Jesus went, His disciples went.

There are a few times Jesus leaves His disciples for time alone.

45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)