Why do Protestants call them the "12 Disciples"?

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adrift said:
Both in Luke and Acts the same Greek word is used
652 apostolos {ap-os’-tol-os} from 649; TDNT - 1:407,67; n m 1) a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders 1a) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ 1b) in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers 1b1) of Barnabas 1b2) of Timothy and Silvanus

Interestingly, the English word apostle according to Webster Middle English, from Anglo-French & Old English; Anglo-French apostle & Old English apostol, both from Late Latin apostolus, from Greek apostolos, from apostellein to send away, from apo- + stellein to send
First Known Use: before 12th century
At any rate both of these, say that apostle means one who is sent not witness.

Two were put forward to replace Judas. Matthias and Joseph called Barsabbas were chosen like you said because they had accompanied the others from the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us beginning with the Baptism of John to the resurrection. The way it is stated there were more than two but that these were the two put forward and the lot fell on Matthias who then was numbered among the Apostles that is one who is sent forth with orders.
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Publisher cannot find apostolic succession in the bible for the same reason that a burglar cannot find a policeman. (Apologies here to GK Chesterton)
 
Publisher said:
How does the term “Apostle” imply a sucession? Apostle means witness…in Acts Matthais was chosen because he was a witness of the resurrection and had been with the company of disciples Jesus named apostles from the beginning.

Only if one adopts the belief of “succession” could it “imply” “sucession”. The word and useage implies no such thing.
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Well it means one who is sent:

So Jesus commissions and sends the Twelve, who in turn commission and send others and so on through successive generations of commissioned and sent.
 
benjammin said:
I was at a halloween party put on by a christian organization at my school and a few of my Newman Center friends came as Jesus and the 12 apostles. Anyway I was talking with a good friend of mine who’s not Catholic (I think she’s non denominational, or was then) and I told her that “It’s the 12 apostles”, and she replied “Oh you mean the 12 Disciples”. Is there are reason for the difference in terms? Why would some protestants call them “disciples” rather than “apostles”? is there a difference in the terms
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Apostles were disciples. There were not just 12 disciples but the Gospels also mention there were 72 or more as the number increased. Disciples simply mean followers of the teacher or students.

In the Gospels, the 12 disciples were selected and became apostles. These were the inner group of Jesus followers. Later the apostleship seemed to develop especially in the Acts where the number (12) was maintained when Judas was replaced by Mathias. That meant it had become a kind of institution whereby the rest of the disciples, perhaps 72 in number or more, not much were heard of them even though they were followers of Jesus too. They certainly did not disappear from the scene but what is important to note is the structure of the 12 apostles was kept intact.

A clearer role of the apostles as it began to develop, also in the Acts, was when they decided to choose among the followers some reliable men to arbitrate over the quarrel of the widows and the non-Jews about the distribution of food to them so that the apostles could concentrate on the teaching of the Gospels. This perhaps was how the institution of the apostleship comes about today.

God bless.
 
benjammin said:
I was at a halloween party put on by a christian organization at my school and a few of my Newman Center friends came as Jesus and the 12 apostles. Anyway I was talking with a good friend of mine who’s not Catholic (I think she’s non denominational, or was then) and I told her that “It’s the 12 apostles”, and she replied “Oh you mean the 12 Disciples”. Is there are reason for the difference in terms? Why would some protestants call them “disciples” rather than “apostles”? is there a difference in the terms
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Let’s have a look at what one of the earliest Church fathers had to say:

Clement of Rome

Our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned, and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry (Letter to the Corinthians 44:1 A.D. 95]).

Source: staycatholic.com/ecf_apostolic_succession.htm

MJ
 
AbideWithMe said:
Or, disciples=students; Apostles=teachers sent out to various places.
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Not so in the Gospels. The apostles were the twelve. There were certainly more than twelve disciples (followers) being sent out but they were not necessary apostles.

Today the term apostle is being used more freely as one can allude to the fact that anyone who is a follower of Jesus and hold some kind of status in the church can call themselves apostles - not exactly the same understanding of what it is in the Gospel other than that they are being followers of the Lord which hold some kind of office and teaching responsibility.

Rightly an apostle today must be able to trace his connection right to the original twelve apostles. If one is not a successor of them, then one cannot be an apostle (for it is a specific office) but just a disciple.
 
I was brought up Presbyterian. I was taught that Jesus had 12 disciples, but yet we said the Apostles Creed every Sunday.😃
 
AbideWithMe said:
That was unnecessary.
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What if it causes him/her to take a fresh look at the scriptures? What if it leads to a deeper search for hte truth?

You do understand what it means - that one can find something in scripture only if they are actually looking for it?
 
Publisher said:
How does the term “Apostle” imply a sucession? Apostle means witness…in Acts Matthais was chosen because he was a witness of the resurrection and had been with the company of disciples Jesus named apostles from the beginning.

Only if one adopts the belief of “succession” could it “imply” “sucession”. The word and useage implies no such thing.
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Apostle doesn’t imply a succession. Apostolic succession means the Bishops are the successors of the Apostles. Anything that has succession isn’t implied by the name of what is being succeeded. So I don’t know why you are trying something from the etymology of the word.
 
There terms were used with no particular pattern in my former Fundamentalist church, though disciple was used more often for the twelve. Paul was often called the Apostle Paul. There was no reason given and there seemed to be no formal rule. Neither term was distinguished from the other.

Interestingly though, the number twelve came up again. There were always twelve active deacons and quite a few inactive ones. The twelve active deacons served as the church board and had fixed terms before others rotated on and off the board of deacons.
 
Because they are the 12 Disciples.

I, honestly, can’t think of a time when they used the term Apostles.

Or if they did, I knew they were referring to the 12 Disciples.

I never realized there was a difference. Now I know. 👍
 
Kal2012 said:
Because they are the 12 Disciples.

I, honestly, can’t think of a time when they used the term Apostles.

Or if they did, I knew they were referring to the 12 Disciples.

I never realized there was a difference. Now I know. 👍
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I had to check this out. I find:

Matthew 10:2
Mark 6:30
Mark 10:32
Luke 6:13
Luke 8:1
Luke 9:1
Luke 9:10
Luke 18:31
Luke 24:9-10
Luke 24:33
Acts 1:2
Acts 1:25-26
Acts 2:14
Romans 1:1
1 Corinthians 1:1
1 Corinthians 4:9
1 Corinthians 9:1
1 Corinthians 15:5
2 Corinthians 1:1
Galatians 1:1
Galatians 1:17
Galatians 2:8

And too many more to list. In virtually every case, they were the twelve or later, the eleven. After their call, Paul and Matthias were counted among them. Every Apostle is also a disciple, but few disciples are Apostles.
 
benjammin said:
I was at a halloween party put on by a christian organization at my school and a few of my Newman Center friends came as Jesus and the 12 apostles. Anyway I was talking with a good friend of mine who’s not Catholic (I think she’s non denominational, or was then) and I told her that “It’s the 12 apostles”, and she replied “Oh you mean the 12 Disciples”. Is there are reason for the difference in terms? Why would some protestants call them “disciples” rather than “apostles”? is there a difference in the terms
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Not sure where that is coming from. When I was around the fundies I never heard that before.
 
From my thirty-plus years in a Fundamentalist environment, I would have to say that the Fundamentalists I knew called them the twelve disciples. I really don’t think it is much more than using a term that people are used to hearing. If there was a reason to call them one term over another, I never heard it.
 
po18guy said:
What if it causes him/her to take a fresh look at the scriptures? What if it leads to a deeper search for hte truth?

You do understand what it means - that one can find something in scripture only if they are actually looking for it?
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Po18guy—You wrote, “Publisher cannot find apostolic succession in the Bible for the same reason that a burglar cannot find a policeman.” Then I posted, “That was not necessary.”

A burglar “cannot find a policeman” because he/she has malicious intent. Said burglar, unless he/she is one of those idiots in funny news stories about stupid criminals, is making every effort to avoid being detected and confronted by a policeman…IOW, the burglar is being dishonest and sneaky.

Now, do you really mean to say a non-Catholic must be malicious, dishonest and sneaky if he doesn’t see apostolic succession in the Bible?
 
AbideWithMe said:
Po18guy—You wrote, “Publisher cannot find apostolic succession in the Bible for the same reason that a burglar cannot find a policeman.” Then I posted, “That was not necessary.”

A burglar “cannot find a policeman” because he/she has malicious intent. Said burglar, unless he/she is one of those idiots in funny news stories about stupid criminals, is making every effort to avoid being detected and confronted by a policeman…IOW, the burglar is being dishonest and sneaky.

Now, do you really mean to say a non-Catholic must be malicious, dishonest and sneaky if he doesn’t see apostolic succession in the Bible?
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GK Chesterton was quoted as saying that atheists could not find God for the same reason that burglars cannot find a policeman - they are not looking for one. Please do not read any more than that into it.
 
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