What is the difference between a disciple and apostle?

Answer

Every apostle was a disciple, but not every disciple was an apostle. Every person who believes in Jesus is called His disciple. Matthew 28:19–20 records Jesus saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Greek word for “disciple” simply refers to a learner and is used throughout the New Testament to refer to people who believed in Jesus and followed Him (Luke 14:26-33). For example, Acts 6:1 says, “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing.” The word disciples simply means “believers” or “Christians” in this context.

The Greek word for “apostle” literally means “one who is sent” and can refer to an emissary or anyone sent on a mission. An apostle is given the authority of the one who sent him. All of the apostles were disciples—they were among the many believers in Jesus—but only a select group of disciples were chosen as the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:1-4;Mark 3:14;Acts 26:14-18). This included the original twelve disciples (although Judas Iscariot eventually reversed his loyalties and rejected Christ) and either Paul or Matthias. That there is a select group of twelve apostles is seen in the foundations of the walls of the New Jerusalem: twelve foundations, each inscribed with a name of an apostle «And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb» (Revelation 21:14).

Names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb., (Revelation 21:14).

Other men who are named as “apostles” in the New Testament—although not part of the Twelve—include Matthias «And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.», (Acts 1:26), Barnabas «When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: », (Acts 14:14), Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:6-9), Timothy and Silas «Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. », (1 Thessalonians 1:1,2:6), Epaphroditus «I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. », (Philippians 2:25), and two unnamed apostles «As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. », (2 Corinthians 8:23, possibly already included in the previous list). These men were “sent ones” chosen for specific tasks on behalf of the church, but they were not among the Twelve who were personally chosen by Jesus. Jesus is aAlso called an “apostle” in Hebrews 3:1, indicating that He was sent by and had the authority of His Father.

Ephesians 4:11–16 discusses apostles along with other church leaders whose role was to equip the believers for works of service. The primary distinction of apostles seems to have been their authority. The apostles’ teachings lay the foundation for the truths of our faith (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:20). The requirements for being an apostle included having been with Christ during His ministry, personally witnessing Jesus after His resurrection, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform miracles or signs (Acts 1:21-22; 10:41; 2 Corinthians 12:12). Paul was an exception to some of the qualifications. Although he did not accompany Jesus on His earthly journeys, Jesus made a special appearance to him on the road to Damascus and appointed him as an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 26:14-18). This is why Paul described his position among the other apostles as “one born at the wrong time” «And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. », (1 Corinthians 15:8, NET).

There are no apostles, in the specific sense of the term, alive in the world today. There were only twelve, and they had a unique role in establishing the church. The term apostle, however, is still utilized by some Christian groups to refer to a missionary or visionary leader in a general sense. Nevertheless, these individuals do not meet the same criteria as the twelve apostles in the Bible.

In essence, every individual who believes in Jesus as their Savior is a disciple of Jesus. However, only a select group of individuals

Only believers were chosen as apostles and given authority to perform signs and share the revelations found in the New Testament.