Isaiah prophesied concerning the coming of Christ .... among those who would follow Him. They were called 'disciples' even back then:
Isa 8:14-15 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
The same Hebrew word that was translated ‘disciples’ was also translated ‘the learned’. Thus, we can conclude that a disciple is a learner:
Isa 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
A disciple is one who has been disciplined to learn obedience:
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Ananias was a disciple, who was sent to give sight to Saul after he was blinded on the road to Damascus:
Acts 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Although people were fearful of trusting Saul, Barnabas assured them not to worry because Saul really was a disciple:
Acts 9:26-29 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
Timothy was a disciple:
Acts 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Since Acts 11, disciples are called Christians:
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Paul regularly kept company with men who were called disciples:
Acts 21:15-17 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Would you receive disciples gladly like those brothers did? ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ distance themselves from folks who call themselves ‘disciples’ .... because they SEPARATE the body of Christ .... in the name of ‘right’ division. Jesus said that the character trait of ‘love for the brethren’ would be an obvious indication to everyone to identify His disciples:
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Could you be His disciple and learn of Him to love your brothers and sisters in the household of God?
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"
