Seventy Disciples

The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples, known in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian traditions as the seventy apostles or seventy-two apostles, were early emissaries of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The correct Greek terminology is evdomikonta (εβδομήκοντα) apostoli or evdomikonta mathetes.

According to the Gospel of Luke, the only gospel in which they appear, Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs on a specific mission which is detailed in the text. The number of those disciples varies between either 70 or 72 depending on the account.

In Western Christianity, they are usually referred to as Disciple (Christianity), disciples, whereas in Eastern Christianity they are usually referred to as apostles. Using the original Greek language, Greek words, both titles are descriptive, as an ''apostle'' is one sent on a Mission (Christian), mission (the Greek uses the verb form: ''apesteilen'') whereas a ''disciple'' is a student, but the two traditions differ on the scope of the words ''apostle'' and ''disciple''.

Bible text

The passage from Luke 10 reads (in Douay–Rheims Bible):

Analysis

This is the only mention of the group in the Bible. The number is ''seventy'' in some manuscripts of the Alexandrian text-type, Alexandrian (such as Codex Sinaiticus) and Caesarean text-type, Caesarean text traditions but ''seventy-two'' in most other Alexandrian and Western text-type, Western texts. It may derive from the Sons of Noah, seventy nations of Genesis 10 or the many other occurrences of the number seventy in the Bible, or the seventy-two translators of the Septuagint from the Letter of Aristeas. In translating the ''Vulgate'', Jerome selected the reading of seventy-two.

The ''Gospel of Luke'' is not alone among the synoptic gospels in containing multiple episodes in which Jesus sends out his followers on missions. The first occasion () is closely based on the "limited commission" mission in ''Gospel of Mark, Mark'' , which however recounts the sending out of the twelve apostles, rather than seventy, though with similar details. The parallels (also Gospel of Matthew, Matthew , , ) suggest a common origin in the hypothesized Q document. Luke also mentions the Great Commission to "all nations" () but in less detail than Matthew's account and mentions the Dispersion of the Apostles.

What has been said to the seventy (two) in is referred in passing to the Twelve in :
:He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No, nothing," they replied.

Feast days

The feast day commemorating the seventy is known as the "Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles" in Eastern Orthodoxy, and is celebrated on January 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), January 4. Each of the seventy apostles also has individual commemorations scattered throughout the liturgical year (see Eastern Orthodox Church calendar).

Lists of the disciples' names

Attributed to Hippolytus

A Greek text titled ''On the Seventy Apostles of Christ'' is known from several manuscripts, the oldest in Codex Baroccianus 206, a ninth-century palimpsest lectionary. The text is ancient, but its traditional ascription to Hippolytus of Rome is now considered dubious. An 1886 translation is:
# James the Just, James the Lord's brother, bishop of Jerusalem
# Cleopas, bishop of Jerusalem
# Saint Matthias, Matthias, who supplied the vacant place in the number of the twelve apostles
# Thaddeus of Edessa, Thaddeus, who conveyed the epistle to Augarus (Abgar V)
# Ananias of Damascus, Ananias, who baptized Paul, and was bishop of Damascus
# St Stephen, Stephen, the first martyr
# Philip the Evangelist, Philip, who baptized the Ethiopian eunuch
# Prochorus (deacon), Prochorus, bishop of Nicomedia, who also was the first that departed, 11 believing together with his daughters
# Nicanor the Deacon, Nicanor died when Stephen was martyred
# Timon the Deacon, Timon, bishop of Bostra
# Parmenas, bishop of Soli.
# Nicolas the Deacon, Nicolaus, bishop of Samaria
# Barnabas, bishop of Milan
# Mark the Evangelist, bishop of Alexandria
# Luke the Evangelist
#:These two [Mark and Luke] belonged to the seventy disciples who were scattered by the offence of John 6#Rejected by His own, the word which Christ spoke, "Except a man eat my flesh, and drink my blood, he is not worthy of me." But the one being induced to return to the Lord by Peter's instrumentality, and the other by Paul's, they were honored to preach that Gospel on account of which they also suffered martyrdom, the one being burned, and the other being crucified on an olive tree.
# Silas, bishop of Corinth
# Silvanus of the Seventy, Silvanus, bishop of Thessalonica
# Crescens, Crisces (Crescens), bishop of Carchedon in Galatia
# Epenetus of Carthage, Epænetus, bishop of Carthage
# Andronicus of Pannonia, Andronicus, bishop of Pannonia
# Ampliatus, Amplias, bishop of Odyssus
# Urban of Macedonia, Urban, bishop of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia
# Stachys the Apostle, Stachys, bishop of Byzantium
# Barnabas, bishop of Heraclea Perinthus, Heraclea
# Phygellus, bishop of Ephesus. He was of the party also of Simon
# Hermogenes. He, too, was of the same mind with the former
# Demas, who also became a priest of idols
# Apelles of Heraklion, Apelles, bishop of Smyrna
# Aristobulus of Britannia, Aristobulus, bishop of Great Britain, Britain
# Narcissus of Athens, Narcissus, bishop of Athens
# Herodion, bishop of Tarsus, Mersin, Tarsus
# Agabus the prophet
# Rufus of Thebes, Rufus, bishop of Thebes, Greece, Thebes
# Asyncritus of Hyrcania, Asyncritus, bishop of Hyrcania
# Phlegon of Marathon, Phlegon, bishop of Marathon, Greece, Marathon
# Hermas of Dalmatia, Hermes, bishop of Dalmatia
# Patrobulus, bishop of Puteoli
# Hermas, bishop of Philippopolis (Thrace)
# Pope Linus, Linus, pope, bishop of Rome
# Gaius of Ephesus, Caius, bishop of Ephesus
# Philologus of Sinope, Philologus, bishop of Sinop, Turkey, Sinope
# Olympas, Olympus and ...
# ...Herodion of Patras, Rhodion were martyred in Rome
# Lucius of Cyrene, Lucius, bishop of Laodicea in Syria
# Jason of Thessalonica, Jason, bishop of Tarsus
# Sosipater, bishop of Iconium
# Tertius of Iconium, Tertius, bishop of Iconium
# Erastus of Corinth, Erastus, bishop of Panellas
# Quartus, bishop of Berytus
# Apollos, bishop of Cæsarea
# Cephas of Iconium, Cephas
# Sosthenes, bishop of Colophonia
# Tychicus, bishop of Colophonia
# Epaphroditus, bishop of Andriace
# Caesar of Dyrrhachium, Cæsar, bishop of Dyrrachium
# Mark of Apollonias, Mark, cousin to Barnabas, bishop of Apollonia
# Justus of Eleutheropolis, Justus, bishop of Eleutheropolis
# Artemas of Lystra, Artemas, bishop of Lystra
# Clement of Sardice, Clement, bishop of Sardinia
# Onesiphorus, bishop of Corone
# Tychicus of Chalcedon, Tychicus, bishop of Chalcedon
# Carpus of Beroea, Carpus, bishop of Berytus in Thrace
# Evodius, Evodus, bishop of Antioch
# Aristarchus of Apamea, Aristarchus, bishop of Apamea
# John Mark, Mark, who is also John, bishop of Bibloupolis
# Zenas the Lawyer, Zenas, bishop of Diospolis
# Philemon (New Testament person), Philemon, bishop of Gaza
# Aristarchus
# Pudes
# Trophimus, who was martyred along with Paul

''Book of the Bee''

Similar to an earlier list attributed to Irenaeus, Bishop Solomon of Basra of the Church of the East in the 13th century ''Book of the Bee'' offers the following list:

# James the Just, James, the son of Joseph
# Symeon of Jerusalem, Simon the son of Cleopas
# Cleopas, his father
# Joses
# Simon (brother of Jesus), Simon
# Jude, brother of Jesus, Judah
# Barnabas
# Manaeus (?)
# Ananias of Damascus, Ananias, who baptised Paul
# Aramaic of Jesus#Cephas, Cephas, who preached at Antioch
# Joseph of Arimathea, Joseph the senator
# Nicodemus the archon
# Nathanael (follower of Jesus), Nathaniel the chief scribe
# Justus, that is Joseph Barsabbas, Joseph, who is called Barshabbâ
# Silas
# Judah
# John Mark, John, surnamed Mark
# Mnason, who received Paul
# Manahen, Manaël, the foster-brother of Herod
# Simeon Niger, Simon called Niger
# Jason of Thessalonica, Jason, who is (mentioned) in the Acts (of the apostles)
# Rufus (biblical figure), Rufus
# Alexander
# Simon of Cyrene, Simon the Cyrenian, their father
# Lucius of Cyrene, Lucius the Cyrenian
# Another Judas Barsabbas, Judah, who is mentioned in the Acts (of the apostles)
# Judah, who is called Simon
# Eurion (Orion) the splay-footed
# Thôrus (?)
# Thorîsus (?)
# Zabdon
# Zakron
#:These are Seven Deacons, the seven who Acts 6, were chosen with Stephen:
# Philip the Evangelist, who had three daughters that used to prophesy;
# Saint Stephen, Stephen;
# Prochorus;
# Nicanor the Deacon, Nicanor;
# Timon the Deacon, Timon;
# Parmenas;
# Nicolas the Deacon, Nicolaus, the Antiochian proselyte;
#:[the next three are listed with the preceding seven]
# Andronicus of Pannonia, Andronicus the Greek;
# Saint Titus, Titus;
# Saint Timothy, Timothy.
#:These are the five who were with Peter in Rome:
# Hermas of Philippopolis, Hermas [of Philippopolis];
# Plîgtâ;
# Parrobus of Pottole, Patrobas;
# Asyncritus;
# Hermas of Dalmatia, Hermas [of Dalmatia].
#:These are the six [sic; seven names follow] who came with Peter to Cornelius the Centurion, Cornelius:
# Criscus (Crescens);
# Milichus;
# Kîrîțôn (Crito);
# Simon;
# Gaius (biblical figure), Gaius, who received Paul;
# Abrazon (?);
# Apollos.
#:These are the twelve who were rejected from among the seventy, as Judas Iscariot was from among the twelve, because they absolutely denied our Lord's divinity at the instigation of Cerinthus. Of these Luke [recte 1 John] said, They went out from us, but they were not of us;' and 2 Corinthians 11#False Apostles, Paul called them 'false apostles and deceitful workers'
#:#Simon;
#:#Levi;
#:#Bar-Ḳubbâ;
#:#Cleon;
#:#Hymenaeus (biblical figure), Hymenaeus;
#:#Candarus;
#:#Clithon (?);
#:#Demas;
#:#Narcissus;
#:#Slikîspus (?);
#:#Thaddaeus;
#:#Mârûthâ.
#:In their stead there came in these:
# Luke the Evangelist, Luke the physician;
# Apollos the elect;
# Ampliatus, Ampelius;
# Urban of Macedonia, Urbanus;
# Stachys the Apostle, Stachys;
# Popillius (or Publius);
# Aristobulus of Britannia, Aristobulus;
# Stephen (not the Corinthian);
# Herodion of Patras, Herodion the son of Narcissus;
# Olympas;
# Mark the Evangelist;
# Addai of Edessa, Addai;
# Aggai (bishop), Aggai;
# Mâr Saint Mari, Mârî.

It is said that each one of the twelve and of the seventy wrote a Gospel; but in order that there might be no contention and that the number of 'Acts' might not be multiplied, the apostles adopted a plan and chose two of the seventy, Luke and Mark, and two of the twelve, Matthew and John.

Others

Other lists are
* One attributed to Dorotheus of Tyre, completed some time before AD 811.
* One attributed to Epiphanius of Salamis

Saint Matthias, Matthias, who would later replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles, is also often numbered among the seventy, since John Mark ("John, surnamed Mark", "Mark, who is also John") is typically identified with Mark the Evangelist.

Some accounts of the legendary Saint Mantius of Évora regard him as one of the disciples, having witnessed the Last Supper and Pentecost#New Testament, Pentecost.

See also

* Life of Jesus in the New Testament
* Dispersion of the Apostles

Notes

References

External links

Luke 10 in Greek






by Solomon, Nestorian bishop of Basra, 13th century (edited by Ernest A. Wallace Budge, 1886)

{{History of Christianity

Seventy disciples,
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Gospel episodes
Gospel of Luke
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Unnamed people of the Bible