Call of the First Disciples PDF

The Call of the First Disciples: Saying “Yes” to God’s Call 1 Corinthians 12:28 Ephesians 2:20 What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle? A disciple is one who is learning under the instruction of a master. (Latin word – discipulus) Means - pupil (Greek wo...

The Call of the First Disciples: Saying “Yes” to God’s Call 1 Corinthians 12:28 Ephesians 2:20 What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle? A disciple is one who is learning under the instruction of a master. (Latin word – discipulus) Means - pupil (Greek word- apostolos) Means- delegate  An apostle is a messenger and authorized representative of the sender. After having been formed by the master, an apostle speaks and acts with confidence in teaching others what has been taught him.  The apostles were commissioned by Christ to preach the Gospel to all mankind, exercised leadership roles in the early Church.  Mark 1:16-20  As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.  When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.  James John Peter Andrew Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas Simon James Thaddaeus Judas Iscariot  Simon, son of Jonah Cephas (“rock” or stone) 1. He was called to be a fisher of men. Left everything to follow Jesus. (Mathew 4:19; Luke 5:11) 2. Simon - was changed by Jesus. 3. He said: “Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God. Jesus named him Peter (rock) and said, “on this rock I will build my church”. (Matthew 16:16-19; John 1:42-44) 4. He was reprimanded because he refused to accept that Jesus had to die. (Matthew 16:23)  General Information - Son of John and born in Bethsaida. (John 1:42-44) - Lived in Capernaum. (Matthew 8:5-7, 14) - Fisherman. (Matthew 4:18) -Brother of Andrew. (Matthew 4:18) - Partner with James and John. (Luke 5:10) -He denied knowing Jesus three times. (Matthew 26:69, 70) - After Jesus rose from the dead, three times he asked Peter if he loved him. Jesus forgave Peter and commissioned him to “feed his sheep.”(John 21:17-19) -After Pentecost, Peter becomes a bold preacher and leader, who no longer feared death. The Denial of St. Peter He asked to be crucified upside down. Nero Peter may have been crucified during the reign of Nero in Rome. His apostolic symbol is a cross upside down with crossed keys. The keys represent Peter as holder of the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  - Older brother of John - Together with his brother, they were called by Jesus as “ sons of thunder”. - Present during the TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus - was beheaded by Herod in the early days of the Church - His symbol is three shells, the sign of his pilgrimage by the sea - was called the Beloved Apostle -Closest to Jesus at the Last Supper and the only apostle present at the Crucifixion in Calvary to whom Jesus entrusted His Mother - was called by Paul as one of the “pillars” of the Church in Jerusalem - the author of or the source for the Gospel and Epistles of John  "the disciple whom Jesus loved". - at the Lake of Nazareth first of the seven disciples present who recognized his Master standing on the shore. - It is said that an attempt was made on John’s life by giving him a chalice of poison from which God spared him. -A chalice with a snake in it is his symbol. - Brother of Peter and also a fisherman - a follower of John the Baptist and the one who took Peter to meet Jesus - the one who spotted the young boy with the five loaves and two fishes - was crucified in Achaea on a “crux decussata” (X) which became known as St. Andrew’s Cross. - He recognized Jesus as the Messiah -Present at the Last Supper, he witnessed the Ascension and he beheld the risen Jesus - An apostle from Bethsaida - Persuaded Nathaniel (Bartholomew) to accompany him to see Jesus - Always paired with Bartholomew - Took care of the food supply -was among the apostles waiting for the Holy Spirit Philip is commonly associated with the symbol The symbol of Philip is a basket, of the Latin Cross. Other because of his part in the feeding of symbols assigned to Philip the five thousand. It is he that include, the cross with two stressed the cross as a sign of loaves, a basket filled with Christianity and victory bread, a spear with the patriarchal cross, and a - Hisname means “son of thunder” in Aramaic - According to tradition he preached in Ethiopia, India, and Armenia - Persia Honored with a feast every August 24  His apostolic symbol is three parallel knives… Because he was flayed alive with knives - according to some, he was beheaded, according to others, flayed alive and crucified, head downward, by order of Astyages, for having converted his brother, Polymius, King of Armenia. -formerly a tax collector who was in the service of the tetrarch Herod Antipas - In the Gospel of Matthew, he was identical with the call of Levi - his apostolic ministry is associated with the mission fields of Macedonia, Egypt, Ethiopia and Persia - He was stabbed with a sword  “Jesus said : I came not to call the just, but sinners".  -better known as the “doubting Thomas” - Manifested strong faith and courage (Let us go along to die with Him). He was killed with a spear as a martyr for his Lord. His symbol is a group of spears, stones and arrows.  - son of Alphaeus - Also called as “James, the Less” to distinguish him from the brother of John St. Paul tells us he was a witness of the Because James body was Resurrection of Christ; he is also a sawed in pieces, the saw "pillar" of the Church, whom St. Paul became his apostolic symbol. consulted about the Gospel. - Son of James closely linked to Simon the “Zealot” -Supposedly went to Persia to preach but was martyred there -Jude is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. The chosen symbol for Jude is the ship because he was a missionary thought to be a fisherman.  - Son of Simon and the only apostle who did not come from Galilee. -The treasurer of the group - Sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver coins - out of guilt he hanged himself  In the New Testament he is sometimes called Simon the Zealot because of the zeal he showed for the Mosaic law which he practiced before his call. His apostolic symbol is a fish lying on a Bible, which indicates he was a former fisherman who became a fisher of men through preaching.  -Matthias was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus, and had been with Him from His baptism by John to the Ascension (Acts 21, 22) Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas among the Apostles. His symbol is the lance. It is an old tradition that Saint Matthias was martyred in southern Asia with such a weapon.  Summary of Key Points The call of discipleship, or apostleship, is a call to a personal, committed relationship with Christ and to a sharing in his work and mission The commission of the apostles lays the foundation of the Church. The full authority of Jesus is founded on the commission He has received from the Father. The Apostles have acted by virtue of the commission of Jesus, a commission that is without limit, embracing all peoples, all culture, and all nations.