Lesson 67 Amplified – MATHETES

MATHETES -- MATHETAI

American singular: learner, pupil, disciple -- plural: learners, pupils, disciples 

There were, at times, dozens (perhaps hundreds) of people following our Lord Jesus the Christ. They “hung upon” every word He spoke and observed everything he did, when he permitted them. They heard Him speak His parables, but He didn’t explain the underlying truths to them. 

Almost Greek [Words in italics are translator’s additions.] 

Luke 6.12: Now, it was caused to be in those days that He went forth into the Mount of Olives proseuxasthai [to humbly beseech God, to pray]. And He was staying up the whole of the night in proseuche of Theos. And when it was caused to be day, He called to His mathetas, and He selected from them two and ten [twelve] whom He also named apostolous [delegates, ambassadors, apostles]: Simon (whom He also called Petros [“Rock”]) and Andrew Bar Jona his brother; James and John Bar Zebedee; Phillip and Nathanael Bar Tolmai [or traditionally, “Bartholomew”]; Matthew [formerly “Levi”] Bar Alphaeus and Thomas [“Twin”]; James the Less [the Younger] Bar Alphaeus and Simon (the one called Zeloten [“Zealot”]); Judas Bar Jacob [“Son of James”; later called “Jude”] and Judas Bar Simeon the Iscariot (who was caused to be His surrenderer [betrayer]. 

Luke 6.39: Now, He spoke a parable to them: “I ask whether (or not at all) a blind person is able to show the way to a blind person? Won’t both fall into a hole? A mathetes isn’t above his teacher but having been thoroughly completed, all will be as their teachers.

 

Luke 7.11 And it was caused to be in the next day, that He traveled into a city called Nain [“Pleasantness”], Galilee and an ample number of His mathetai and a great crowd journeyed with Him. 

Luke 14.25: Now, many (a large throng) assembled to Him and turning, He said toward them, “If anyone comes toward Me and not detests his father and his mother and his gunaika and his children and his brothers and his sisters and (besides) even his psuche, he isn’t able to be My mathetes. And he who not bears his stake and comes behind [follows] Me, he isn’t able to be My mathetes. 

Acts 6.7: And the Logos of Theos grew and the number of the matheton in Jerusalem vehemently increased and a large throng of the priests listened attentively to [heeded, conformed to] the pistei [faith]. 

Acts 9: Now, Saul [later Paul] was still inhaling [breathing] threats and murder to the mathetas of the Kuriou. Having approached the high priest, he asked for letters off [from] him to Damascus, Syria (toward [to] the synagogues), so that if any of “The Way” be found (both men and gunaikas) binding them, he might lead [drag] them to Jerusalem. 

Acts 10.25: And Joses Bar Nabas went forth to Tarsus, Cilicia to seek out Saul. And finding him, he led him to Antioch. Now, it was caused to be to them a whole year convened in the ekklesia [assembly, church] and they taught a competent [considerable] throng. The mathetas were also first called Christianos [Christians] in Antioch. 

Acts 14.19: Now, Judaeans came over from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded [won over] the throng [populace]. And stoning Paul, they trailed [dragged] him outside the city; nomisantes [doing by Law] to him tethnanan [having died]. Now, the matheton having encircled him, anastas [standing up again], he reentered the city and the next day, he went forth with Joses Bar Nabas to Derbe. Both euaggelisamenoi [announced the good news, evangelized] to that city, and matheteusantes [having made learners, pupils, disciples] of enough people, they returned to Lystra and its environs (Iconium and Antioch), confirming the psuchas [souls] of the matheton, parakalountes [calling near, inviting, urging, exhorting, encouraging] them to continue in the pistei and that it is necessary that, via much stress, we enter into the Kingdom of Theos. 

John 6.60: Hearing this, many emergent from His mathetai said, “This logos is hard to accept. Who can stand to listen to it?” But Jesus (knowing in Himself that His mathetai were murmuring concerning this) said to them, “Does this offend you? What then will be your reaction if you are a spectator of the Son of Man going up where He was at first? It is the Hagios Pneuma Who makes alive; the flesh profits not even one thing! The rhemata [utterances] that I speak to you are pneuma [spirit] and are life but emergent from you are some who not pisteuousin [are putting their faith] in Me.” For Jesus knew (emergent from the beginning) who are those not pisteuontes and who is the one surrendering Him, and He said, “This is why I have told you that not even one man is able to come to Me unless it is given to the same emergent from My Father.” After this, many of His matheton went away into the things behind [returned to their previous pursuits] and no longer walked all around with Him. To us twelve, He said, “Don't you also wish to go away?” Simon (the Rock) answered Him, “Kurie! to whom shall we go? You have the rhemata of eternal life. We pepisteukamen [have put our faith in] You and have known that You are the Christos [Anointed One, Mashiyach], the Son of the living Theos.” 

                                                End of Sixty-seventh Lesson