The Seventy Disciples, also referred to as the Seventy-Two in some manuscripts, are a group of followers of Jesus Christ mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. This group is distinct from the Twelve Apostles and plays a significant role in the early ministry of Jesus. The account of their commissioning is found in Luke 10:1-24.

Biblical Account

In Luke 10:1 , it is written: "After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit." This passage highlights the strategic and preparatory role of the Seventy Disciples in Jesus' ministry. They were sent in pairs to towns and villages to prepare the way for Jesus, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and mutual support in ministry.

The mission of the Seventy Disciples was to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God and to perform acts of healing. Jesus instructed them in Luke 10:9 , "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’" This directive underscores the dual focus of their mission: physical healing and spiritual proclamation.

Instructions and Warnings

Jesus provided specific instructions and warnings to the Seventy Disciples. In Luke 10:3-4 , He said, "Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road." These instructions highlight the urgency and dependence on divine provision required for their mission. The imagery of lambs among wolves suggests the potential dangers and opposition they would face.

Furthermore, Jesus instructed them on how to respond to acceptance and rejection. In Luke 10:10-11 , He advised, "But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’" This act of shaking off the dust was a symbolic gesture of judgment and a testimony to the seriousness of rejecting the message of the Kingdom.

Return and Rejoicing

The Seventy Disciples returned with joy, reporting the success of their mission. In Luke 10:17 , it is recorded, "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 'Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.'" Their report highlights the authority and power granted to them through Jesus' name, affirming the divine backing of their mission.

Jesus responded to their report with a profound statement in Luke 10:18-20 : "He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'" This response emphasizes the spiritual victory over evil and the eternal significance of their relationship with God.

Theological Significance

The mission of the Seventy Disciples is significant for several reasons. It demonstrates the expansion of Jesus' ministry beyond the Twelve Apostles, indicating the inclusivity and broad reach of His message. The sending of the Seventy also prefigures the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

Additionally, the account of the Seventy Disciples highlights the importance of obedience, faith, and reliance on God's provision in ministry. Their mission serves as a model for Christian evangelism, emphasizing the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, the demonstration of God's power through healing, and the readiness to face opposition with courage and faith.

Historical and Traditional Perspectives

The identity and subsequent roles of the Seventy Disciples are not detailed in the biblical text, leading to various traditions and interpretations throughout church history. Some early Christian writings and traditions have attempted to name these disciples, though these lists vary and are not considered canonical.

The commissioning of the Seventy Disciples is celebrated in some Christian liturgical calendars, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church, which commemorates them on January 4th. This reflects the enduring recognition of their contribution to the early spread of the Gospel and the establishment of the Christian faith.Seventy Disciples

SEVENTY DISCIPLES

The account of the designation and mission of these is found only in Luke 10. Some have therefore sought to maintain that we have here only a confused variant of the appointment of the Twelve; but this is impossible in the light of Luke's account of the Twelve in chapter 9.

The documents vary as between the numbers seventy and seventy-two, so that it is impossible to determine which is the correct reading; and internal evidence does not help at all in this case. There is nothing in the function or circumstances to indicate any reason for the specific number.

Commentators have sought parallels in the seventy elders chosen to assist Moses (Numbers 11) and suppose that Jesus was incidentally indicating Himself as the "prophet like unto Moses" whom God would raise up.

Again, the Jews popularly reckoned the "number of the nations of the earth" at seventy (compare Genesis 10), and some have supposed Jesus to be thus indicating that His gospel is universal. Attention is called to the fact that the Seventy are not forbidden to go to Gentiles and that their commission probably included Peraea, where many Gentiles were to be found. Some, again, have supposed that Jesus had in mind the Jewish Sanhedrin, composed of seventy (or seventy-two), and that the appointment of a like number to extend the work of His kingdom was a parabolic recognition that as the Jews were officially rejecting Him, so He was rejecting them as agents for the work of the kingdom. It is impossible to speak with any certainty as to any of these suggestions. It is to be noted that there is the same confusion between the numbers seventy and seventy-two in all four instances, as also in the tradition as to the number of translators of the Septuagint.

Inasmuch as no further mention is made of these workers, it is to be understood that they were appointed for a temporary ministry. Tradition names several of them and identifies them with disciples active after Pentecost. While it is probable that some of these were witnesses later, the tradition is worthless in details. The mission of these and the reason assigned for their appointment are essentially the same as in the case of the Twelve. Jesus is now completing His last popular campaign in preaching and introducing the kingdom of heaven. The employing of these in this service is in line with the permanent ideal of Christianity, which makes no distinction between the "laymen" and the "clergy" in responsibility and service. Jesus was perhaps employing all whose experience and sympathy made them fit for work in the harvest that was so plenteous while the laborers were few. He found seventy such now as He would find a hundred and twenty such after His ascension (Acts 1:15).

William Owen Carver

On the Mission of the Seventy Disciples, and Christ's Charge to ...
... Chapter XXIV."On the Mission of the Seventy Disciples, and Christ's Charge
to Them Precedents Drawn from the Old Testament. Absurdity ...
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The Disciples of Our Saviour.
... 1. The names of the apostles of our Saviour are known to every one from the Gospels.
[199] But there exists no catalogue of the seventy disciples. ...
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Excursus on the Chorepiscopi.
... If nothing more could be urged against them, than that the Council of Neo-C??sarea
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Journey Continued through Samaria. (Luke, xvii. , 11, Seq. ) ...
... first return from the Feast of Passover. The seventy disciples prepared
his way among the Samaritans. A few of them met with a bad ...
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The Same Hippolytus on the Seventy Apostles.
... These two belonged to the seventy disciples who were scattered [2030] by the offence
of the word which Christ spoke, "Except a man eat my flesh, and drink my ...
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Choice of the Seventy. (Luke, X. ) --Import of the Number "Seventy ...
... of disciples had to be selected, and he chose (as in the selection of the Twelve,
p.116) a number at that time in common currency. The round number seventy may ...
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The Chorepiscopi, However, are Indeed after the Pattern of the ...
... that the Synod did not hold the chorepiscopi to be true bishops, as such were always
reputed and called successors, not of the Seventy disciples but successors ...
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Narrative Concerning the Prince of the Edessenes.
... heaven, Thomas, [215] one of the twelve apostles, under divine impulse sent Thaddeus,
who was also numbered among the seventy disciples of Christ, [216] to ...
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The Acts of Philip.
... And there was with him also Bartholomew, one of the seventy disciples of the Lord,
and his sister Mariamme, and his disciples that followed him. ...
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Instructions to the Seventy on their Mission. (Luke, X. ) the Wo ...
... Instructions to the Seventy on their Mission ... gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them." Therefore, in sending out his disciples in various ...
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