Dear Ask Anything,

What’s the difference between an apostle and a disciple? Aren’t they both dudes that followed after Jesus? Let me know.

– Peter

Peter,

Well , the reason this is a confusing topic is because the disciples and apostles were essentially the same men. You are correct in stating that they are “dudes that followed after Jesus.” They followed him everywhere, even after his death.

The word “disciple” derives from Latin and means “pupil” or “learner,” according to The New Bible Dictionary. Basically, a disciple is anyone who follows and learns from Jesus. You could be a disciple if you so choose.

More commonly, however, people use the term to refer to the famous 12 disciples. When Jesus first set out on his path of miracles and righteousness he developed a following, a large number of “groupies.” Mark 1:16-18 describes how Jesus obtained his first disciples.

“One day, as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and followed Him.”

Eventually, 10 others joined Jesus’ crew. They were James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, another James, Thaddaeus, Simon and Judas. They were equally as eager as Simon and Andrew were to follow after Jesus.

While Jesus was alive, these men followed him everywhere, learning from him. They witnessed him perform many miracles. They helped him feed 5,000 people with only seven loaves of bread and a few fish. It was to his disciples that Jesus told his many parables. The disciples’ main job was simply to learn from Jesus.

Jesus even gave his disciples the abilities to cast out demons and heal the sick. Mark 6:12 says, “The disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people.”

The disciples were with Jesus until his death; they were the 12 men who were with Jesus during his “Last Supper.” The event is famously depicted in one of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings, featuring Jesus drinking wine and breaking bread with his 12 disciples. Well, unless Dan Brown has convinced you one of the men was not a disciple, but, in fact, Jesus’ girlfriend, Mary Magdalene.

So, that’s who the disciples were. The apostles were the same 12 men. According to The New Bible Dictionary, the word apostle comes from Greek and means “to send” or “one who is sent.”

Before Jesus died, he commissioned his disciples to become apostles and sent them with the job to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

They were basically supposed to teach people about Jesus.

After Jesus ascended into Heaven, one of the designated apostles, Judas, hung himself. He was the disciple who had betrayed Jesus. The other apostles replaced Judas with Matthias, another man who had been with Jesus from the beginning. The apostles were given more “special powers,” besides those they had had previously, like casting out demons and healing. Now added to the list was the gift of tongues, among others.

The apostles started the church and continued Christ’s work. They healed many people and met a lot of opposition along the way. Some were arrested, some were killed, but they all lived out Jesus’ mission.

So, to make a long story short, while Jesus was alive these men learned from him and they were called disciples. After Jesus left Earth, the men went on to teach others what they had learned and were called apostles. Both the disciples and Apostles were “dudes that followed Jesus.” They were his homeboys – his posse.

All of this information can be found in the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament) and Acts.

Dear Ask Anything,

I try to stay fashionable, but my grandmother saw me wearing white after Labor Day and just about murdered me. So when is it safe to wear white again?

– Fashion Faux Pas

Dear Fashion Faux Pas,

Although your grandmother may have been quite the trendsetter in her prime, she is probably not in tune with the fashions of our generation. “The no-white-after-Labor-Day” rule has not been implemented for quite some time.

Evidence of this can be seen when looking at this year’s wardrobe choices at the Golden Globes. E! “Fashion Police” even dubbed the night “White Night,” since so many stars chose to dress in white. E! praised celebs like Hayden Panetierre of “Heroes” and Ellen Pompeo of “Grey’s Anatomy” for the white gowns they chose to wear at the awards show.

Both women’s TV shows were nominated for Golden Gobes, an indication of their obvious knowledge of fashion.

E-bay style director Constance White said white is definitely a popular new trend and we should keep our eyes out for tons of white clothing in malls this summer. She described the appeal of wearing white.

“White catches the light so well and gives you an aura of heavenliness,” she said.

Unbeknownst to the fashion gurus in Hollywood, white has another fashionable advantage here in the Midwest: it matches the snow. Dressing to match the season is very fashionable. Example: flowery prints during the springtime and mock-neck autumn leaves and cornucopia-themed tops in the fall.

Although our Wisconsin climate does not permit us to wear flowy, white sundresses this time of year, there is nothing wrong with donning a little white now and then. White is a great color to match with any outfit. Personally, a plain white T-shirt is one of my favorite articles of clothing and is a necessity. Another wonderful white clothing item is the white sweater. Not only can sweaters be very fashionable, but you will stay warm and may even look like a cuddly polar bear, which is appealing to others, especially grandmothers.

So, although Grandma says white is against the rules for winter, it’s not. Everyone needs some white in his or her closet. Pass the news on to Grandma.

However, one piece of advice – if you are particularly pasty like many people I have seen on campus, don’t drown yourself in too much white. It does not look good. If you really want to wear white head to toe, maybe try some of that “natural glow” lotion.

Also, don’t ever wear white jeans or white feather boas . not cool.

Ask Anything is a weekly question and advice column. Maja Petersen and Rob Peterson are alternating columnists.