This document examines Matthew 24:34 —“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”— a verse frequently cited as evidence that Jesus made a failed prediction about the end of the world.

Discipleship in the first century was rooted in the Hebrew concept of the talmîd and the Greek mathetes. In Jewish tradition, discipleship often culminated in Bet Midrash, where students aimed to memorize their Rabbi’s words, imitate his actions, and transmit his legacy. While influenced by the Hellenistic emphasis on emulating a master’s life, Jewish discipleship focused primarily on knowing God and following the Torah. Jesus adopted this framework but introduced radical cha

Problem statement A recent conversation with a Christian friend raised an interesting Bible question. He is writing his Ph.D. thesis on the topic of “discipleship” and has poured over many books on the subject and passages of scripture and noted that although the word disciple/s appears hundreds of times in the New Testament, it disappears from use after Acts 21:16. The apostles Paul, Peter, James, Jude and John never address anyone by this term in the letters to local church