The Forgotten Seventy

When Luke records the sending of the seventy disciples, we are given only the story of their mission: they were empowered, they preached, and they returned rejoicing (Luke 10:1-20). Strikingly, the New Testament preserves none of their names. After this account, the focus returns to the Twelve, and the seventy seem to vanish from Scripture.

Later Christian writers, however, attempted to preserve their memory. Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–235) produced a list identifying men such as Barnabas, Sosthenes, Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Clement, and even John Mark as members of the seventy. Other later traditions, attributed to Dorotheus and Epiphanius, expanded these names, drawing heavily on lesser-known figures in Paul's letters. The Eastern church still commemorates them as the "Seventy Apostles" each January 4th.

Scholars generally consider these lists pious speculation, not verifiable history. Yet even if the precise names are uncertain, the point remains that Jesus called and used a wider circle of disciples beyond the Twelve. Their mission prepared the way for the gospel's spread, and their faithfulness–though largely anonymous–was blessed by Christ Himself.

This anonymity carries a sobering but comforting lesson. Most of us will not be remembered in history books, nor will our names be carved into church tradition. Like the seventy, we may serve, succeed, and then fade quietly into the background of time. But while forgotten by men, we are never lost to God.

Jesus told the seventy not to rejoice in their power over demons but because "your names are recorded in heaven" (Luke 10:20). That is the true legacy of all disciples: not whether our names endure on earth, but that they are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Let us serve faithfully, whether history remembers us or not. For in the end, it is enough that our Lord knows our names and has promised us eternal life.