Discipleship Part 1

Matthew 28:19-20-  Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, v.20- Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the (very) close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

Note: Jesus commands His disciples to disciple others.

What is a disciple? The simple definition of the Greek word mathetes (disciple) is one who learns or is a pupil of another. In biblical times, a disciple was one who followed a recognized teacher. Jesus commanded His disciples to be engaged in the process of “discipling” disciples. They were to baptize those individuals who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and to continually teach/instruct them in the truths of God’s word. Discipling involves identification (baptizing) and instruction (teaching).

Note: The disciple of Christ is urged within Scripture to grow in his/her spiritual life. Once the believer has accepted the gift of salvation, he becomes a new creation. Part of the obligation as a new creation is to become more like Jesus. A disciple is a believer in Christ who is becoming “transformed” into the likeness of Jesus Christ. The first step in becoming a disciple is to repent of sin and to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

To become a mature follower of Christ, the believer must strive to develop the mind of Christ.

1st Corinthians 2:16- For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

The believer needs to live, act, respond, and think like our Savior. This demands that there is constant transformation of thinking and of mindsets, so that he/she can become more like Jesus in every aspect of life.

The term discipleship may be difficult at times to define. Today, it is being used as a catchall term for anything from mentorship to small-group discussion, to meetings at a coffee house, to the title of a conference at a sports arena. However, it is best to understand discipleship as a deliberate process of moving Christians forward spiritually. Discipleship has also been explained as becoming a complete and competent follower of Jesus Christ and the intentional training of people who voluntarily submit to the lordship of Christ and who want to become imitators of Him in every thought, word, and deed.

The process of discipleship has been committed to the church, the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 4:4-16). The church is to be involved in the process of transforming the believer from a babe in Christ to a mature follower of Christ (1st Peter 2:2). Discipleship, then, is the process of learning the teachings of Scripture, internalizing them to shape one’s belief system, and then acting upon them in one’s daily life.

Galatians 4:19- My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you…….

Paul had come to such a personal knowledge of the people that he was responsible for that his own heart ached over their spiritual immaturity.

2nd Corinthians 11:29- Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to stumble and fall and have his faith hurt, and I am not on fire [with sorrow or indignation]? Paul is saying here. “Who is weak without my being weak? And who sins without my intense concern?”  This is a man intimately involved with the people in his life.

Note: Some people may think the definition above far exceeds the definition of a basic Christian and that a disciple is after all a Christian who has made a higher level of commitment to Christ. However, in the Acts of the Apostles, believers in Jesus, are typically referred to as disciples, twenty-eight times; only later did the Gentiles in Antioch give them the nickname “Christians” (Acts 11:26), which remained. The two words are synonyms. To be a true Christian is, by definition, to be a disciple. Following Jesus as a disciple (or true Christian) is a process of learning to become more and more like Jesus Himself. The heart of this process is learning and obeying the teachings of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.