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What is a Disciple?
Posted by Robin Foster | July 1, 2008
Sorry I haven’t interacted much with the last post. I have been busy preparing for the DMin seminars I will be taking next week. After the seminars, I hope to continue looking at the Great Commission with further dialog on the Great Commission Resurgence.
This next year the DMin program will primarily study the New Testament Epistles with a focus on the book of Hebrews. As I was preparing, one of the books I read was Andrew Lincoln’s, Hebrews: A Guide. Near the end of the book he came up with what he thought the writer of Hebrews wanted to convey to those who were disciples of Jesus. Lincoln wrote:
“Christian existence is summarized in two main ways - drawing near to God with confidence, and persevering in hope.”
As we have been interacting with what a Great Commission Resurgence should look like, I noticed that I missed the question of what should a disciple look like? When I was a restaurant manager, I knew what my product should look like. I new what an employee and a manager should look and act like. I also new what a store should look like. To be honest, I have never really tried to standardize what a disciple should look and act like in a neat and concise definition. In other words, I did not have a check list by which to mark off points of authentic discipleship.
Upon further reflection, it also occurred to me that to have such a checklist would cause the church to quickly fall into the dry gulch of legalism in which the Pharisees wallowed. Plus I also feared that such a checklist would be tainted with our 21st century notion of individualism (isolated from accountability) and pragmatism. I concluded that a checklist was simply out of the question and furthermore, unbiblical. I don’t see Peter, Paul, or any of the other apostles wandering the Roman Empire with a 21st century understanding of a checklist under their arms.
So, now I am at the point of contemplating further the idea of what it means to be a disciple. Even though I don’t believe it was Lincoln’s intent to define in our context what a disciple is, has he come across an adequate definition or can more be said? Or maybe we just need to be obedient to the call and allow God to work out the details? See you in a few weeks.
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July 1st, 2008 at 11:05 am
What should a disciple look like? By definition a disciple should look like the person they are following. Thus; a disciple of Christ should look like Christ, act like Christ, and follow Christ’s teachings. Ultimately, a disciple will be known by their fruit.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Joe,
Agreed.
The problem is that we have become so adept at molding Jesus into anything we want him to be, that it is hard for us to have a unified vision even of who our savior is.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Joe,
You are right on target. We need to become more like Jesus.
David
July 1st, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Brother Volfan,
What do you mean by “We need to become more like Jesus”?
Blessings,
Chris
July 1st, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Guys
As with all my posts on this series, this was not meant to be treated with some finality. To add to what I have already said, after looking at the word “matheteuo” (making disciples) I found that it actually has a deeper meaning of not just learning from a teacher, but to become attached to your teacher as a follower in doctrine and conduct of life.
Yes, we are to be followers of Jesus, but how does something like this play out in a 21st century context around the parameters of attachment, learning and conduct?
July 1st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Good question, Robin. Any serious attempt at understanding what a disciple is in 21st century America has to take a hard look at the bondage of materialism and consumerism that plagues us all. I see very little discussion on those issues. Jesus said that we cannot love both God and money, yet it seems that many Christians, including baptists, are so enamored with material things, that we give little thought to what it means to be a follower of Christ (who had no place to lay his head) in a middle class, consumeristic society.
I’ve just been thinking a lot about that lately. I’d be interested to know what others think.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Chris,
I mean to act like Him, think like Him, and feel like Him. I mean to love Jesus so much that we obey Him. I mean to get to know Jesus deeper and better every day. I mean to learn to reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that the fruit of the Spirit can shine forth from us.
David
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:59 am
Can we look at how and what Jesus taught his disciples as an example of what a disciple is even in the 21st century? The end result of the twelve disciples after Christ’s ascension?
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:10 am
Brother David,
I really like when you said, “I mean to love Jesus so much that we obey Him. I mean to get to know Jesus deeper and better every day.”
The reason I like that line so much, is that the love of Jesus has come to me from the Father who has shown mercy on this vessel of wrath…..and obedience flows from Him.
Alan,
You are spot on with materialism and consumerism in America. I am just as guilty and conveniently blind as anyone else in this country when it comes to stuff. Even though I don’t worship stuff (in other words, I like stuff less now than I did last year, and the year before and the year before, in other words), it is a huge distraction none the less. There is no doubt that a Christian man or woman can be wealthy, both spiritually and physically, yet how one handles the wealth is important to spiritual growth on both accounts. America is a place of great need for evangelism and church planting, and we should use our wealth (both types) to preach and teach the gospel like never before in the communities where we live.
Thanks for the comments,
Blessings,
Chris
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Oswald Chambers dealt with this question in part in his “My Utmost for His Highest” today. The passage Luke 14:25-33 is the foundation for his exhortation.
Here’s what I wrote out in my journal using Haddon Robinson’s subject/complement method of finding the “Big Idea.”
The subject: What is the difference between someone following in the crowd and someone following Jesus?
The Complement: The Christ follower bears a cross because she has by renouncing all he has.
Big Idea: Christ followers stand out in the crowd because of what they don’t have.
I’m still massaging the idea, but am intrigued with the rest of the faith community. I have noticed a disturbing trend of discontent among ministers as to the discipleship of our church members. There’s a slight flu like feeling that somethings missing.
Robin, are you going to be at SWBTS doing DMIN this week? I would love to buy you lunch.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 am
Alan S.
Thanks for the invite. Lunch on you, your on! I did email you back.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday evening.
God Bless
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Brother Alan Stoddard,
Take Brother Robin by Golden Corral and buy him an authentic Texas Steak.
Blessings,
Tim
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Brother Alan Stoddard,
Or, better yet, take him to Taco Bell for Tex Mex.
Blessings,
Tim
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Tim
As always, you boys on the East coast get it wrong all the time. You don’t know what good steak, tex-mex, or BBQ is. BTW, good BBQ is not a roast beef sandwich from ARBY’s with some sauce on it.