So What Is a Disciple? (Part I)

In my last blog I suggested that converts are not the same as disciples. Jesus calls us to make disciples.

In this blog I want to try to provide some simple definitions of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus as opposed to simply being a convert. My motivation is not to try to create some kind of two-tiered approach to being a Christian (disciples and “other”). Rather it is to try to establish what the Bible says about what it means to be a follower of Jesus and hold that forth as our measuring stick.

The Greek word that we translate as “disciple” is mathetes. It means “learner” or “apprentice.” In Jewish tradition, a rabbi would gather to himself his disciples or apprentices. This is what Jesus did in Mark 1:16-20. The disciples aimed to become like the rabbi: to think like him, to speak like him and to act like him. Eventually, they would become sufficiently competent and full of godly character that they would be able to call and train their own disciples.

I think Eugene Peterson captures Jesus’ intent beautifully in his “Message” translation of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20:

Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.

Jesus intends for His disciples to become competent in the way of life He had demonstrated to His disciples and in turn for them to train others to do the same thing. Think of all that Jesus instructed His disciples to do. He trained them in the kingdom lifestyle (most notably in His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7) and sent them out to heal people, cast out demons and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of heaven (see Matt. 10:7-9).

Back in the day, after my father graduated from university with top honors in his engineering degree, he had to apprentice with a firm of engineers so that he was actually trained in his chosen career. Everyone recognized that there was a gap between the information that he was taught in an academic setting and the actual skills he needed to do his job.

I think this is a reflection of where we have gone wrong when it comes to discipleship in much of the Church. Today we are overloaded with information about the Bible, even about Christian living, but how well do we actually apprentice people to become competent at living it out?

That’s why at HRock we value practical opportunities to learn how to “do the stuff” that Jesus taught His disciples to do. People need to have a safe place to have a go and to make mistakes so they can learn from them. Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t get it right straight away (see Matt. 17:16, 19-20). Making mistakes is not failure… It is an important part of the learning process.

In my next blog I will look at some other characteristics of Jesus’ disciples and offer some further, simple definitions.

In the meantime, I leave you with this question: Are you growing in your competency to do the things that Jesus instructed His disciples to do? If not, how could you begin to attend to this?