Discipleship

[B-A-C]

This seems to be a subject rarely discussed, in fact there seem to be fewer archives about this subject than most others here on TJ.
The word "disciples" is in the New Testament 240 times. That is quite a bit, not many other words can claim to be in the New Testament that frequently.
All of these are in the four gospels and Acts. None of Paul's letters talk about disciples.
If we drop the "s'" at the end do a search on "disciple" it is in the New Testament 30 times.
It's also mentioned twice in the Old Testament ( Isa 8:16; Isa 50:4; )

What is a disciple? What is the difference between a disciple and a "regular Christian believer"? How do you become a disciple?
Does everyone need to be a disciple?

In Matt 10:24; it seems a disciple is a student who follows a specific teacher (or teaching).
In Matt 13:52 we see that simply knowing God's word (a scribe) does not necessarily make you a disciple.
Luke 14:26-33; give some requirements a guidelines about how to be a disciple.

Luke 14:26; "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:27; "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:33; "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.


John 9:28; shows that being disciple could also be taken as being a follower, but it still following a teaching or belief rather than a specific person.
In Matt 28:19; the disciples are commanded to go and make "disciples" in all nations. It appears they must meet certain baptism requirements also.
It's interesting Jesus doesn't say "go make believers" or "go make converts", but instead go make disciples. What does that look like?
Is being a student of someone or a follower of someone different than simply believing in them?

Some people believe that there were only the twelve disciples (14 if you count Paul and Barnabas) but if this is true, why are we commanded to go and
make disciples in all nations? (I'm thinking there are more than 12 nations).
Some say the word discipline comes from disciple, not in the punishment sense, but rather in the following of or learning of a specific discipline.
What does being a disciple mean to you? Are you a disciple?

 

[james1523]

I think discipleship is a terminology that applied only in the gospel period and is predominantly Jewish. It refers to the practice in Judaism of a Rabbi having some disciples and followers. And Jesus was a sort of Rabbi in the Jewish sense. In the time of the gospels, people actually followed Jesus in the flesh.

If you want proof of what I'm saying, do a Bible word search of the word disciple, and it doesn't appear after the book of Acts, or in any of Paul's letters or the book of Revelation. Believers were still called disciples in the early church (the book of Acts), but the terminology was dropped in later years, and the terminology of "believers", "christians", or "saints" took preference. I believe for two reasons 1) the idea of being a disciple and following a Rabbi (almost typed Rabbit there, lol), did not mean anything to the Gentiles, and 2) the early church, and the apostles, had some recollection of Jesus in the flesh and what it was like to actually follow Him, however by the time of Paul, they only knew Christ by the Spirit, and like Paul has no knowledge of Christ in the flesh.

To follow Christ in the flesh as a disciple during the time of Jesus's earthly ministry, has been superseded by walking in the Spirit during the time of the Spirit's ministry. Some try to follow Christ literally in the flesh and they ultimately fail because they have disregarded the Spirit. Now, the term "follow Christ" is not to be taken literally, but is the result of walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit will cause us to be like Christ and do what He did.

What it means to be a disciple is to submit to Christ.. To preach the gospel of the kingdom is to make people (the nations) submit to Christ and make them kingdom people. This is discipleship.