Many people would be surprised to find that the Bible does not contain the word discipleship. Nevertheless, it is true. Apart from the occasional study guide or commentary, the word discipleship is not in Scripture. Discipleship is not a biblical word, yet the concept permeates its pages. One could easily look at the relationship between Jesus and the apostles or Paul and Timothy and clearly see the manifestation of biblical discipleship.

The clearest expression of biblical discipleship in Scripture, however, is found in Matthew 28. Just after His resurrection, Jesus issues the Great Commission to His followers. The idea of discipleship, as well as its definition, is explicit within this text.

¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matt 28:18-20 (NASB)

In Matthew 28, Jesus issues a command for His followers to “make disciples of all nations.” Simply stated, discipleship is the process of making disciples, under God’s authority, as expressed in verses 18-19. Verse 18 reminds us that the entire process of discipleship is under the authority of God. It is His plan and purpose for our lives. Verse 19 issues the command. The fact that God’s command comes to us supported by His authority becomes critical when one looks at the magnitude of the challenge.

So what does it mean to make disciples? Making disciples is a process by which one believer assists another in becoming more and more like Christ. Greg Ogden describes it more specifically as “a process that takes place within accountable relationships over a period of time for the purpose of bringing believers to spiritual maturity in Christ” (Ogden 2003, 54). When one comes to know Christ as his or her savior, he or she begins the process of being conformed to the image of Christ; he or she begins the process of discipleship. Conforming to the image of Christ is not something one does in isolation. A brother or sister in Christ comes alongside the new believer and leads them to understand and obey God’s Word.

One of the first steps of discipleship is for the new believer to follow Christ’s example of baptism. This public expression of the salvific work of Christ depicts the individual’s desire to leave his or her old preferences and self-interests behind (die to self) and then seek to be obedient to God’s direction as revealed in Scripture, in all he or she does (alive in Christ).

The ongoing process of becoming more like Christ is, most often, considered discipleship. While the Holy Spirit directly governs the spiritual maturity of each believer, God uses other believers as tools in this process of development. Matthew 28:20 expresses this idea in the command that believers should be “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Discipleship occurs as one mature believer lives out his or her life alongside a new, or simply another, believer, all the while teaching and exemplifying God’s commands.

Greg Ogden suggests that discipleship is “about relational investment. It is walking alongside a few invited fellow travelers in an intentional relationship over time” (Ogden 2003, 17). Two things from this quote should be highlighted. First is the idea that the relationship must be intentional. Casual relations with fellow believers will never accomplish the same benefits that true discipleship will. One must be intentional about focusing the relationship on growing in Christ. The second concept revealed in this quote is the idea that discipleship takes time. Transformation does not take place overnight. One does not become Christ-like instantly. Paul told the church of Philippi, “He who began a good work in [them] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). The same continual transformation applies to the church today.

While one will never fully achieve Christ’s likeness, prior to one’s glorification in heaven, successful discipleship can be determined by a new believer growing in his or her own spiritual life to the point where he or she can, in turn, disciple others. Here we return to the idea of evangelism. The discipled individual is now able to share his or her faith with another person and, if the Spirit of the Lord leads them to salvation, he or she is willing and able to walk alongside the new believer as they begin to mature in Christ themselves. Ogden again concurs, “We have not made disciples if we only help people grow to maturity without also seeing them reproduce” (Ogden 2003, 17). This reproduction occurs as the maturing disciple begins to invest his or her life into the lives of others. This is also known as the multiplication principle.

Matthew 28 also contains the directive to reproduce. Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of “all nations”. While this might seem like a daunting task at first, one must realize that Jesus expects the entire body of Christ to participate. While the participation of all believers should provide some comfort, the fact is that very few Christians are ever discipled. While such a general statement may be difficult to justify, one could easily defend the idea that very few believers have been intentionally and systematically discipled. This fact reveals that the church has simply failed to fulfill the Great Commission.

The good news is that it is not too late for us to do our part in fulfilling this commission. Fervent prayer concerning the lost is a great place to start. Fearlessly loving those God has placed around us will provide many opportunities to share the truth of the gospel with them. As God draws individuals to Himself, we can come alongside and live our lives intentionally before them and lead them as they begin their wondrous relationship with Christ.

One does not have to wait for the lost to come to Christ to begin a discipling relationship. There are many in the church today that would love to have a mentor in their lives. Look around and find those who desire to grow in their faith. Offer to walk with them as they seek God’s direction in life. While you are looking, you may also want to find someone willing to invest in you as well. We can all benefit from walking with our fellow believers as we journey toward Christ’s likeness.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baucham, Voddie. 2007. Family Driven Faith. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

DeVries, Mark. 2004. Family-Based Youth Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Jones, Timothy Paul. 2007. Rockdale County Revisited: A Family-Focused Student Ministry Model Based on The Case Study The Lost Children of Rockdale County. Research Paper. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY.

Tripp, Paul David. 2001. Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.

Wilkins, M.J. 1992. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship. Ed. Scott McKnight Joel Green and Howard Marshall. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Wright, Steve and Chris Graves. 2007. reThink; Decide for Yourself is Student Ministry Working?. Wake Forest, NC: InQuest Publishing.

Ogden, Greg. 2003. Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time. Downers Grove: IVP.