The Barnabas Ministry

A New Look at Discipleship

Introduction
Much has been made of the prominence of the term "disciple" in the New Testament. While used extensively in the gospels, the term is used sparingly in Acts and never appears again in the New Testament, being replaced in favor of other terms. This change must be understood; it cannot be dismissed or ignored. What follows is my perspective on how to be true to the gospels, Acts and the rest of the New Testament concerning this evidence, and a way to make it practical in the church today. This discussion is not intended to tear down what good has been done but to utilize the Scripture to help us improve our doctrine and ministries.

There is a warning here: this will strike to the very heart of our understanding the gospel. We might be apprehensive of such an examination, but this reminds me of a lesson I learned many years ago. As a youth I learned to do electric welding. When I first started, the pieces of metal would be joined together not by a good weld but by slag-- flakes of oxidized metal. Though the pieces appeared joined, when struck with a hammer the slag would crack and reveal that no successful weld had been made. I dreaded hitting my welds with a hammer until I got better at welding; then I realized a good strike of the hammer proved my work was good.

From this experience I have learned that testing should never be feared. It always reveals what you have-- something that is good survives test after test. But if something fails a test, that is a good thing: it gives you a chance to fix the thing that failed the test.

The medieval monk Abelard said, "The first key to wisdom is assiduous and frequent questioning. For by doubting we come to inquiry, and by inquiry we arrive at the truth." Do not fear examining this topic; embrace it. For by questioning you will understand it better. And that is the point of this work-- to better understand the concept of discipleship in the Scriptures, that it may most accurately apply in our lives today.

It is my hope that these ideas will bring true blessings into your life and ministry.

Part 1: Disciples, Followers and Believers
The term "disciple" was used often in the gospels, occasionally in Acts, and never again in the New Testament, as other terms came to be used to describe followers of Jesus during the church age. Here we will examine the components of discipleship in the ministry of Jesus and how discipleship was taught in the church age.

Two Calls in the Ministry of Jesus
Consider the following passage from the beginning of Jesus' ministry:

And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

And as He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men (Mark 1:14-17)."

 Here we see the distinct presence of two calls in the ministry of Jesus: the people of Galilee were told to "repent and believe in the gospel," but the fishermen were called to follow and be trained to "fish for men." Two different groups, two different messages, two different expectations.

Often, these two calls are merged together, but it is clear from this passage and throughout the gospels that these two distinct and different calls existed in the ministry of Jesus. Recognizing this distinction will help us understand both more clearly. Let us first examine the call of "followship" in the gospels, and afterwards the call of the gospel.

Disciple = Follower
The Greek term maqhth;" (mathetes, meaning "pupil, disciple") and its cognates are used 237 times in the gospels. The vast majority—220 instances— are used to describe Jesus' disciples. A verb cognate of "mathetes," maqhteuvw ("matheteuo", make a disciple) is used to refer to the making or training of disciples. This term is used rarely in the New Testament but does appear in one of the more well-known passages on the topic, Matthew 28:18-20.

In the gospels, the term "disciple" is almost always used to refer specifically to the twelve apostles. This is especially seen in Jesus sending out "The Twelve" in the limited commission:

And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. … And it came about that when Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities (Matthew 10:1, 11:1). The Greek New Testament has two other terms that are used to describe the idea of "following after" Jesus, these are ajkolouqevw (akoloutheo, a verb meaning "come after, accompany, follow as a disciple") and ojpivsw (opiso, an adverb meaning "behind, after"). Sometimes only akoulotheo is used, other times only opiso. Sometimes these are used together: And as He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow (opiso) Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And they immediately left the nets and followed (akoloutheo) Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow (opiso) Him (Mark 1:16-20). In fact, the terms "mathetes," "opiso" and "akoulotheo" are used together in the familiar passage: And He summoned the multitude with His disciples (mathetes), and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after (opiso … akoulotheo) Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow (akoulotheo) Me (Mark 8:34). More than Twelve Followers
While usually referring to the Twelve, the term "disciple" also is used to refer to other disciples who are not numbered among the Twelve. There are many passages that indicate that there was a larger group of disciples than just the Twelve, including: And when day came, He called His disciples to Him; and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles (Luke 6:13).

When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee (John 4:1-3).

 There were at least seventy men in this group (Lk 10:1), including Joseph of Aramathea (Jn 19:38) and those who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24: 13ff). The rich young man (Mt 19:21) declined the offer to follow Jesus. Some took up this challenge on their own, including the healed blind men (Mt 20:34), while others sought to do likewise but were met with warnings (Mt 8:19-22, Lk 9:57-61, 14:25ff). The women who followed Jesus from Galilee (Mt 27:55) were probably the ones spoken of in the upper room (Ac 1:14).

When the eleven apostles sought to replace Judas they proposed two men that were apparently part of this larger group of disciples (Ac 1:21ff).

Because of the lack of precision of the term "disciple" in the gospels, we should speak of "followship" in discussing those who actually followed Jesus physically.

Followship Was For Leadership
Jesus called men to accompany him for the express purpose of training them to carry out his mission of reaching the world with the gospel.

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him (Mark 1:16-18).

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach (Mark 3:13-14).

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables… With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything (Mark 4:10-11, 4:33-34).

And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest (Matthew 9:36-38)."

And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. … These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew 10:1, 10:5-7).'"

And ordering the multitudes to recline on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes (Matthew 14:19).

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."

He said to him, "Tend My lambs (John 21:15)."

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:45-48)."

As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world (John 17:18).

 These passages relate to the Twelve and clearly illustrate the "big picture" of Jesus' purpose is calling and training them—the call to follow Jesus was a call to leadership.

Faith and Obedience in the Ministry of Jesus
Faith and obedience are regular themes in the gospels and the rest of the New Testament. Typically, the object of faith in the gospels is Jesus, his identity as the Messiah, and his message; the object of obedience is the command of Jesus through the gospel:

And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:14-15)."

Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21).

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:10-12)."

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).

 Believing and Obeying Was For Salvation
Building on the beginning of Jesus' ministry as recorded in Mark, a look at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) indicates the "gospel of the kingdom," typical material that Jesus taught as he preached in Galilee and Judea. Consider the following passages mentioning a reward or consequence: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).

For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions (Matthew 6:14-15).

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).

 According to these and other passages, the "gospel of the kingdom" might be summarized in the following categories: The point here is not to delineate the criteria for salvation but to illustrate that Jesus' message to the multitudes was centered around salvation. It was not about "following him as a disciple." Salvation came by a sincere, believing and obedient response to the word of the gospel and continued faithfulness afterwards. Jesus referred to this as "true discipleship:" Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32)." Throughout Jesus' ministry, he taught about salvation, and even indicated that certain individuals were saved, and examining these instances elaborates on the teachings discussed above.

For example, Jesus said the faithful apostles were saved (Mt 19:28, cf. Jn 17:2, 17:12). Jesus said Zacchaeus was saved (Lk 19:9), he also forgave the sins of some individuals (e.g. paralytic in Mt 9:2, sinful woman in Lk 7:48). Lastly, Jesus also made a promise about Paradise to the thief on the cross (Lk 23:43). These do not relate to "following Jesus as a disciple" but to faith and repentance (in the cases of Zacchaeus, the sinful woman and the thief) and pure grace (the faith of those carrying him, in the case of the paralytic).

Except in the case of the apostles, there is no connection between "followship" and salvation; followship was not in view in the pronouncement of forgiveness or salvation.

Followship and "Taking up the Cross"
The apostles have been considered "prototypical" Christians, as though all Christians needed to follow in their footsteps. The apostles certainly had things to their credit, having "left everything to follow" Jesus (Mt 19:28). But there is another side to the story of the apostles, and we must consider it if we are to understand followship and "true discipleship." Let us consider the most significant aspects of this discussion: the "taking up of one’s cross" (the ultimate aspect of followship), and then apostolic faith.

Here is the definitive "taking up the cross" passage from each of the synoptic gospels in parallel form:
 
 
Matthew 16:16- 28 Mark 8:27-9:1 Luke 9:18-27
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 

And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." 

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 

And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

 And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "Who do people say that I am?" 

And they told Him, saying, "John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets."

And He continued by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" 

Peter answered and said to Him, "Thou art the Christ." 

 And it came about that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?" 

And they answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again." 

And He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 

And Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." 
And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."    
Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

 And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly.

 But He warned them, and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day." 
And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 

But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." 

 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 

But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." 

  
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?
  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and WILL THEN RECOMPENSE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS."    
"Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." And He was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

This matter of "taking up one’s cross" runs head-on into the Messianic expectations of the period, as Jesus’ remarks are given in the context of a discussion of his destiny and their expectations. Clearly the masses expected a king (ref. John 6:15, 18:37) to expel the Romans. Consider the words of F.F. Bruce regarding Messianic expectations in the first century:

No single form of messianic expectation was cherished by Jesus' contemporaries, but the hope of a military Messiah predominated. (F. F. Bruce, New Testament History, Doubleday-Galilee, New York, NY, 1980. p. 133).

At the time, however, when to most people 'Messiah' was the Davidic warrior who would lead his people to victory over their Gentile overlords, it was natural that Jesus should warn Peter and the other apostles not to repeat in public what they had said about his being the Messiah. But he said more than that: according to Mark, it was from now on that he began to tell his disciples that, far from attacking and overthrowing the power of Rome, he himself would be repudiated and put to death. When Peter told him to stop talking like that, he insisted that this was the path of God's will for him, and added that those who were still determined to follow him must realize clearly what lay ahead for their leader, so that they might count the cost for themselves and be prepared one day to carry a cross to the place of execution as he was prepared to carry his. (F. F. Bruce, ibid, p. 186-187).

 There is ample evidence that the apostles were like their contemporaries concerning Messianic expectations, for they persisted in not understanding the place of the cross in the life of the Messiah: And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He was unwilling for anyone to know about it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later." But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him (Mark 9:30-32).

But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. …

And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory (Luke 24:21, 25-26)?"

And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6)?"

 Jesus’ remarks about his followers "carrying their cross" must be understood in this context of erroneous Messianic expectations. Jesus knew the cross and not the throne was in his immediate future, and his disciples needed to have the right expectations about both the Messiah and themselves. The admonition to "carry their own cross" was to emphasize the true direction of the Messianic ministry in contrast to their wrong ideas. Consider Colin Brown’s comments: He (Jesus) would realize that only the Romans had the power of capital punishment and that the form of the capital punishment was crucifixion. This was something that he lived with. He would know also of the practice of the condemned man bearing the patibulum. Whatever fate, therefore, awaited him would also await those who followed him.

The sayings about bearing the cross form part of warning the disciples to count the cost (see the context of Matt. 10:38 and Lk. 14:27). This is coupled with the warning that a servant is not above his master (Matt. 10:24, cf. Lk. 6:40, Jn. 13:16, 15:20). Moreover, the saying common to all three Synoptic Gospels occurs in the context of Jesus' acknowledgement of Peter's confession of him as the Christ. For Jesus the inevitable implication of being the Christ is suffering, death and the opposition of men. Inevitably, therefore, those who associate with him as the Christ are liable to the same fate. (Colin Brown, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1975. Volume I, pp. 403-404).

 This "cross-bearing" certainly wasn’t a "criterion to be met" before the apostles started following Jesus; the apostles themselves did not meet this criteria. In fact, they abandoned Jesus at the time of testing, despite assurances that they would not. In the Garden of Gethsemane, followship turned to abandonment; in the court of the high priest confession turned to denial. In a very real sense, followship was over forever. If the Eleven were to be saved, it couldn't be by "taking up their cross" and faithfully following Jesus to his cross, because they didn’t do it!

Followship and Faith
Another significant failing of the disciples is the persistent lack of faith. In one case, the faith of a centurion is praised and immediately afterwards the lack of faith of the disciples is revealed (Mt 8:5-10, 23-27). This persistent problem with the disciples' faith is one of the prominent themes of the gospels (e.g. Mt 14:31, 16:8, 21:21, 28:16, Lk 24:25).

The point here is not to criticize the disciples, but to help us understand the important differences between followship and faith; "taking up the cross" and true discipleship. Hebrews 11:1 says: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Followship had very little to do with faith—faith in what is seen is not faith! Jesus' remark to Thomas at the apex of the gospel of John speaks volumes in this regard:

Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed (John 20:29)." The message of the gospels does not lift up followship but faith, and the godliness that would result from it. In the case of the apostles, following the physical Jesus was a call that led to faith in Jesus (Jn 2:11, 16:31), but it was primarily a means of training to minister. Comparing faith in Jesus and followship of Jesus, faith was clearly the greater of the two.

Discipleship in the Early Church
Per their training and commission from Jesus, the apostles were charged with taking the gospel to all nations:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20)." Because English does not adequately translate the Greek verb "matheteuo" (meaning to train or teach), proper English translations must render the passage "make disciples." Yet a better translation would be "teach the nations" or "disciple the nations." There are no "disciples" (noun) in this passage.

Language difficulties aside, Jesus clearly wanted the Eleven to win converts from the Jews and Gentiles alike, to baptize them and teach obedience to his commands. This is exactly what the early church did. How they did it, how they viewed it and how they talked about it sheds great light on the shifting concepts of discipleship in the church age.

Disciple = Believer!
The first time the members of the early church are referred to collectively, they are referred to as "believers."

And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common (Acts 2:44). This pattern continues throughout the earliest days of the church, as is seen in these "summary passages" from the first few chapters of Acts: But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand (Acts 4:4).

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them (Acts 4:32).

And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their
number (Acts 5:14).

 What happened to the "disciples" and the call to followship? The first time the term "disciple" appears in Acts is Acts 6:1, in reference to the number of disciples increasing at the time of the controversy of the Greek widows. The "believers" were the "disciples!" Let's get a count of the various terms applied to Christians up until Acts 6:1:
 
Church, Congregation, Added, Together (7) 2:41, 2:47, 4:23, 4:31, 4:32, 5:11, 5:14
Believers (4) 2:44, 4:4, 4:32, 5:14

The change in terminology makes a lot of sense, since there was no physical Jesus to physically follow after Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven. This change reflects the change in the concept of discipleship in the church age compared to the earthly ministry of Jesus. Discipleship shifted from the "follow me" call in Jesus' earthly ministry to 1) believing the message about Jesus as the Christ (Ac 2:38, 5:42, 8:12, 9:22) and 2) becoming a part of the church through baptism (Ac 2:41).

Faith and Obedience Were the Expected Responses to the Gospel
The expected responses to the gospel were faith and obedience, specifically repentance and baptism. To the hearers on the day of Pentecost, the expectation of the apostolic message was "repent and be baptized" (Acts 2:38). These became known as "believers" (Acts 2:44) who had been "added to their number" (Acts 2:41, 47).

The next few times respondents to the gospel message are discussed, they are referred to by their believing response to the gospel of the Messiahship of Jesus and being added to the church, as we saw above. As the church pushes on its missionary efforts to other parts of the world, these same ideas keep appearing again and again:

New Names for "Disciples" in the Church Age
Earlier, a chart was presented that discussed the various terms that were used to refer to followers in the first few chapters of Acts. Let us consider the frequency with which certain terms were used in the entire New Testament:
 
NT Books
Pct of NT
faith-
related
brother/
family related
disciple
church-
member related
saint
Gospels
47%
153
107
237
3
19
Acts
13%
60
57
29
23
21
Paul's letters
24%
201
133
0
62
11
Remainder of NT
16%
83
58
0
26
21
Total
100%
496
355
266
114
72

Another approach might be to consider the various means of address in the epistles, since it is easy to skim the introductions of the letters and see how the churches were addressed in context.
 

Church (7)
 
 

Fellow (1)

 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, Philemon 1:1-2, Revelation 1:4

Philemon 1:1-2
Faithful (4),

Child in the Faith (3)

 Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:2, 2 Peter 1:1

1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4
Saints (5) Romans 1:7, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:2
Called/Chosen (4) Romans 1:7, 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2 John 1:1-2, Jude 1:1
Brothers (2) Colossians 1:2, Philemon 1:1-2
Loved by God (2) Romans 1:7, Jude 1:1

Of course, there are limitations to the conclusions one could draw from these types of evidence, but the trend to move towards "believer" terminology and away from "disciple" terminology is still overwhelmingly clear.

The introduction to Romans is especially interesting because it ties together many of these concepts:

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7) Followship for Training for New Converts and Leadership
The early church practiced some aspect of "followship" for leaders and new converts, likely modeled after the ministry of Jesus. We see instances where potential converts and young Christians were in a close band following leaders like the apostles followed Jesus: And even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed (Acts 8:13).

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark (Acts 12:25).

And as Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:42).

But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them (Acts 17:34).

And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas (Acts 20:4-5).

 While we see these examples for young Christians and future leaders, it is also evident that the entire church could not and did not follow its leaders in the same way. The church was simply "the assembly," submitting to its leaders but also ministering to its own needs. This topic merits more discussion, and will be addressed more fully in Part 2.

The Distinction between the Call of Discipleship and the Call of Salvation
The proclamation and expectation of the gospel changed from the days of the earthly ministry of Jesus to the church age. During Jesus' earthly ministry, he called disciples to follow him as a means to equip them for meeting the needs of others. He also taught about salvation through belief and obedience to his commands.

The early church proclaimed the gospel of Jesus being the Christ. The expectation of the gospel was belief, obedience (namely, repentance and baptism) and becoming a member of the church. The concept of "discipleship" in the sense of physically following Jesus was completely obsolete, since Jesus had ascended into heaven and could no longer be "followed." Yet, those believing in Jesus as the Christ, obeying the gospel and becoming members of the church were still known as "disciples," just as the followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry were known.

The Power of Faith
Drawing attention to the severely neglected concept of faith in the church age is not to say that the early church somehow practiced a lesser "commitment" to Jesus than those followers during his earthly ministry. The book of Acts readily testifies to their tremendous commitment. But this commitment was based upon faith.

Nor is the call to faith an attempt to minimize the concepts of repentance and baptism, which clearly have their place. The point is that faith is the key and foundation to the rest.

People with real faith live according to their beliefs, since a lifestyle in harmony with those beliefs is the only logical alternative. The heroes of the first century, as in all times, endured hardship and persevered because of faith, not because of "commitment:"

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval (Hebrews 11:1-2). We should not let the distortions of modern-day "easy believism" drive us to an equally distorted "discipleship" that burdens the gospel and obliterates faith, as though there were an earthly Master to follow, or that commitment is the cardinal Christian virtue. We should pursue the sincere faith as seen in the early church, in the hopes that we may reap the blessing Jesus himself promised: "Blessed are they did not see and yet believed (John 20:29)." May he find this faith when he returns.

Part 2: Organizational Models for Christian Training
Here we shall discuss two organizational models for Christians training, assuming a good deal of familiarity with the issue. The first of these models I shall name the "Classical Hierarchical Model,," commonly used in the International Churches of Christ. The second model that will be considered (and that I recommend) I shall call the "Modified Hierarchical Model."

The Classical Hierarchical Model
The classical hierarchical model is essentially a pyramid structure, and is basically an extension of the conversion process. In conversion, a Christian "disciples" a non-Christian to become a Christian (Matthew 28:18-19). In theory, that older Christian teaches that younger Christian to obey everything that Jesus has commanded.

To facilitate the effective ongoing training of all members of the church, a "tree" is constructed based upon this pattern, where a single member disciples one or more other member(s). This continues until all members are incorporated in the tree. There are some general guidelines on how this model is applied in practice:

    1. Full time workers usually disciple between four and eight people; non-full time workers will usually take no more than two people.
    2. Great care is taken by leadership to ensure that there is a good "match" in these relationships, where the more mature one can truly meet the needs of the less mature one. Numerous factors are taken into account—time, resources, location, common circumstances, age, etc.
    3. People are not forced into a position in the structure; great care is taken to make sure people are confident that their needs will be met in their position in the structure.
    4. As necessary, the structure is changed to facilitate changes (growth, relocations, etc.).
Evaluating the Classical Hierarchical Model
There are some significant benefits to the classical hierarchical model. Among these are:
    1. Everyone has someone that has time for personal attention with him.
    2. Everyone is matched with someone who can effectively meet his needs.
    3. Leaders can focus on a small number of people for effective leadership.
In a practical sense, there are some drawbacks to the hierarchical model. Among these are:
    1. The weakest member (at the bottom of the hierarchy), who may need the most skillful training, may have the least competent trainer. This can give rise to inadequate or even harmful training.
    2. It can create distance in the body between leaders and those they do not directly work with.
    3. It can weaken the "one another" concept of relationships and isolate members from the body as a whole.
A special program has been created to reduce the impact of some of the potential drawbacks to the classical hierarchical model. This program, which I will refer to as the "shepherding" program, utilizes mature members (thought not necessarily qualified for the eldership in the Scriptural sense) to work with weaker members that have needs that are not likely to be met by the hierarchical model alone. The idea is to provide a broader base of relationships and give that person needing more specialized discipling someone capable of performing it. Time will tell if this accomplishes all that it is intended to accomplish, but the prospects are good.

The Jethro Concept and the Classical Hierarchical Model
The incident involving Moses and his father-in-law Jethro provides a suggestion of the Classical Hierarchical Model. Here is the text, from Exodus 18:17ff:

And Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

"Now listen to me: I shall give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk, and the work they are to do.

"Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them, as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

"If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace."

So Moses listened to his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land (Exodus 18:17-27).

 Interestingly, Moses accepted what could have been termed a "worldly" solution as a means to solve his "spiritual" problem (since Jethro was a Midianite priest, Exodus 3:1). God did not mandate this method, but certainly seems to have approved of its usage. This shows that God does give leadership great latitude in solving leadership problems.

This text has been used to substantiate the classical hierarchical model, and there are some similarities. However, a closer look at the text shows some important details that are in conflict or opposition with the classical hierarchical model:

    1. These men were to be leaders (see Exodus 18:26- they served as judges); there were specific qualifications for them.
    2. There were leaders of 1000's, 100's, 50's and 10's. There are no leaders over 1’s or 2’s, and no "non-leaders" are over anybody.
    3. This is explicitly stated as a hierarchy for leadership and groups, not for all individuals in Israel.
Since this model was a provision for leadership only, and not the entire nation of Israel, we might consider how it could be mapped more closely into an effective leadership hierarchy for the church. Such a hierarchy I will call the modified hierarchical model.

The Modified Hierarchical Model
These observations from the Jethro passage cited above suggest some items that can be mapped into a model:

    1. Leaders training new leaders.
    2. Leaders training new converts.
    3. Groups of various sizes, arranged in a hierarchical manner so that those who lead larger groups lead the leaders of a number of smaller groups, so that all members belong to a small group and are led by the leader of that small group.
    4. The members of the small groups are peers.
Now we shall consider some other factors in the support of this modified hierarchical discipleship model.

Leaders Training Leaders
Paul had a crew of men he trained as ministers, including Timothy, Titus and the band of men in Acts 20:5. In each church that was planted, leaders were raised up from that church and the missionaries continued on to new areas.

Titus had responsibilities in multiple cities (Titus 1:5) and was charged to delegate those responsibilities to a number of people who could discharge them.

Leaders Training New Converts and Young Christians
The conversion process suggests some means of teaching the gospel to the convert (Mt 28:19-20). This is mentoring or personal training, and is appropriate for young Christians as well. It could be individual (e.g. Apollos, Acts 18:26; the Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8) or collective (e.g.the Jerusalem church, Acts 2:42; the Ephesians, Acts 19:9).

Interestingly, in each these cases the ones doing the training or mentoring of young Christians are leaders. It wasn't delegated to the youngest members of the church.

Groups of Different Sizes, Hierarchy of Leaders
Jesus had twelve apostles who were called into a special group from among the larger group of followers (Mark 3:13-14). From within this group, three appear to have been in a closer relationship with Jesus: Peter, James and John (ref. Mark 5:37, 9:2, 14:33). Yet, the Twelve were referred to as a group consistently (Mark 4:10, 6:7, 9:35, 10:32, 11:11, 14:10, 14:17, 14:20, etc.). Jesus consistently used the apostles to meet the needs of larger groups (Mt 9:36-38, 14:19). Yet there is no evidence that Jesus advocated or taught a perpetuation of such a hierarchy beyond the apostles.

In the Jerusalem church, Silas and Judas were regarded as "leaders among the people" (Acts 15:22) though they were neither elders nor apostles.

In the Roman church, there is evidence of smaller groups of believers under some leaders (Romans 16:5, 14-15). Also see 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:1-2 for this same practice alluded to in Corinth and Colosse.

The New Testament teaches people should use whatever gifts they have—leadership gifts included—in accordance with their faith (Romans 12:6, 1 Peter 4:10). This implies differing scopes of responsibility, and hence different numbers of people being led.

It is important to realize that whatever support the Bible provides for this sort of arrangement, it does not mandate such an arrangement. As in the time of Moses, the small group concept is designed to facilitate the meeting of needs, not to divide or hurt the body.

Peer Relationships in the Body
The apostolic church consistently used "one another" or "each other" passages in the context of a wide variety of "ministerial" functions. Examples of this include "teaching and admonishing" (Colossians 3:16), "instructing" (Romans 15:14), and "encouraging" (Hebrews 10:24-25). The key idea in one-another passages is that all disciples have these responsibilities to each other, not that only leaders have these responsibilities to those they lead.

Key Factors of the Modified Hierarchical Model
We may summarize the critical features of the modified hierarchical model:

    1. Leaders training new leaders.
    2. Leaders training new converts and young Christians.
    3. Small groups according to the Moses/Jethro pattern, a hierarchy of small groups into larger groups according to the Moses/Jethro pattern. Leadership of groups assigned according to qualifications and abilities.
    4. Peer/body concept according to the "body" and "one another" pattern of the NT church.
Switching to the Modified Hierarchical Model
On the plus side, the modified hierarchical model minimizes the drawbacks to the classical hierarchical model. The most beneficial feature is that the young Christian at the "bottom" of the hierarchy no longer gets the least competent discipler. Leaders pay attention to the special needs of young converts and train new leaders, while the rest of the body is empowered to meet it own needs in accordance with the one-another passages without any being forced into a leadership position (e.g. Hebrews 3:12-13). The vast majority of members who are neither young Christians nor leaders have the responsibility to take care of each other.

On the down side, there is the potential for leaders to be overloaded with responsibility. This is mitigated by the fact the direct area of focus for leaders is more closely defined, and that the rest of the group meets its own needs in accordance with the one-another concept.

Having discussed both Matthew 28:18-19 and the Jethro incident, we can see the Scriptural basis and validity of leadership models in the church today. We can see the latitude given to leadership by God to accomplish the purposes of training and leadership within the church. We have discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the classical hierarchical model, and applied the details of the Jethro incident towards the creation of a modified hierarchical model. Finally, we have considered the advantages and disadvantages of the modified hierarchical model as an alternative to the currently employed classical hierarchical model.

Part 3: Suggested Changes
In light of the preceding observations about discipleship, certain changes in the ICC today are suggested. This chapter will present ministry-level changes in accordance with the concepts previously discussed.

The "Faith Based Church"
For a movement known as a "discipling movement," changing the perspective on discipleship is a massive and possibly frightening undertaking. The term "discipling movement" was around long before some of our present concepts on discipling were crystallized. What was always meant by that term in the "old days" was that we had relationships with each other that had a definite impact on helping people grow. I'm not suggesting that such beneficial relationships be abolished; just that we get our concepts about the gospel and ministry more in line with the New Testament pattern.

In keeping with the example of the early church, I suggest that we start emphasizing faith and stop emphasizing discipleship in our movement. There are several reasons for this.

  1. Discipleship—as most frequently discussed in the New Testament, during the ministry of Jesus—is largely obsolete. There is no physical Master to follow. The apostles themselves had to make a transition from the days of following Jesus to the days of teaching others to believe in him. They did not set themselves up as objects of discipleship in place of Jesus but rather taught about believing in Jesus in heaven, using the following concept for the training of leaders and young Christians.
  2. The standard of discipleship that we have taught was in fact a stumbling block for the apostles. How could they teach an expectation that they themselves could not live up to? They didn't, and neither should we.
  3. Faith is the key to faithfulness, "fruit that will last" in ministry. The fact is, faithfulness comes from faith. A commitment-based orientation is humanistic—commitment itself cannot be our foundation. The type of commitment approved of in the Scriptures is that which is built upon God and faith in him (e.g. Hebrews 11).
Utilize a Faith Study
The first step in emphasizing faith over discipleship is in the "First Principals" series. I suggest we abandon the "discipleship" study and utilize a "faith" study instead. The evidence previously discussed from Acts concerning the message of the gospel and the expected response definitely point in this direction.

Paul's sermon to Felix is only given in outline form by Luke, but consider the prominence of faith and its implications in an evangelistic message:

But some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you (Acts 24:24-25)." Faith was the primary topic, with implications of faith expressed in practical terms. This is exactly how we should teach it today.

In addition to evidence from Acts, there is good reason from other parts of the New Testament for such a move towards a faith-based gospel. For example, consider the following passage from Hebrews:

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-2). The structure of this verse suggests three couplets, each consisting of two items: Again, consider this passage from Ephesians concerning how they were taught at conversion: For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you (Ephesians 1:15)…

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:20-24).

 The epistles generally support the idea of faith and repentance as the cornerstone of the message the people responded to at the time of their conversion. The early church primarily preached about faith in Jesus, with that faith being expressed in repentance, obedience, baptism and faithful living. Noticeably absent from these summaries of the gospel message are concepts about "following Jesus as a disciple," because they were obsolete.

In support of adopting a faith-based gospel, I have provided a "faith" study in Appendix B. This study would be suitable for studying with both young Christians and people interested in becoming Christians.

The Goal of Ministry: Strengthening Faith
A faith-based gospel would also change our perspective on church ministry. In a discipleship-based ministry, the emphasis is upon commitment. Commitment has its place in ministry, but often has the effect of supplanting the important aspects of a faith-based ministry; humanistically presenting commitment as the "silver bullet" of spiritual and ministerial success.

Consider Paul's remarks concerning his ministry focus:

For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine (Romans 1:11-12).

And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith (Philippians 1:25)…

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Colossians 2:5-7).

We sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith (1 Thessalonians 3:2)…

… as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10).

 In a faith-based ministry, the focus of ministerial leadership would be on strengthening faith. Since this was the focus of the early church, we are on safe ground moving in that direction and can be confident the God will bless those efforts.

Implement the Modified Hierarchical Model
The pro's and con's of what I earlier called the "classical hierarchical organizational model" are well known. All of the benefits of the classical plan are retained with the modified model, and the modified model has the additional benefit of handling peer relationships and relationships with new Christians much better.

Not only is the modified model a better ministerial option, it would save all sorts of relatively needless pain that are now expended in trying to put the entire church into a one-over-one hierarchy. And in terms of its benefit to the church, moving to the modified hierarchical model would mobilize the vast majority of the church that cannot be described either as leaders nor new converts, without having the effect of forcing them into either role.

Practical considerations aside, the modified hierarchical model simply has better support from the Scriptures. It answers some of our real problems in taking care of the church with a solid Biblical method.

Appendix A: The Greek Text of Matthew 28:18-20
The NIV text of Matthew 28:18-20 has led to certain conclusions about the meaning of the passage that are not in accordance with the Greek text. This appendix will discuss the Greek text of Matthew 28:18-20 and the place of discipleship in conversion.

The Text
Let us consider the translation of this passage in the New International Version (NIV) and the New American Standard Version (NASV), along with the Greek text from the International Bible Society (IBS).

NIV
[18] Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

NAS
[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."

IBS
[18] kai; proselqw;n oJ jIhsou'" ejlavlhsen aujtoi'" levgwn, jEdovqh moi pa'sa ejxousiva ejn oujranw'/ kai; ejpi; gh'". [19] poreuqevnte" ou\n maqhteuvsate pavnta ta; e[qnh, baptivzonte" aujtou;" eij" to; o[noma tou' patro;" kai; tou' uiJou' kai; tou' aJgivou pneuvmato", [20] didavskonte" aujtou;" threi'n pavnta o{sa ejneteilavmhn uJmi'n: kai; ijdou; ejgw; meq' uJmw'n eijmi pavsa" ta;" hJmevra" e{w" th'" sunteleiva" tou' aijw'no".

Transliterated IBS Text (v. 19a only)
[19] poreuthentes ouv matheteusate panta ta ethn, baptizontes autous eis to onoma…

 The Translation of the Passage
Observations about this passage and translation of v. 19:
  1. The Greek verb (imperative mode) "matheteusate" is translated "make disciples" in the English versions.
  2. In English the word "disciple" is a noun only; it has no defined verb meanings (in fact, Greek-English dictionaries define "matheteuo" as "make a disciple of, teach"). This limitation of the English language is central to the difficulty of understanding this passage correctly, as it forces the translator concerned about proper English to translate a Greek verb into an English verb-noun combination. Yet, it is helpful to translate the Greek "matheteusate" as a verb in English, "disciple."
  3. A correct English translation of the text is "make disciples of all nations." "Make disciples" is a verb, "nations" is a noun. There are no "disciples" (noun) in the sentence.
  4. "Baptizing" and "teaching to obey" are participles identified as steps in the "discipling" of the nations. This statement is a summary of Jesus’ ministry to the apostles and is not intended to be a comprehensive statement concerning conversion or discipling. "The force of the command is to make Jesus’ disciples responsible for making disciples of others, a task characterized by baptism and instruction."
  5. Those who are being "baptized" and "taught to obey" are thus "discipled" (verb). "The response of discipleship is baptism and instruction."
Implications for Baptism
This passage does not explicitly discuss the pre-requisites for one to be baptized. Baptizing and teaching to obey are expressed as the major aspects of the "discipling" of the nations.

A critical question prompted by the NIV translation is, "Do you have to be a ‘disciple’ to be baptized?" The question is foreign to the text; there are no "disciples" in the passage. The ones being baptized are "the nations." We must evaluate the pre-requisites for baptism somewhere besides this passage.

Briefly, the early church did not teach "discipleship" (as in physically following the physical Jesus, in the same manner as the apostles), but rather belief in his being the Christ. It also expected obedience to the gospel, which consisted of repentance and baptism, and subsequent membership in the church. Thus, baptism is preceded by faith in Jesus being the Christ and repentance. These criteria are the ones that need to be met prior to baptism; those being baptized according to them are in fact recognized as disciples.

Conclusion
The intent of this article has been first to correctly understand v. 19, and then to consider its impact upon the entire conversion process.

Because of the limitations of the English language, translations of this passage can lead to misleading meanings. However, for the purposes of understanding this passage, a verb sense to the English "disciple" could be implemented. This would facilitate a more straightforward translation of the passage, "Disciple the nations."

The object of making disciples, baptizing and teaching to obey is "the nations." The individual members of "the nations" are the ones to be "discipled," baptized and taught to obey everything Jesus commanded.

Concerning the broader questions of conversion and discipleship, the teachings of other biblical passages have been briefly considered and harmonized with the text in question. Examining the entire conversion process is clearly a separate task that should be undertaken as a separate study.

Appendix B: A Faith Study
This study on faith and repentance is designed to be used in studying the Bible with anyone interested in becoming a Christian.

A. Importance of Faith

B. Source of Faith C. Results of Faith D. Questions

Copyright © 1999, 2000 John Engler. All rights reserved.

Send a letter to the editor concerning this article