A Ship Called Disciple
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Hard work is the reward for hard work.” It’s usually said by a 70 year old in a stern voice, not sounding very rewarded. It’s like they’re really saying, “I’ve been miserable for 70 years working hard, so you should be miserable too!” Is hard work its own reward? Well, characteristics developed in a person through discipline is a benefit of hard work. But that’s not hard work. It’s characteristics. Not the same thing, clearly. But it wouldn’t be as catchy if it was, “Disciplined character is the reward for hard work.” Discipline, eh?
Jesus called his followers “disciples”. It means, “pupils” or “learners”. He was always teaching them. He is the master teacher, really. He taught using these little stories called Parables. You can cram a lot more instruction and wisdom into a story than you can with just informative speech. It’s really hard to exhaust Jesus’ parables. You can read them again and again and always find something new. He also taught by doing. He was his own instructive illustration. He healed people to teach multiple lessons through one event. The healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath is just packed with wisdom for us. He did instruct his disciples using plain speech, but they didn’t often understand what he was saying even then. But, they were Jesus’ disciples. Sometimes it was a bunch of them, and sometimes just the twelve and the women. They didn’t always (or even often) learn the lesson, but they were trying.
One thing I love about God’s Word is that it is God’s words. Some may think that the Bible is God’s thoughts put down in language, but Theologians have this term, “plenary inspiration” meaning that the actual words in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek are inspired by God. I have come to agree with this whole-heartedly. There is a real blessing for the student of the Bible who believes this. They alone will find treasures there that no one else will. I say all this because of the word “disciple.” Did you know that it is not used even once in any of the Epistles? It’s interesting to find that Jesus, who called his followers “disciples” does not use the term after he rises from the grave. He calls them “brethren” and “children”, but never “disciples.”
Now you might be thinking, “hold on for a sec – Doesn’t Jesus say, Go into all the world and make disciples, or something like that…” Well, lets take a look at Matthew 28:19 for a minute. It’s often called The Great Commission. It goes like this, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…”(NKJV) That phrase “make disciples” is better translated “teach” as in the KJV. It’s most often found in the NT as “instruct” or “teach”. Why does this matter? If Jesus doesn’t call those who believe in him for salvation, “disciples”, then why do we insist on “discipleship” so much? Are we simply learners? Or are we more? Jesus called his followers, “brothers” only after he rose. Peter, James, Jude, Paul and the writer to the Hebrews drop “disciple” like a stone. We are Saints, Living Stones, New Creations, Brethren, His Body, The Church, Children of God, Joint-Heirs with Christ…. Not just students. Yes, we need to be taught. But it is not simply instruction that we needed.
Through Jesus death and resurrection we have been born from above and that is the thing that every Christian needs to learn more than anything else. The Gospel is good news for Christians. Extra, extra, read all about it!
BJ
Jesus called his followers “disciples”. It means, “pupils” or “learners”. He was always teaching them. He is the master teacher, really. He taught using these little stories called Parables. You can cram a lot more instruction and wisdom into a story than you can with just informative speech. It’s really hard to exhaust Jesus’ parables. You can read them again and again and always find something new. He also taught by doing. He was his own instructive illustration. He healed people to teach multiple lessons through one event. The healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath is just packed with wisdom for us. He did instruct his disciples using plain speech, but they didn’t often understand what he was saying even then. But, they were Jesus’ disciples. Sometimes it was a bunch of them, and sometimes just the twelve and the women. They didn’t always (or even often) learn the lesson, but they were trying.
One thing I love about God’s Word is that it is God’s words. Some may think that the Bible is God’s thoughts put down in language, but Theologians have this term, “plenary inspiration” meaning that the actual words in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek are inspired by God. I have come to agree with this whole-heartedly. There is a real blessing for the student of the Bible who believes this. They alone will find treasures there that no one else will. I say all this because of the word “disciple.” Did you know that it is not used even once in any of the Epistles? It’s interesting to find that Jesus, who called his followers “disciples” does not use the term after he rises from the grave. He calls them “brethren” and “children”, but never “disciples.”
Now you might be thinking, “hold on for a sec – Doesn’t Jesus say, Go into all the world and make disciples, or something like that…” Well, lets take a look at Matthew 28:19 for a minute. It’s often called The Great Commission. It goes like this, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…”(NKJV) That phrase “make disciples” is better translated “teach” as in the KJV. It’s most often found in the NT as “instruct” or “teach”. Why does this matter? If Jesus doesn’t call those who believe in him for salvation, “disciples”, then why do we insist on “discipleship” so much? Are we simply learners? Or are we more? Jesus called his followers, “brothers” only after he rose. Peter, James, Jude, Paul and the writer to the Hebrews drop “disciple” like a stone. We are Saints, Living Stones, New Creations, Brethren, His Body, The Church, Children of God, Joint-Heirs with Christ…. Not just students. Yes, we need to be taught. But it is not simply instruction that we needed.
Through Jesus death and resurrection we have been born from above and that is the thing that every Christian needs to learn more than anything else. The Gospel is good news for Christians. Extra, extra, read all about it!
BJ
posted by BJ at 3:45 PM
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