Luke 6:40 and the Theme of Likeness Education in the New Testament

Book excerpt: What does Jesus mean when he says, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but each disciple, after being fully trained, will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40)? This verse has been quoted, cited, and referenced in vast amounts of Christian education and discipleship literature. Nevertheless, the verse is nearly untouched in exegetical discussions with the exception of source-critical analyses. From this verse arises an undeveloped theme in the Gospel of Luke and the New Testament--the theme of likeness education. Using content analysis methodology, Luke 6:40--one of the keystone passages in Christian education literature--serves as the starting point for mining out the theme of likeness education in the New Testament. This study consists of three concentric areas of investigation: (1) Luke 6:40 and its immediate context, (2) Luke-Acts, and (3) the New Testament corpus.