The Biblical Principles of Discipleship

Book excerpt: The purpose of this present study is to look at the larger biblical and theological framework that surrounds discipleship. Of necessity, we will also examine certain specific methods as a part of this process. The book grew out of a conviction that discipleship, properly understood, must be seen within the larger context of God's purposes. Discipleship is a means, not merely an end in itself. It is essential for the church to understand what these means were designed to produce. What are God's purposes, and how are these objectives spelled out in His Word? Once we understand what God is after, it will be possible to see the process of discipleship in its rightful place.One of the major concerns from our perspective is that so many books on discipleship seem to imply that its primary (and perhaps only) purpose is evangelism. The church must understand that God's objectives are far broader than outreach. All that Christians do should be designed to glorify God, and the Lord has made it clear that certain specific things glorify Him. Three that bring special glory are 1) a growing relationship between believers and God, 2) development of Christlikeness in character, and 3) fruitful service for the Lord.Regarding service for God, the holy Scriptures teach that believers have a twofold responsibility for ministry. The first area of responsibility is the building up of the body of Christ, and the other is outreach to the world. One of the ways in which Christians touch the world is through evangelism, but it is not the only one. This means that evangelism is a significant part of God's objectives, but only one part of one's total service for God. At the same time, service for God is only a sample of the several ways in which God is glorified by those who belong to Him. Accordingly, one of the purposes of this book is to address the larger issue of God's objectives for His people and then to see how the process of discipleship serves as a means to accomplish God's ends.We cannot adequately understand God's purposes for mankind if our range of information is limited to the New Testament. The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus and the early church understood that His appearance and ministry were the fulfillment of God's plan that He gradually unfolded over many centuries. Thus we must first consider the Old Testament in our investigation. The structural relationship between the Old and New Testaments is that of promise and fulfillment. Thus there is no understanding of what is happening in the New Testament without significant appreciation for what God did in the Old Testament. It is particularly important to identify what God was after when He established a people for Himself at Sinai. At that crucial point in Israel's history, God made known what He wants. He described the people who were to be His and began to reveal the process by which they were to become that people.Trinitarian summary of the basic biblical principles of discipleship.By beginning with the Old Testament and then working through the New Testament, we will get a perspective on the purposes of God that run throughout the Bible. It is a proper task of Christian theology to collect and synthesize as much biblical data as possible. It will not do to isolate a single passage, a single book, or even a single Testament. The whole Bible is the Word of God and must be taken seriously in our effort to understand what God has done in the world and what He wants us to do. This book is particularly concerned with examining how discipleship is for God's glory. Therefore, we cannot escape the responsibility of discovering more adequately who God is and what He wants us to be and do.