In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said the following to His eleven disciples before He was taken to Heaven, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV) This has been known throughout Christian history as the “Great Commission,” and it has formed the basis for both Christian evangelism and discipleship throughout the centuries as the Christian church has continued to grow and develop. Evangelism and discipleship have been the main cornerstones of the Christian church in building a community of believers that love and worship Jesus Christ.
This can be said to be the goal of the Christian church—to make disciples of Jesus Christ by preaching the Gospel and continuing to help them understand the truths of Scripture until they look like their Savior, Jesus Christ. But is this the essential goal of ministry within the Church—to make disciples? Is the sole goal of the Church of Jesus Christ “to make a disciple who worships Jesus”? This paper will seek to critique this assertion, and define discipleship according to a Biblical understanding of the term.
Barna defines discipleship as, “becoming a complete and competent follower of Jesus Christ.”[1] A. Boyd Luter, Jr. further notes that, “Disciple-making involves (a) winning others to Christ (“baptizing” implies their conversion, for water baptism was an outer witness of inner conversion) and (b) teaching the commands of Christ. “Christian instruction is to be a continuous process…continuing after baptism with a view to enabling disciples to walk worthily of their vocation.”[2] The main goal then, according to these men, is to bring men to the knowledge of Christ as Savior and then help them to grow to full maturity in their knowledge of Christ as Lord. The assertion, then, that the Church’s main ministry is to “make a disciple who worships Jesus,” does not fully flesh out what it means to make a disciple of Jesus Christ. This definition lacks the continual aspect of discipleship—leaving discipleship as nothing more than evangelism. A man or woman who comes to Christ as Savior is already a “disciple who worships Jesus,” according to the New Testament. Philippians 3:3 says, “we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus.” (ESV) The new believer is a worshipper of Christ from the time of his conversion; therefore, discipleship should end at this point, according to this definition of discipleship. This definition fails to account for the years following the person’s conversion.
What then is the purpose of discipleship? Discipleship is often linked with education. Dr. Michael Mitchell defines Christian education in the following manner: “Education is the creative process of utilizing external and internal forces to facilitate the functions of teaching and training in promoting and attaining growth and development, enabling complete individuals to comprehend, contemplate, and contribute to their community and culture.”[3] With this definition, it is quite obvious why it would be often linked with discipleship. Discipleship is often a matter of growth in understanding. The Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (ESV) Obviously, education is important in the process of discipleship. But is that all that pertains to discipleship?
Spiritual formation is another way in which discipleship may be furthered. John H. Armstrong notes, “Spiritual formation refers to Christian growth through a definite process of living the Christian life by the Holy Spirit. It also refers to the means, or methods, by which this life is to be lived.”[4] However, Armstrong also cautions, “I also watch these developments with a cautious eye since some parts of this tradition are clearly questionable for those of us who are deeply rooted in the gospel of grace alone.”[5] Spiritual formation is intent on helping believers discover how to practice the Christian faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual formation helps one answer questions regarding the practice of Christian living.
Discipleship, Education, and Spiritual formation all attempt to deal with the need for growth in the life of the Christian. They all attempt to approach it from slightly different angles. Education attempts to approach Christian growth through gaining knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual formation seeks to approach Christian growth through development of Christian practices. Discipleship encompasses both of these aspects and lasts the entire lifetime of the believer, as they become more and more like Jesus Christ.
The Church’s ministry should be focused mainly toward the entire process of discipleship—from conversion until full maturity in Christ. Discipleship is the most important ministry within the Church because it is discipleship that grows the entire body “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” as Paul says in Ephesians 4:13. (ESV) This ministry is important within the local church because a body of weak Christians will portray a weak body to the unbelieving world, and will not bring proper glory to God. Within the church, discipleship can have many different functions, as noted by James G. Samra: “Discipling can be conveyed by mature believers to less mature believers in small groups or with one person, through intensely personal relationships whereby evangelism, humility, suffering for Christ, and other subjects are taught, discussed, exemplified, tested.”[6] Discipleship can take many forms in the church, but it is vital for the life of every believer within the local body.
Worship is important within the local Church. E. F. Harrison says of worship, “Our English word means ‘worthship,’ denoting the worthiness of an individual to receive special honor in accordance with that worth.”[7] Each aspect of the discipleship process, including education and spiritual formation, affect the worship of the believer. They should drive the believer to worship the Lord with a deeper reverence and love. The worship of the believer should grow deeper as the believer is discipled and grows in maturity in his knowledge of Christ. Worship itself does not define discipleship, however; it will act more as a determinant of the level of maturity of the believer.
Discipleship is one of the most important ministries which the church has the opportunity to engage in within the local body. Discipleship cannot be summed up as simply “making a disciple who worships Jesus,” because discipleship involves the entire process of growing a believer from being a spiritual newborn until they have reached full maturity in their knowledge of Christ. This can be affected by both education and spiritual formation—education deals with learning about Christ, and Spiritual formation deals with the practice of becoming more like Christ. These areas will affect the believer’s worship by drawing them more deeply into worship of Jesus Christ, until they have grown to full maturity.
[1]Barna, George. Growing True Disciples. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2001. pg 17
[2] Luter, A. Boyd Jr. "Discipleship and the Church." Bibliotheca Sacra, 1980: 267-272. pg 269
[3] Mitchell, Dr. Michael R. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples. Bloomington: CrossBooks, 2010. pg 241
[4] Armstrong, John H. "Introduction." Reformation and Revival, 2004: 8-9. Pg 8
[5] Ibid
[6] Samra, James G. "A Biblical View of Discipleship." Bibliotheca Sacra, 2003: 220-234. (pg. 234)
[7] Harrison, E. F. "Worship." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, by Walter A. Elwell, 1300. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001. (pg. 1300)
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