What is Discipleship?

Discipleship is important because by definition, every Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26). What does it mean to be a disciple?

The Concept of Discipleship

A disciple is a person who learns from a teacher. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “disciple” is mathētēs (μαθητής), meaning “learner”. It comes from the verb manthanō (μανθάνω), meaning “to learn”.

In Luke 6:40, Jesus said,

A disciple is not above his teacher. But every disciple, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

Christian Discipleship is the process of training a Christian with the goal that he eventually becomes like his teacher, Jesus Christ.

The Command of Discipleship

For Christians, discipleship is mandatory, not optional. In Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus said,

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 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

This passage is known as the Great Commission. According to the grammar of the original Greek text, the main command of the Great Commission is “make disciples”.

Jesus gave this Great Commission to his Apostles in their capacity as his disciples (v. 16). This indicates that each Christian, as a disciple of Jesus, should play his part in the overall effort of Jesus’ disciples to obey Jesus’ Great Commission by making disciples.

The Content of Discipleship

In the Great Commission, Jesus specified the content that his disciples should be taught:

teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (v. 20)

All of Jesus’ disciples should be taught all the things that he had taught his first twelve disciples. Yet, being a disciple involves more than just learning content. Jesus instructed that his disciples should not only be taught what he had commanded, but also taught to observe what he had commanded.

A disciple of Jesus Christ does not just learn what he says, but also obeys what he commands. John 8:31 says,

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.”

In context, Jesus was speaking to Jews who had heard his teachings and believed in him (v. 30). Yet, this did not automatically make them his disciples. Rather, Jesus taught that they would be his disciples only if they continued obeying his teachings.

Conclusion

It is notable that in the Great Commission, Jesus does not instruct us to make converts, but disciples. Of course, it is a good thing when a person begins to believe in Jesus! Yet, it should not be the end. Rather, every believer in Jesus Christ should be taught and trained to be a follower of Jesus Christ—as his disciple!