What Is a Disciple?

This article was originally published here, on February 22, 2009.

And Jesus came and said to them, "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" (Matt. 28:18-20).

This passage is often called the "Great Commission." It sets the parameters of the Church's mission. The Church exists to glorify God. How does it accomplish that? The Church glorifies God by making disciples through the proclamation of the gospel. What does a "disciple" look like? Matthew 28:18-20 does not explain what a disciple is, only how we make one. However, Jesus said,"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Thus, a disciple is defined as one who dies to self and imitates Jesus. Paul expresses it well in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Jesus again states, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27). Here Jesus is using hyperbole, an overstatement to catch people's attention. He isn't actually calling us to "hate" anyone. He wants us to understand that our love for him should make all of our other love to seem like hate. The greatness of our love for Jesus should make our other loves look small in comparison.

A disciple is someone who has turned away from sin (repentance) and who has placed their trust in Jesus' person and work for salvation (faith). Thus, having turned from sin to Jesus Christ, they must learn how to be like Jesus. This fact brings us back to the Great Commission. Now that they have been converted, the believer should be baptized and taught to obey everything Jesus commanded.

How did the early recipients of this commission put it into action? In other words, what did a "disciple" look like in the early church? Luke gives us an excellent picture in Acts 2:42, "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." This description of the early church gives us some important features we should have in our own situations. First, there was a commitment to the teaching of the apostles. That teaching would include everything that is now included in the New Testament. Second, there was a commitment to fellowship. The term fellowship means that they existed in community; that they held things in common. Third, they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. The early church often ate together daily and would celebrate the Lord's Supper after these meals. Finally, they were devoted to prayer.

Bringing all this together, let me venture a definition: A disciple is one who has abandoned the way of sin, has trusted in Christ's work and person, and who has devoted themselves to following Christ. By faith they have denied themselves, took up their cross, and followed Christ. Their life is characterized by a commitment to sound doctrine, a commitment to a mutually edifying life in the community of faith, a commitment to right worship, and a commitment to prayer. I realize this definition is incomplete, but its a good start. What do you think a disciple should look like?

Believer or Disciple?

Is there a difference in being "saved" and being a "disciple"? Some within the Evangelical community would say yes. They differentiate between having Christ as Savior and having Christ as Lord. However, can we, in light of the biblical witness, make such a distinction? What does Christ and the apostles say? Let's look at a few verses:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

"And he said to them all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows that will he reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Gal. 6:7-8)

These verses are only a small sampling, and they are quoted in keeping with their context. The issue being addressed in these verses is being a follower of Jesus. There is no distinction in the New Testament of being a believer and being a disciple. In actuality, the kind of "belief" that fails to produce obedience and perseverance is seen as false. For example, Jesus' parable of the soils (Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:3-9, 13-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15), Jesus addresses various responses to the gospel (the word). Both the stony ground and the thorns receive the word, and appear to bear fruit. However, both "soils" fail because fruit is not sustained. Jesus states the stony ground represents those who "have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away" (Luke 8:13). He goes on to describe seed among the thorns as those, "who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature" (Luke 8:14).

Contrasted with these is the seed that falls on the good soil. Jesus says, "As for that in the good soil, they are those, who hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15). The inference is clear: the bearing of fruit that last demonstrates a heart that is alive. Hearts that fail to yield lasting fruit are dead. Some might ask, "Does that mean we can lose our salvation?" The answer is no. However, it does mean that not all faith is saving faith.

Some one could have faith in the wrong message or the wrong Jesus. Paul expresses it best, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or and angle from heaven should preach you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:6-8). In this passage Paul addresses both the wrong message and a distorted Christ. John also warns against such distortion:

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confess the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If it abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he has made to us--eternal life (1 John 2:22-25).

The false belief may also be a mere intellectual assent. It may simply be the understanding that Jesus has come into the world, lived a perfect life, died an atoning death, and been raised from the dead. We may "believe" these facts without ever trusting in Christ. Know Christ died for the sin of the world is not the same as asking Jesus to forgive you of your sin. The question becomes does your belief in Jesus make you seek to be obedient to him? James does an excellent job of fleshing this out:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking daily food, and one of you says to them, "God in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Bit someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! Do you want to be shown you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active alon with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripute was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God (James 2:14-23).

Immediately, some will accuse James of preaching works salvation. They may, with Martin Luther, consider James' letter an "epistle of straw." However, James is only pointing out what Christ and the apostles were claiming--that only those who walk in obedient trust are truly saved. James is not claiming here that our actions make us righteous. He is claiming that our faith will produce works in keeping with that righteousness. Abraham could say he believed in the Lord, but his belief was demonstrated for all the world to see when he was ready to sacrifice Isaac at the command of the Lord. As the author of Hebrews reminds us, "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back" (Heb. 11:17-19).

All of this brings us back to our initial question. Is there a difference between being a "believer" and being a "disciple"? The biblical witness is clear, no there is no difference. A believer is a disciple, a disciple is a believer. This reality can help us in laying the ground work for defining a disciple. A disciple is a person who has, upon hearing the gospel, turned from their sin and placed their trust in Christ's atoning work upon the cross and in his resurrection from the dead. This trust in Christ produces in them a desire to walk in obedience to the commands and teachings of Christ. And through the work of the Spirit, they are brought into the conformity of the image of Christ, reflecting and displaying his character to the world as they walk in humble obedience.

Still Thinking About Discipleship

My mind keeps returning to the question, "What is a disciple?". I know that a disciple is a student or a follower of Jesus, but I want to move beyond that basic definition. As a pastor, I want to understand the biblical picture of discipleship so that I can fulfill my calling as a disciple maker. As a Christian, I want to know that I am living and growing as a disciple.

Paul gives us a helpful picture in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." In this context (Gal. 5:16-26) Paul is contrasting a life lived to please the flesh, and a life surrendered to the Spirit of God. The life lived in the Spirit has unmistakable "fruit." The characteristics listed in Galatians 5:22-23 are the work of the Spirit in our life.

Speaking of love, Paul is moving beyond the mere human expression of affection. The love that Paul is speaking about here would include a love for God that is expressed through obedient faith. It would also include a love for our neighbor that places their needs above our own. It is also includes a love for our enemies that seeks their welfare and salvation, even if they persecute us to death.

For me it is easier to describe joy, than to define it. The picture that comes to mind is Paul and Silas singing hymns of thanksgiving after being beaten and thrown in prison. They were rejoicing in the midst of their hardship. Their spirits couldn't be broken, because their hope in Christ.

Each of these characteristics provide for us a picture of what we should look like. Granted, growth may be slow. We may struggle as we fight sin, flesh, and the devil, but the Holy Spirit will bring the change about in us.

I haven't plumbed the depths of the being a disciple, but I will keep searching until my mind can find a good working definition. I'll keep searching the Scriptures and asking the Lord to reveal to me the nature of a disciple. However, I know that here and now we only see dimly, as through a looking-glass, as Paul would say. Until Christ returns none of us will reflect the full nature of a disciple, but pray we continue to strive in the grace of the Lord.

What Is a Disciple?

And Jesus came and said to them, "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" (Matt. 28:18-20).

This passage is often called the "Great Commission." It sets the parameters of the Church's mission. The Church exists to glorify God. How does she do that? The Church glorifies God by making disciples through the proclamation of the gospel. What does a "disciple" look like? Matthew 28:18-20 does not explain what a disciple is, only how we make one. However, Jesus said,"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Thus, a disciple is defined as one who dies to self and imitates Jesus. Paul expresses it well in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Jesus again states, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Who ever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27). Here Jesus is using hyperbole, an overstatement to catch people's attention. He isn't actually calling us to "hate" anyone. He wants us to understand that our love for him should make all of our other love to seem like hate. The greatness of our love for Jesus should dwarf our love for anyone or anything else.

So a disciple is someone who has turned away from sin (repentance) and who has placed their faith in Jesus' person and work for salvation (faith). Thus, having turned from sin to Jesus Christ, they must learn how to be like Jesus. This fact brings us back to the Great Commission. Now that they have been converted, the believer should be baptized and taught to obey everything Jesus commanded.

How did the early recipients of this commission put it into action? In other words, what did a "disciple" look like in the early church? Luke gives us an excellent picture in Acts 2:42, "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." This description of the early church gives us some important features we should have in our own situations. First, there was a commitment to the teaching of the apostles. That teaching would include everything that is now included in the New Testament, although most of the churches would not have possessed all of the New Testament at the time Luke is here describing. Second, there was a commitment to fellowship. The term fellowship means that they existed in community; that they held things in common. Third, they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. The early church often had daily meals together (usually in the evening) and would celebrate the Lord's Supper after these meals. Finally, they were devoted to prayer.

Bringing all this together, let me venture a definition: A disciple is one who has abandoned the way of sin, having trusted in Christ's work and person, and who is devoted to following Christ. By faith they have denied themselves, took up their cross, and followed Christ. Their life is characterized by a commitment to sound (Christian) doctrine, a commitment to a mutually edifying life in the community of faith (the church), a commitment to right worship, and to prayer. I realize this definition is incomplete, but its a good start. What do you think a disciple should look like?