What is Discipleship?

"They follow the Lamb wherever he goes." (Rev. 14:4)

Asking questions about established Christian beliefs can be a dangerous thing. When we start probing into topics like the gospel, atonement theories, or eschatology we could be headed for a massive spillage of worms from the can. But growth doesn’t come from idle minds, so it is imperative for us to ask questions about subjects that we may think are “settled.” This isn’t an admonition to become a cynic or deconstructionist, we’ve got enough of those in the world already, but it’s an invitation to reevaluate the subjects that may have lost a bit of luster due to neglect.

A Misunderstood Term

One such subject is discipleship. This is a term that is well known within most Christian communities, but is perhaps in danger of being misunderstood. With familiarity can come a lack a precision, an overly broad conception that leads to the frustrating realization that if discipleship is everything, then it’s nothing. We see the discipleship label slapped on everything from church events, to conferences, to coffee shop meet-ups. Is discipleship a specific set of actions we perform in order to meet a requirement? Does discipleship look the same for everyone? Is there any difference between disciples of today and Jesus’ first disciples? I think you get the picture. It isn’t hard to see how quickly we can lose sight of what the concept actually entails and how we are to live in light of those principles. In order to achieve better clarity, it might help if we take things back to the basics.

What Does the Bible Say?

In the New Testament (NT), the word we translate as “disciple” is μαθητης, which can also be translated as “student” or “pupil.” It shares some semantic space with words like μανθάνω, which means “to learn.” Although the word “disciple” is used roughly 260 times in the NT, the majority of these instances are simply references to Jesus’ twelve original disciples; there aren’t many didactic verses or passages in the gospel stories that can be used to formulate a working definition for the word. What is more, conceptual contours can be found in places in the NT that do not use μαθητης, so we shouldn’t restrict ourselves to a mere word study. So, put simply, there is no dictionary definition of discipleship contained within a verse or two of the NT. What we will have to do is pay close attention to some of the clues embedded within the gospels and epistles.

Clue #1 — Following Jesus

At the risk of incurring a resounding “DUH” from my readers, I think this does need to be emphasized at the outset. Moreover, what it means to actually “follow” Jesus is not always as straightforward as we make it out to be. For the many of the earliest disciples, to “follow” Jesus (when called to it) was a summons to participate in the Messiah’s mission to preach the good news of the kingdom. It was a call to leave behind the current state of one’s life and transition to the itinerate life of a traveling student. Those who were called to this mission were a select few, it did not include everyone who was present in the crowds or even those who were healed by Jesus’ miraculous power (cf. Mk. 2:1-12). This is important for our interpretation of many texts in the Gospels. Jesus’ summons to “follow me” is not synonymous with “come and be saved.” There may be overlap at times; the rich young man and his desire to inherit eternal life comes to mind (Mk. 10:17-30 pars.) But this was not the norm. Jesus did not demand for everyone who believed in his Messiahship to leave their normal routine and travel with him. There were, in fact, some who were not allowed to come with him despite a fervent desire to do so (e.g., the demoniac possessed by the Legion in Mk. 5:18-19). Jesus wasn’t telling the man he couldn’t be saved, he was simply redirecting the man’s desires toward a different purpose. Jesus wanted him to go home and testify to what God had done.

So before we quickly go off and try to boil down our own Christian life as “following Jesus,” we might want to be careful to refine what we mean. Of course, we do “follow Jesus” in a metaphorical sense, but this following doesn’t match up with the original disciples’ experience in an exact way. Our following Jesus is defined in the post-ascension era not as an itinerant lifestyle, but as a Spirit-led life. One of the biggest concerns for the first disciples was what to do after Jesus returned to heaven. Who would lead them? What would their life look like now? Where do we go from here?

Jesus’ promise to “be with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20) is fulfilled in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). How will followers of Jesus continue to follow him when he leaves? Answer: By the power of the Holy Spirit. So, yes, we still follow Jesus today, not in a spacial or physical sense, but in a spiritual and metaphorical one. We are faithfully following Christ’s will for our lives as we live in the power of the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).

Clue #2 — Joining the Death March

As mentioned above, there are times when Jesus sets out a more universal description of being his disciple. He does so in Mk. 8:34-38 and pars. Jesus here seems to broaden the application of his words to current and potential disciples. Mark even notes that this speech was given to both his disciples and a crowd (i.e., προσκαλεσαμεος τον οχλον συν τοις μαθηταις — “and calling the crowd along with his disciples”). What Jesus highlights here is the sacrificial and self-denying disposition required of those who are devoted to him. For a disciple to give true allegiance to Jesus, they must do two related things: deny themselves and take up the cross (απαρνησασθω εαυτον και αρατω τον σταυρον). Notice the focus of Jesus’ image, it’s not on the act of being crucified (though that is implied). What Jesus emphasizes is the laborious walk of shame that begins the moment a condemned individual picks up their cross and begins the death march. In other words, to follow Jesus means to take up the stigma and the gruesome death that accompanies crucifixion.

Not every Christian faces persecution in their lifetime. Very few have been personally crucified. And, yes, Jesus’ graphic invitation may have been particularly applicable to the first-century disciples. But it’s wider application belongs to us as well. We are called to willingly and gladly accept the reputation of being cross-bearing disciples of Jesus, even if the world wrinkles its nose at us as we pass by. This is what true allegiance and devotion look like.

Clue #3 — Abiding and Growing

Sometimes John’s gospel account gets short shrift when it comes to insights on discipleship. John’s account doesn’t have the famous self-denial passages, and only Philip receives the “follow me” command from Jesus (Jn. 1:43). But John does give us an inside look at Jesus’ intimate moments with the disciples just before his betrayal. Jesus uses a typical farming analogy to illustrate a crucial discipleship truth: the branches must be attached to the vine in order to be fruitful. To bear fruit, to function as a branch ought, requires being connected to the source of life — in this case, Jesus. If bearing fruit is the indicator, the proof, of true discipleship (see Jn. 15:8), then abiding in Christ is the essence of it.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who abides in me, and I in him, this is the one who bears much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5 AT)

This concept of abiding (or “remaining,” from the Greek verb μενω) that Jesus articulates here in John 15 provides the groundwork for the doctrine of union with Christ. John will reiterate this truth in his first epistle, a letter replete with injunctions and contrasts related to true discipleship (e.g., 1Jn. 3:24; 4:15-16). Paul’s own language regarding our life in Christ is similar (see, e.g., the multitudinous uses of ἐν Χριστῷ “in Christ” in his letters).

All that to say, the testimony of Scripture clues us into the very heart of being a disciple — abiding/remaining in Christ. And, to bring it full circle, we know Christ abides in us, and we in him, due to the indwelling Holy Spirit (1Jn. 4:13). Discipleship, then, cannot be determined merely by examining our external performance. If we only engage in endless introspection and evaluation, we miss the supernatural and gracious elements that make up the core of who we are as disciples. We have assurance of our identify as disciples, not because we’ve managed to accomplish a certain amount of spiritual tasks, but because God has sealed us with his Spirit.

Now before we draw up a working definition of discipleship, we need to incorporate one last item — progressive growth. While the root of being a disciple is union with Christ, the fruit of a disciple is growth in Christlikeness. There’s a reason why discipleship and life in Christ are described with organic and active imagery (vine/branches, walking, running, struggling, etc.), because being in Christ is by definition new life. Disciples are not merely static surveyors of God’s work, they are the object of his graceful workmanship (Eph. 2:10). When we are united to Christ by faith, we not only are put into a right relationship with God, we are also given the gift of bearing spiritual fruit.

In Colossians 1:28, Paul lays out the goal of his ministry — to bring all believers to maturity in Christ. Notice the integral relationship between both union with Christ and growth toward maturity. These are not separable for Paul; one cannot be united to Christ without growing in Christlikeness. The goal of our discipleship, then, is conformity to Christ’s image (Rom. 8:29). The concept of Christlikeness helps us see the correlation with the original connotation of a disciple as a “student” or “pupil.” To be a disciple is to desire and grow towards conformity to the Master.

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Col. 1:28 ESV)

A Working Definition

Pulling together the various threads that we have traced in this article, I think an adequate definition of discipleship can be stated this way: Christian discipleship is the God-ordained, Spirit-empowered process of living out our union with Christ through self-denying allegiance and fruitful growth. That’s a bit wordy, I admit, but I think this definition encapsulates — as best as possible given its succinctness — the range of descriptions and details given in Scripture. This definition is not the only “correct” one, and it certainly does not exhaust the various other components of discipleship, but I hope it helps you gain some clarity on what God intends for you in your lifelong journey of following Christ.

- David