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Definitions
We are now prepared to give basic definitions for some crucial terms. These definitions will be fleshed out as we go through the biblical data, but at this point they should provide some orientation for our journey.
Disciple
When we come to the New Testament, the primary word for “disciple” was the Greek term maqhthV (pl. maqhtai). The definition of a disciple must be given in a general sense as well as in a specific sense with reference to what Jesus intended His disciples be. This specific sense is seen most clearly toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, in the Great Commission, and in the use of the early church Acts (Louw and Nida 1988:I:471). In the general sense, we may define a disciple as a committed follower of a great master. The general sense of the term has two common applications. 1) It was used in non-referentially to distinguish the disciple from the teacher (Mt 10:24-25; Lk 6:40). 2) It was also used to designate the followers of a great leader or movement. Thus, we find disciples of Moses (Jn 9:28), disciples of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16; Mk 2:18; Lk 5:33), disciples of John the Baptist (Mt 9:14; Mk 2:18; Lk 5:33; Jn 1:35; 3:25), and disciples of Jesus. In the specific sense, a disciple of Jesus is one who has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Jesus. “Disciple” is the primary term used in the Gospels to refer to Jesus’ followers, and is a common referent for those known in the early church as “believers,” “Christians,” “brothers/ sisters,” “those of the Way,” or “saints,” although each term focuses upon different aspects of the individual’s relationship with Jesus and others of the faith. The term was used most frequently in this specific sense; at least 230 times in the Gospels (e.g., Jn 6:66-72) and 28 times in Acts (e.g., Acts 9:1, 10, 19-20). The English term “disciple” has undergone much the same development as did the Greek and Latin terms. Although “disciple” has roots in the Latin noun discipulus, which is related to the verb “to learn” (discere), present English usage only secondarily associates “disciple” with a person who is a student or learner. The English noun is now associated most often with the words “supporter, follower, or adherent.” The word disciple in contemporary usage “pertains exclusively to someone devoted to a master or patron. Most strictly, disciple suggests a religious situation: the disciples of Buddha who codified his teachings. In general usage, the word refers to someone’s ardent advocacy of any prominent figure or theory: an early disciple of Freud. . .” (Hayakawa 1979:596-597). The words supporter or follower are perhaps the nearest synonyms: “Supporter is the general term for one who allies himself with a cause or shows allegiance to its leader...Follower and disciple are related in that they emphasize devotion to a leader rather than to its doctrine or cause” (Hayakawa 1979:607). Hence, in the Christian sense, a disciple of Jesus is one who has come to Him for eternal life, has claimed Him as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Him.
Discipleship and Discipling
The terms “discipleship” and “discipling,” are English word derived, obviously, from disciple. The nearest equivalent to these expressions in the New Testament is the verbal form maqhteuw, “make or become disciples,” which occurs only four times (Mt 13:52; 27:57; 28:19; Acts 14:21). In common parlance, “discipleship” and “discipling” today relate to the ongoing life of the disciple. “Discipleship” is the ongoing process of growth as a disciple. “Discipling” implies the responsibility of disciples helping one another to grow as disciples. Therefore, discipleship and discipling can be narrowly understood as a technical discussion of the historical master-disciple relationship, but these terms can also be understood in a broader way as Christian experience, that is, the self-understanding of the early Christian believers as believers: what such a way of life requires, implies, and entails ( Segovia 1985:2). Therefore, when we speak of Christian discipleship and discipling we are speaking of what it means to grow as a Christian in every area of life. Since “disciple” is a common referent for “Christian,” discipleship and discipling imply the process of becoming like Jesus Christ. Discipleship and discipling mean living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ and growing in conformity to His image. This definition is much broader than what many conceive of discipleship and discipling. Most conceive of discipleship as a more narrow program or training time. But when Jesus says that “a disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Lk 6:40), He enunciates a principle common to all master-disciple relationships: a disciple is involved in a natural process which will bring him or her to be like the master. That principle is central to biblical discipleship: in this life a disciple is always in a discipleship process, the process of becoming like the Master, Jesus. This establishes a link between explicit discipleship sayings in the Gospels and Acts with similar concepts in the rest of the New Testament, such as Paul’s statement that the goal of God’s calling in the life of the Christian is to be conformed to the image of Christ (cf. Rom 8:28-30). As one author says, “Indeed, full discipleship and full Christlikeness are the same thing” (Parker n.d.:845). Hence, all who are called to be His disciples are in the process of becoming more like the Master, Jesus Christ, i.e., discipleship. Each disciple also has the responsibility to be involved in helping other disciples grow, i.e., discipling. |
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