NEW TESTAMENT DISCIPLESHIP

Posted on by BETH

The Lord has his own definition of what it means to be a disciple.  The Greek dictionaries gives a beginning definition of the word ‘disciple’ as “a learner (i.e. pupil).”  This is only a beginning definition.  Jesus further defines the word ‘disciple’ when he says: “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40).   He gives a similar definition of the purpose of a disciple by stating: “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matt. 10:24-25).  This explains why no man can have two masters.  No man can be in the image of two masters at the same time.  John’s disciples would end up being like John, and Jesus’ disciples would end up being like Jesus.  Here is the Father’s eternal purpose for Jesus’ disciples.  We read of this same purpose many times throughout the scriptures.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Col. 3:9-13)

When we obey Jesus command to make a disciple, we make someone who desires to have a heart and mind like Jesus.  Jesus calls men to learn of him and follow him.  He is meek and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:28-30).  We learn of him so that we can become like him in heart – meek and lowly, and in all of the other good ways of his heart.  Some leaders emphasize many other purposes (many of a temporary nature like buildings, collection plates and numbers).  This is more in line with the description of false teachers who seek to make merchandise of God’s children (2 Pet. 2:1-3).  We need to emphasize the eternal purpose of God.  The Lord states his purpose in Romans 8:28 to describe this same plan to have all of his children to grow in the image of Christ.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  (Rom. 8:28-29)

He is clear.  He calls souls according to his purpose.  He ‘predestinated’ (predetermines) that these souls should be “conformed to the image of his Son.”  He told the Colossians the same thing:  “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:10).  We have already put on the new man as we rise from the waters of baptism to walk the new life (Rom. 6:4).  At that time we have ‘put on Christ’ (Gal 3:27).  After we put on Christ it is time for that image which we have put on to grow more in the image of Christ.  This is done by being renewed in the knowledge of Christ (Col. 3:10).  It is an ongoing process.  “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”  (2 Cor. 3:18).

DOES BAPTISM MAKE A DISCIPLE?

Posted on by BETH

Baptism does not make disciples.  The Great Commission has three parts – the first and second parts are not the same.  He did not command the apostles to make disciples by baptizing men.  They did not baptize anyone who had not responded to the first part.  Those who responded to the first part were ready to be baptized.  The command is to “Go therefore and teach (the original Greek is go and make disciples) of all the nations, baptizing them. . .”  When he says “baptizing them,” to whom is he referring?  If he is saying “baptizing them (nations),” we can understand that this is impossible.  All nations would not submit to baptism.  If he is saying “baptizing the them (disciples),” they must have been made disciples before they were baptized.  If baptizing someone makes them a disciple, then the one who is being baptized does not need to know why he is being baptized.  If baptizing someone makes them disciples, then many of the denominations are obeying the first part of the great commission when they immerse someone in water because he has already been saved.  Scripturally, the one being baptized must have a change of mind and understand what he is doing before he is qualified to be baptized.  This qualification Jesus calls ‘making disciples.  There is a process in making disciples.  John 4:1-3 says that  Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John .  As Jesus was teaching some of the Jews believed on him.  Notice how they were told to be disciples indeed: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed . . .” (John 8:30-31).  If baptism makes one a disciple, then “once a disciple always a disciple,” for it is impossible to get ‘unbaptized.’  Jesus knew how to make disciples.  We must follow our master’s example on how to make a disciple but first we must know what a disciple is.

PART 3: THE GREAT COMMISSION: Make Disciples

Posted on by BETH

Jesus commanded to “. . . go and teach (mathetuo) all nations” (Matt. 28:19).  The literal meaning of this Greek word ‘matheteuo’ is ‘go and make disciples.’  This is the very pattern Jesus followed. “. . . Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John . . .” (John 4:1-3).  Even those who ask WWJD (What would Jesus do?) should at least make disciples like Jesus did.  It is true that the King James versions translates this word as ‘go ye therefore and teach all nations.’  However, it is just as true that the command Jesus gave is to go and make disciples of all nations.  If we expect to please our Father we will not neglect this command.

One wonders why the word ‘disciple’ is so seldom used today except by Total Commitment groups.  (They wrongly ‘disciple’ people to their own peculiar leaders and organizations, not to Jesus as they claim.)  Has the gospel changed?  Is this command of God no longer valid?  The word disciple is the primary word used to describe Jesus’ followers.  It is used 269 times in the New Testament.  In contrast the word ‘Christian’ is used three times in the New Testament.  Both words are valid words to describe God’s children, but God used one word far more than another for a reason.  It is not traditional to use the word disciple today.  The Jews could not find the truth of God because they were bound by their own traditions.  To find God’s truth they would have had to have left all of the teaching of men and listened only to Christ.  We are no different today.  When we insist on following our peers’ tradition, we are liable not to obey God.  We need to obey his command and go and make disciples of all nations.  That brings us to our next question.  How do we make disciples?

AFTER EARTH, WHAT WILL GOD HAVE LEFT IN HIS HAND?

Posted on by BETH

When this universe is burned up at the end of the world (2 Pet. 3:10-13), what will God have left to show for all of his work?  Only the unseen eternal things will be left.  Minds, hearts, and souls –  the inner eternal nature of man will be left (2 Cor. 4:16-18).   What is in each mind, heart and soul is going to be of utmost importance on judgment day.  If a man’s heart is full of evil, God can not use him.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?   (Luke 16:10-12).

God is concerned about our hearts.  Are they faithful?  Note God’s judgment of the heart.  Why is this principle true?  If the heart is faithful in little, that same heart is faithful.  It does not matter how much or how little it has.  It will always be faithful in every circumstance and time.  Conversely, if the heart is unfaithful, the amount will not matter.  God’s question is: are we faithful with what he has given us now?  We are faithful, if our hearts are faithful.  If our hearts are unfaithful here on this earth, they will be unfaithful in heaven.  Moses was faithful here.  He has the same kind of heart.  He will be faithful no matter where he is.  Faithfulness is a matter of the spiritual heart.  What is our mind, heart and soul going to be like when we leave this world?  God is very concerned about this because these and what is in them will be what God has left when this world has ended.

JESUS’ ILLUSTRATION OF MAN’S ETERNAL NATURE

Posted on by BETH

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).

Where do men go immediately after they die?  Solomon declares: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7).  Jesus informed us of what happened to the rich man and Lazarus immediately after they died (Luke 16:19-31).  “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:22-23).  The word translated “hell” is the Greek word ‘hades,’ which is literally “unseen.”  The rich man woke up in the ‘unseen’ world.  This account of Lazarus and the rich man is not just a parable.  He mentions ‘certain’ people and names one of them.   Individuals are not named in parables.  Even if someone insists that it is a parable, parables are not fairy tales.  They are true to life.  This event actually happened.

The rich man’s mind and heart went with him to torment.  The rich man’s body is buried in the earth, but the rich man himself, woke up in torments (Luke 16:23).  When he arrived in torment the rich man had another ‘body,’ or something that could see (Abraham and Lazarus), speak (so as to relate with Abraham), and feel pain (of the flames around him).  It is plain that the rich man had the identical memory that he had when he was on earth.  He clearly remembered Lazarus, his brothers, and his past life (Luke 16:23-28).  This is part of his eternal nature. He had the same heart toward Lazarus after he arrived in torment that he had when he was still in this world.  On earth, the rich man had no compassion in his heart for Lazarus at all.  The most Lazarus received were crumbs from the rich man.  He received no compassion in the form of medical help from the rich man.  Dogs were kind enough to lick his sores but the rich man would not help him.  We see his heart in torment, when “. . . he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame (Luke 16:24).  He showed the same flagrant disregard for Lazarus’ well-being.  He expected to use him as a slave by directing Abraham to send him into the flames – to give him water.  He further expected Lazarus to suffer more by returning to earth in order to warn his brothers.  He continued to love his brothers so much that he would rather have them not to be with him forever if they could enter paradise (Luke 16:27, 28).

While he was on earth he did not respond to the Lord’s encouragement to be good.  There is no indication he will have an opportunity to change his heart in torment.  In fact, Jesus testifies that on judgment day at least some of these souls in torment will still not understand what they have done wrong that caused them to be in torment.  Jesus testified that: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22).  They will argue that they were serving him with his authority, when in fact Jesus never knew them (Matt. 7:21-23).  Thus Jesus described man’s mind, heart and soul – his real eternal nature – after he leaves this earthly form.

God uses the earth to form man’s heart and mind.  This is his concern.  This is where his purpose or goal for man is centered.  There is no indication that God is forming hearts in the next world.   The mind and heart leave this earth and enter the unseen world.

What is the rich man’s heart like today?  There is no indication he is any different now than he was 2,000 years ago when he entered torment.  “Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7).  That is a present tense verb.  There is no indication the minds and hearts of the men who had lived in Sodom are any different now than they were on earth.  Fifteen hundred years after Moses died on Mount Nebo, he returned to speak with Christ on the mount of transfiguration.  Which Moses spoke with Christ?  We know it was not the child in the bull rushes.  It was not the Moses who killed a man when he was 40 years old; nor was it the the most humble man in the world whom God called to lead his people out of Egypt at 80 years old (Num. 12:1).  The marvelously humble 120 year old Moses who had wrestled faithfully and almost flawlessly with a rebellious and disobedient people for 40 years in a wilderness is the being who spoke to Jesus on the mountain (Heb. 5:1-5).  The point is this.  We arrive on the earth as babies whose hearts and minds know very little.  By the time we die, our hearts are very solidly formed.  God uses this earth to form hearts.  This is an integral part of God’s eternal plan.  His plan is described in more detail in what has been called the Great Commission.