Discipleship
A Scriptural Description
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the
flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are
destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge
of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
NASB
Thus, a discipleship is an intellectual effort that involves a commitment to the master, Jesus, with a desire to both reproduce and multiply. The disciple must study (2 Tim 2:15), fight for the Gospel (2 Cor 10:3-5; Jude 2), and defend the Gospel (1 Pet 3:15). Consider these verses describing a disciple:
Luke 9:23-25
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and
follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to
gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Luke 14:25-35
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and
turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not
hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and
sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first
sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete
it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone
who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to
build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is
about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down
and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the
one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he
will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will
ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not
give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. 34 “Salt is good,
but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It
is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
John 8:31
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said,
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Matthew 9:36-38
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a
shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful
but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field.”
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Do you fit these descriptions?
Scriptures taken from the NIV
