16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, New International Version)
Theme: Discipleship
Context:
Yesterday, we established the fundamental link between discipleship and “abiding” in Scripture. You explained in your comments that abiding in Scripture called for Spirit led, persistent and diligent study aimed at transformation and application. Thank you for your comments!
You may have noticed that we haven’t clearly defined discipleship so far. Defining Christian discipleship isn’t a trivial pursuit. In defining discipleship, we will kill two birds with one stone. We will develop the definition while simultaneously demonstrating that Bible Study is key to a correct definition. To aid us in these tasks, over the next four days we will refer to the study of two theologians: 1) Michael Wilkins, author of Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship, and 2) Rowan Williams, author of Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life.
At this juncture I must express an extreme word of caution. We are going to kick off the definition process by posing some potentially controversial questions. Our interest is not in a debate about semantics. Instead, we will demonstrate that there are substantive questions that only the Bible can resolve. Please stay with us over the next few days as we work through the controversial questions.
Here are a few questions related to discipleship: Jesus lays out some stringent requirements to be his disciple. For example, in Luke 14:33 He says, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” Considering these stringent requirements, is every Christian a disciple? Can a disciple not be a Christian? Are disciples a more committed subset of Christians?
We’ll come back to the above questions later. For now, just consider the confusion these questions can cause. Because of these types of question, Wilkins writes about the following results from an experiment he runs at Christian gatherings. He asks, “How many of you can say, in the humble confidence of your heart, that you are convinced that you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ? Please raise your hand.” Wilkins reports that “most do not put their hand up at all, some do so hesitantly, some put it up then take it down, others put it up half-way.” However, when Wilkin asks: “How many of you can say, in the humble confidence of your heart, that you are convinced that you are a true Christian? Please raise your hand.” Immediately most hands shoot up— no hesitation, no doubt!
Bible Study Passage:
Today’s passage highlights the consequential role of Scripture in being “equipped.” Where do we find God’s definitions? The Bible. Where should we go to find the definition of discipleship? The Bible.
Questions:
Why is it important for us to understand the Biblical definition of our identity as disciples?
Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else. Please leave a comment on the blog