²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  ²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  (John 14:24-26, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Thank you for your comments yesterday confirming the vital importance of understanding our identity!  If our identity is not being defined by God, then it is being defined by someone or something else, and if we are confused about our identity, our purpose and actions are adversely impacted.  The contextual questions posed yesterday highlight some challenges encountered in defining the identity of disciples of Jesus.  The challenges sometimes emanate from differing opinions that Christians hold. Today we will review some of those opinions. 

According to Michael Wilkins, who we introduced yesterday, there are five major schools of thought where the definition of the identity of disciples is concerned:

1. The disciple is a learner who follows a great teacher.  In this school, the terms disciple and Christian are not synonymous.  Those who support this position point to the significance of the Greek word for “disciple” coming from the verb “to learn.”  Also, they refer to John 6:66, which says, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”  They believe this provides evidence that some disciples were not believers.
2. The disciple is a committed believer.  In this case, a Christian is not necessarily a disciple.  Wilkins says that this school “emphasizes Jesus’ radical challenge to count the cost of discipleship.”  This school would see verses like Luke 14:27 (“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”) as evidence that only committed believers are disciples.
3. The disciple is a minister.  Like the second school, this school treats disciples like a special class of Christians.  According to Wilkins, this school is heavily influenced by their observation of “the close relationship of the twelve disciples with Jesus in his ministry.”
4. The disciple is a convert, but discipleship comes later.  This school is heavily influenced by the Great Commission (Matthew 18:16-20) and interprets the phrase “making disciples” as making converts. So, a convert is a disciple but the process of growth, which is called discipleship, comes later.
5. The disciple is a convert who is in the process of discipleship.  This school is like the 4^th school, except there is no second step.  The believer at the point of conversion is a disciple, and the process of discipleship starts immediately upon conversion.

While it would be fascinating to debate the pros and cons of these opinions, that is not the objective of this study.  Instead, we share the opinions to emphasize the fact that defining our identity should be the product of diligent study.  There is no need for discouragement though, because we have an advocate who is our ultimate teacher, the Holy Spirt. The Spirit instructs us as we abide in Scripture (note: we are not called to abide in a denomination, a spiritual leader, a website, or other sources of advice even though they may be of value).    

(Note: Tomorrow we will sort through the opinions and provide definitions of a disciple and discipleship.) 

Bible Study Passage:

Today, our Scripture passage illuminates the role of the Holy Spirit as our teacher.  Please prayerfully read the passage and consider the question below.            

Questions:

In what ways do you submit to the Holy Spirit as your teacher of “all things?”

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.