DEFINING DISCIPLESHIP
While a student at Moody Bible Institute (between 1979 and 1983), I found myself pondering the meaning of discipleship. After years of living the process, here I was assessing its meaning. All of my reading and research resulted in a definition that has stuck with me through the years.
Having committed my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in 1972, I spent the following year living in Boston, Massachusetts. During that time, I was baptized; I began to be aided and guided in my growth to maturity as a believer in Christ; and, I began to be equipped to reproduce myself in a third spiritual generation. During that year a group of young Christian men played a significant role in my life being transformed. I was becoming a disciple of Christ.
After a year in Boston, I returned to Washington, DC (the place of my birth and where I grew up). Shortly after my return I met a young man named Eugene Burrell, a representative of the Navigators. During that meeting an invitation was given, I accepted, and a mentoring relationship was born. Eugene continued to aid and guide me in my growth to maturity. And I continued to be equipped to reproduce myself in a third spiritual generation. With Eugene as my mentor, my life continued to be transformed and the making of a disciple of Christ progressed.
DICTIONARY.COM defines discipleship as: "the condition or situation of being a disciple, a follower, or a student of some philosophy, especially a follower of Christ".
In an interview with John Piper, Founder & Teacher of DesiringGod.org, he states the following regarding "Making Disciples":
A couple of observations about the word discipleship. The word discipleship never occurs in the Bible. The term is ambiguous in English. It can mean my discipleship, in the sense of my own pattern of following Jesus and trusting him and learning from him. That is my discipleship. It could mean that. Or it can mean my activity of helping others be disciples in that sense of learning from him, growing in him.
The second meaning — helping others — does have a verb in New Testament Greek: mathēteuō, to make disciples. It can mean preach the gospel so that people get converted to Christ and become Christians and, thus, disciples. For example, Acts 14:21 says, “When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium.” So that “make disciples” is one Greek word there, and it means “get them converted to Jesus.” That is what it means.
Or it can mean the whole process of conversion, baptism, and teaching the ways of Jesus as it is used in Matthew 28:19–20: “Go therefore and make disciples.” And here is what he means. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
That is a very long process. That is like a lifetime of process. So get them converted. Baptize them. And then spend a lifetime teaching them to obey all that Jesus said. That is what the verb “disciple” in the New Testament would include.
[See: What Is Discipleship and How Is It Done? | Desiring God]
So, what definition of discipleship stuck with me through the years since my Moody Bible Institute days? It’s the definition found in Successful Discipling by Allen Hadidian (noted as “out of print”):
“Discipling others is the process by which a Christian with a life worth emulating commits himself for an extended period of time to a few individuals who have been won to Christ, the purpose being to aid and guide their growth to maturity and equip them to reproduce themselves in a third spiritual generation.” – Allen Hadidian, author
We at Commissioned Ministries, a division of Huger Consulting, LLC, are here to serve and would love to assist you in your pursuit to understand God's call to discipleship. All of your thoughts, comments and questions can be posted below; and we look forward to communicating with you.