found this article online researching evangelism, i thought it was interesting.
the basic concept is evangelism and discipleship are hand in hand and you can't have one without the other. all tho i could agree with that statement i am not convinced as i believe that reaching people with the gospel and or bringing people to jesus who are lost has far greater eternal value than discipling someone on how to live as a christian. either way i liked the article and thought it was still very good and needed...here it is;
What is discipleship, exactly? Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
This week we’re thinking once again about discipleship. What is discipleship? The call to discipleship is laid out for Christians in Matthew 28:
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
That’s a pretty ambitious command—how are we to understand it today? In an overview of discipleship, Richard Krejcir elaborates on the questions raised by this Bible passage:
Is this a command, or a suggestion; does it mean we are just to evangelize and let people find their faith on their own, or does this mean we are to lead others and teach the precepts of the Scriptures and the character of our Lord? Does it require obedience and action on our part, or are we disciples just by being a Christian and being in a church on Sundays?
Read the full article for Krejcir’s answers, and his ideas about what discipleship means for the church. One of his central points is the artificial distinction Christians tend to make between evangelism and discipleship—discipleship, we are inclined to think, is just the training and education of people are already Christians, right? Krejcir argues that evangelism and discipleship are not only closely related, they’re actually just two aspects of the same activity: bringing people closer to Christ. It’s a view echoed in another article, “Why Must Evangelism and Discipleship Go Hand in Hand?” by Jerry Root.
So as we think about discipleship this week, consider that the definition we often use for it might not actually account for everything that we’re called to do as disciples of Jesus Christ. We’ll back back tomorrow with a few more good articles and links about what it means to make disciples in Christ’s name!
This week we’re thinking once again about discipleship. What is discipleship? The call to discipleship is laid out for Christians in Matthew 28:
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
That’s a pretty ambitious command—how are we to understand it today? In an overview of discipleship, Richard Krejcir elaborates on the questions raised by this Bible passage:
Is this a command, or a suggestion; does it mean we are just to evangelize and let people find their faith on their own, or does this mean we are to lead others and teach the precepts of the Scriptures and the character of our Lord? Does it require obedience and action on our part, or are we disciples just by being a Christian and being in a church on Sundays?
Read the full article for Krejcir’s answers, and his ideas about what discipleship means for the church. One of his central points is the artificial distinction Christians tend to make between evangelism and discipleship—discipleship, we are inclined to think, is just the training and education of people are already Christians, right? Krejcir argues that evangelism and discipleship are not only closely related, they’re actually just two aspects of the same activity: bringing people closer to Christ. It’s a view echoed in another article, “Why Must Evangelism and Discipleship Go Hand in Hand?” by Jerry Root.
So as we think about discipleship this week, consider that the definition we often use for it might not actually account for everything that we’re called to do as disciples of Jesus Christ. We’ll back back tomorrow with a few more good articles and links about what it means to make disciples in Christ’s name!
7 comments:
Yo! Didn't check out the links, but couldn't resist commenting on your post, specifically this:
"evangelism and discipleship are hand in hand and you can't have one without the other...i am not convinced as i believe that reaching people with the gospel and or bringing people to jesus who are lost has far greater eternal value than discipling someone on how to live as a christian"
Couldn't DISAGREE more. I am convinced they DO go hand in hand for the the following reasons:
1. Jesus said for us to "make disciples," which implies evangelism happening on the front end. Thus, discipleship REQUIRES evangelism to take place first.
2. Discipleship is the process of Christ being formed in one's heart, not teaching someone "how to live as a Christian" (although some such things do, in fact, need to be taught). If Christ is not formed in a person's heart, they will never become who Jesus created and called them to be.
Imagine a couple having a baby, then moving on to have more without nurturing the child(ren). Such is a picture of evangelism without discipleship.
On the other hand, imagine a couple trying to "train up a child" BEFORE HE'S BORN! Such is a snapshot of discipleship without evangelism--it can't even happen.
So straighten out your theology and be convinced, Carolina Boy, and get saved and discipled yourself!! Thus saith ME!! :)
Peace. Out.
altho i completely agree with your comments for the most part, i can't see how helping someone live better or teach them how to live more like jesus is equal to praying with someone to receive jesus on an eternal scale...only one causes them to have an eternal relationship jesus...the references you used i know very well and again i agree with them whole heartedly but if i am weighing reaching an unreached person with the gospel vs teaching a brand new christian how to live victoriously i am 10 times out of 10 choosing reaching the unreached person...imo and how i see the new testament a person who calls upon the name of the lord is not a "baby christian" as this term is never used in the new testament...yes mentally they are, but spiritually they are fully received into the family of God and have home in heaven...my point wasn't to say that we don't need discipleship as that is foolish...i wouldn't have started a church if evangelism was the only job to get done, however i am just simply saying that there is only one thing that causes eternal separation and it's not a christian who hasn't been discipled...i DO believe both are extremely important and DO believe we have to have one with the other...and wouldn't do it any other way, i just simply believe someone getting saved has more weight than getting them discipled.
Nice views guys. So which great commission are we looking at? Matthew 28:19 does say "go therefore and make disciples." Then again Mark 16:15 only says "Go and preach the good news." It seems even Matthew and Mark can't quite agree on what Jesus emphasized!
Luke throws in something that I don't think we can ignore. It is found in his version of the Parable of the Lost Sheep. 15:7 "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
If we are going 'tit for tat', then I should point out that according to the Mark Great Commission we should be seeing people healed and casting out demons. Is this part of our lifestyle?
Now, I realize d & e (discipleship and evangelism) go hand in hand, but given the opportunity I would rather be participating in crusades and missions than gathering for a Bible study, going to a church service, or having a small group. We all (whether we want to admit it or not) look at the world through our own eyes. So this issue seems to be more about what we are passionate about and less about what's right or wrong. Of course Pastor Mark is going to disagree....he's a pastor! His mind naturally reverts back to teaching and leading. And Wes is deeply passionate about reaching the lost.
Just my thoughts (but i do agree with Wes)
ultimately without discipleship we can't reach the world, if we aren't duplicating what we have then we literally stop the hand of God reaching out...the more i can invest in and disciple people the more we have a chance of seeing people born again...getting a passion for evangelism i think comes naturally for me as it is how i lean in ministry. i believe God has placed that in me, however i realize that it is something i can't keep to myself, i am not an evangelist at all but i feel like i have had the opportunity to feel and see people accept jesus and it's an addiction to say the least. i know the more i invest in the people God has placed me in front of the more that passion is passed on, with that comes more people ready to GO and evangelize...they do go hand in hand and i absolutely get it 100% and i see the extreme need for it.
By the way, author and pastor Rob Bell has a fantastic viewpoint on discipleship. I can't go into depth cause it would take too long. But as a brief summary: In Jesus' day when a rabbi said to a student, 'come follow me and be my disciple' he was in essence saying 'I believe in you; I believe you can do what I do.' So when Jesus told Peter "come follow me" and when He tells us to 'go make disciples', He is saying that He believes in us and He has faith that we can do what He did on earth. So discipleship should be an empowering process. It should really be about showing people their true identity in Christ.
Ok...I know I'm late to the conversation. I think your answer lies in your definition of what Christ actually looked like when he walked the face of the earth. To convert someone to Christianity means to make them a Chistian (to become like Christ) I think this in and of itself would be a definition of a disciple. SO...if we're to look like Christ what does he look like? Often our definition of this can become "churchified" - but Jesus was anything but conventional. He was about action. I absolutely believe that we are to bring people into right relationship with God by going and preaching the gospel and I absolutely believe that we are to show them how to be like him by BEING like him. In those days (as Rob Bell's teaching also showed) becoming a disciple was more like becoming an apprentice. You lived and walked with that person until you natually adopted their characteristics, their knowledge, etc.
God's number one job for us is the ministry of reconciliation, but how will we actually accomplish global reconciliation (or at least getting the message out to the world) unless those who convert become like Christ. What I mean is, because God wants ALL people to be reached it is essential that all those who've been reached get in the game and get moving to further the cause. So I guess what I'm saying is Jesus knew when he said make disciples that that's what it would take to get everyone to be reconciled. He didn't need us all to be Jesus just because it would be great if we were all like him...He needs us to be like him because that's the only way EVERYONE will get a chance to hear the good news. The odds of the great commission being fulfilled go UP when there are more CHRIST-LIKE people walking around the planet.
I mean lets pretend that only the original 12 ever got the revelation of who Jesus was and became like him- the movement would have died when they died. Sure the people who they reached in their lifetime would be affected, but unless those people became like Christ and discovered true life- the message wouldn't live on.
SO the call to discipleship is the call to further the message of reconciliation. We're never called to get people to play church-we're called to get them rooted in His love and mobilized into action.
And then the end shall come...
good post noelle...i like the aggression that discipleship takes on from your perspective...again i really agree with everyone, i think my only point is it more important for savlation or discipleship as a blanket statement. i would rather see people get saved than a church discipled, BUT in the grand stand of this conversation i think what you said is key, unless we aggressively disciple people and show them what jesus needs us to accomplish then the world doesn't get won...my whole heart is wrapped in that statement, we postpone the end by not discipling old christians new christians all christians...i think that we have got the book on discipling people on how to pray, study, do the right thing etc, but i think that the church lacks alot in teaching a church how to reach others with jesus...discipling to evangelize and do the works of christ...very good post!
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