Words That Have Lost Their Biblical Meaning: Disciple
- RD Montgomery
- 39 minutes ago
- 5 min read
What do you think of when you hear the word disciple? You might think of one of the twelve core followers who walked with Jesus. What do you think of when someone says you should be a disciple of Christ? Do you think of an active church member who learns the Bible in groups and by themselves? What if I told you that while that definition is better than someone who is idle, it still falls short?
Jesus as Rabbi
By the time Jesus was born, the Jewish education system had become structured. Education typically began at age five or six in a school known as the Bet Sefer, often held within a synagogue, where young boys learned to read and memorize the Hebrew Scriptures. After this education, many, especially in rural areas, joined the family business.
By age ten, top students progressed to the Bet Talmud (or Bet Midrash) to engage in the study of oral traditions and the complexities of the Law through rigorous debate. Upon completion, most children transitioned into their family's trade, but the most intellectually gifted students would seek out a respected Rabbi hoping to become a talmid (disciple), following them closely to master their specific interpretations of scripture and lifestyle.
In order to understand this education relationship today, it would be like having a professor who was more like a parent who gave you a doctorate-level education with a residency. You would carefully watch and try to mimic everything your professor/parent does right down to how they tie their shoes. The goal of a disciple was not just to learn what the Rabbi knew, but to become the Rabbi. This is why Jesus said to His own disciples:
"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher." Luke 6:40
Unlike the other Rabbis, Jesus called guys who were not considered disciple material. From Matthew 4 until Acts 2, you see a progression: from their calling, to serving His needs, to receiving training, to preaching in pairs, to being called "friends," and finally, to being anointed. In roughly three and a half years, He trained them to represent Him and build His Church.
The Perpetual Student
One reason we lack a proper understanding of discipleship is that we view our spiritual education only as lifelong. When we do this, we inadvertently remove the logical graduation point that exists in every other educational or professional system. Consider a doctor who obtains a doctorate; they certainly continue to learn and stay current in their field, but they have undeniably "graduated" to a level of authority and practice. A certified plumber continues to refine their skills over a lifetime, yet there was a specific point where they moved from apprentice to master.
Even in organized sports, players must graduate from practice to starting and supporting roles in order for a game to even take place. They all have areas that can be continually refined, but if they operated the way many modern churches do, they would be stuck in a permanent "bootcamp."
We have fallen into a trap where the default path is to remain a perpetual student—forever sitting in a classroom but rarely expected to transition into the field. While a small percentage of believers step into leadership roles, it is usually because they took it upon themselves to seek more education, rather than being the natural result of church-led discipleship. For the rest, they may not realize that passive education will leave them immature believers who poorly represent Christ.
The Graduation Point
True discipleship must have a functional "graduation" point. This is not the moment a believer becomes a perfect replica of Jesus, but the moment they demonstrate biblical maturity. Graduation is the transition from being a consumer of truth to a practitioner of it. It marks a shift in a person's ability to discern truth from lies, to receive revelation through the Holy Spirit, and to effectively communicate the Word to others.
We see this clearly in the life of Peter. His training did not end at Pentecost; he still required a vision from God to correct his prejudice against Gentiles and a rebuke from Paul to address his conduct at mealtime. However, he had reached a point of maturity where he was no longer just the student being corrected; he helped launch the Church. He didn't wait for the end of his refinement to begin his ministry; he reached a point where he was no longer just learning the Way, but was capable of leading others in it.
When Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 28:19 to "go and make disciples," He was telling them to train others to do exactly what He had trained them to do: to represent the Kingdom with authority and skill.
Defining a Disciple Today
Since 'disciple' and 'discipleship' have lost their biblical meanings, it might be easier to call a disciple a 'minister in training. A minister is prepared to minister to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of anyone in their path at home, at work, in their community, or in their church at the same level you would expect of a paid minister or pastor. They are also able to participate in building up their local church community and assist in creating and equipping disciples.
we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ Ephesians 4:15b
Ultimately, the goal is for you to be like Jesus everywhere you go and continue His ministry.
Taking Responsibility for your Discipleship
Your church may not be in the minister training business, but that is no excuse for you to miss out on your calling. On this site, there are many books listed that can help you close the gaps in your knowledge. Also, if asked, your church leaders should help point you in the right directions.
There is no escaping the need for personal and group study of the Bible, which needs to be applied to your life and learned so that you can share it with others.
The spiritual disciplines laid out in this post: https://www.walkinthetruth.org/post/using-spiritual-habits-or-disciplines-to-draw-closer-to-god will also help.
You may never stop being a student of Christ, but at some point, you should be able to teach/explain the Bible to others with authority. You should move from primarily being a question asker to more of an answer giver.
If you have not already, are you ready to take the next steps you need to be a biblical authority to anyone who needs one and take on the role of a minister?
Scripture considered or used in the writing of, "Words That Have Lost Their Biblical Meaning: Disciple" By RD Montgomery. All Scripture is in the ESV format unless otherwise specified.
Matthew 4:18–22
Matthew 7:28-29
Matthew 10:1–15
Matthew 13:54
Matthew 14:13–21
Matthew 16:18
Matthew 18:21–35
Matthew 22:33
Matthew 26:36–46
Matthew 26:69–75
Matthew 28:19-20
Mark 1:22
Mark 4:10–20
Mark 6:2
Mark 8:31–33
Mark 9:5
Mark 10:51
Mark 11:21
Luke 4:32
Luke 6:40
Luke 10:1–20
Luke 22:7–13
John 1:35–51
John 3:2
John 9:2
John 13:1–17
John 15:1-11
John 15:15
John 21:15–19
Acts 2:1-4
Acts 2:14-41
Acts 10:9-16
Acts 18:1-4
Romans 13:14
Galatians 3:27
Ephesians 4:11-16
Colossians 3:10
2 Timothy 3:17
Hebrews 5:11-14
1 Peter 2:9
Comments