Discipleship for the Twenty-first Century
Discipleship for the Twenty-first Century
What It Is
Jesus’ command remains the same now as it has always been.
Going therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.
Did you catch all that? The two actions of discipleship are both sacramental and catechetical. To make disciples the disciples (to whom Jesus gave this commission) are told to baptize and teach the nations. Let’s be super-clear about all of this.
The command (Great Commission) is given by Jesus. The command is given to Jesus’ disciples. The command Jesus gives them is to make disciples and the scope of their work of making disciples encompasses the whole world (all nations). The manner or method of making disciples is further described by two separate but related actions: baptize and teach. Easy-peasy, right?
For those who reject Baptism as a sacrament, please see here. Baptism into Christ’s body the church is not easily discarded, although the devil has done much to discredit its ongoing central place in the Christian life, as Jesus ordained that it be. Baptism is where the individual is brought into Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not a work of man. It is God’s work. It has God’s promise attached to it, for it conveys the grace of God in the Gospel to real sinners. It connects the believer to Jesus’ death on the cross (Romans 6:1-11).
All that God has revealed in the Holy Scriptures must be included in the task of teaching, for Jesus excluded none of it, not even the smallest part.
Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle shall in any way pass from the law, until all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore discards one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others [to do] the same, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches [them], he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)
Sadly, today there are many would-be teachers of Jesus’ doctrines, but many of them have been reluctant to teach certain doctrines that are less palatable to human reason such as Jesus’ teaching about His own sacraments, which are gifts from Jesus given for the comfort of poor sinners in the Gospel. Our teaching must align with Jesus’ teaching, even when this teaching is at odds with secular philosophical thought.
What It Is Not
Discipleship is not just about relationships (see above), although relationships are certainly involved in the two subtasks of making disciples of all nations, to be sure.
Relationships in general are very important in the life of the church, as surely as the members of the same body are important to each other (and this is obviously true on many levels). Moreover, in a more specific manner, we should understand Gospel ministry as the ministry of reconciliation, but again, this is first and foremost a reconciliation between God and sinful humanity (2 Corinthians 5) and only secondarily between humans now reconciled to God.
Relationships are thus very important in the Christian life. However, equating discipleship with relationship-building tends to highlight part of Jesus’ teaching while obscuring other parts of His teaching.
For example, the sacramentarians love to focus on the theology of the body of Christ (our living relationship with one another) but reject the foundational understanding of Jesus and the apostles about the Sacramental nature of our fellowship (or Communion) with one another by partaking bread and wine consecrated by Jesus’ own words and actions in our midst. Our connection to one another could not be more real, more physical and spiritual, than it is when we eat Christ’s true Body and drink His true Blood.
Churches today spend a lot of time, energy, and resources to engage people through a strong digital (online) strategy. Think social media posts, live-streaming worship experiences, forums for discussion, etc. These are no replacement for a fellowship in the actual Body and Blood of Christ which unites us eternally with Christ and with the whole Assembly (Church) in both heaven and earth.
Dispensing with the Sacraments is exactly what these advocates of new-fangled mindsets for discipleship expect us to do. But we stand on the Word of God which abides forever. VDMA. Our discipleship activities are no different than that of the apostles. Sure, we encourage relationship building in church, but this is the natural outflow of our ongoing, foundational Communion with one another in Jesus Christ.