I’ve basically been in church every time the doors were open for as long as I can remember. One of the consistent themes I’ve seen emphasized is the Great Commission. It’s found at the end of Matthew’s gospel.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and 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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)
The mandate is that we go and “make disciples”.
“Disciple” is a very Jewish concept. A rabbi would select a group of students who who follow him, sharing life with him over a period of time. The goal of discipleship was for the student to become like the teacher in every respect. Jesus, in commissioning us to make disciples, has given us the task of facilitating this process. I am to make disciples of Jesus. I am to facilitate a way of interacting with Jesus over time that results in followers being transformed into His image.
I’ve been exposed to two primary discipleship models during my years in church.
Model One: The Educational Model
This model seeks to fulfill the Great Commission by teaching doctrine from the Bible. The underlying assumption of this model is that our basic spiritual problem is ignorance. This can be corrected by proper instruction. If our problem is a lack of good knowledge, then more Knowledge of Good must be the solution.
Model Two: The Legal Model
This model seeks to fulfill the Great Commission by behavior modification. There are two forms of the Legal Model: Prohibitive and Prescriptive. One form emphasizes the behaviors a follower of Jesus should avoid. The second form emphasizes the behaviors a follower of Jesus should adopt. The underlying assumption of this model is that our basic spiritual problem is wrong behavior. This can be corrected by changing behavior through instruction and accountability.
Please understand – I’m not against any of the above. I prefer right doctrine to heresy. I prefer right behavior to wrong behavior. But teaching people the Bible and getting them to behave correctly, even if successful (and it’s usually not), will only serve to produce really good Pharisees. Do you remember them? They were the men in Jesus day who knew the most scripture, had the best doctrine, and who were the most diligent in avoiding bad behavior and doing good things. This is the category of people who, for the most part, resist Jesus.
Disciples are made through interacting with their rabbi over time. Any approach to discipleship that doesn’t teach people to interact with Jesus will fail to produce disciples of Jesus. We must teach people to experience His presence and hear His voice. Only revelation can produce transformation. Only beholding His glory can change us into His image.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17–18, ESV)
Want to make disciples? Teach people to hear God’s voice and experience His presence.
13 Comments
Alan,
Good word. Have you thought about sharing your insights about hearing God’s voice?
Excellent blog…
So true! You and Bob could start your own dojo of biblical mojo. Your kung fu is strong.
Alan,
I love getting email updates about your blog. Thanks for this! I’m sending a link to this to all of our InfinitiYouth leaders who mentor/ disciple students.
Kyle,
I love that you’re passing this stuff along to your leaders. Hope they find it helpful!
Blessings,
Alan
When raising disciples, are we doing everything possible, by proclaiming and serving in truth and love, to reach the hearts of people or our we simply equipping them to do and say the right things even though our hearts could be so far from God?
The former is dependence on God to do His work in the hearts of people whereas Isaiah 29:9-14 would speak out against the latter.
Thank you for this Alan.
I see your point, but maybe there’s a bit of generalization going on there. We study the scripture not to gain empirical knowledge, but simply in order to know Him. We can’t experience a Jesus we don’t know, or we’re doing religion, or worse yet, we’re experiencing another Jesus; another Gospel (2nd Co 11:4). And maybe that’s what you’re saying in so many words, I don’t know. Concerning the brevity with which you describe the “educational model” – why would somebody teach facts for the sake of facts alone? Maybe that happens I guess in a number of circles, but it seems a bit silly that it would – and maybe sillier that we would call that a “model.”
Secondly, the Word of God is the basis from which we evaluate our experience. When we start evaluating our experiences outside of the Word we begin to swerve into some real goofy stuff. History and much current practice certainly bear that out. Even among us.
Finally I guess, I think it’s weird when people hold up the Pharisees as the example of “Doctrine only” thinking. They knew the Mosaic Law sure, and we all know they wanted others to think they were spiritual, but they were chasms from having anything even approaching the vicinity of “correct doctrine” as we know it, having the full council of God today. It’s entirely non-sensical to call those who pursue the truth through correct doctrine “Pharisaical” – so, maybe a generalization there too.
At the end of the day, thanks for the post. But when we say “only revelation can produce transformation” – with the implication that “revelation” by experience is on equal footing with revelation from the Word of God, we’re opening up some strange doors. Just a few thoughts from a friend….
Hi John,
Thanks for your epistle!
I love doctrine. Love to study scripture. Love to teach the Bible to others. I affirm scripture as the final authority on any matter of doctrine or practice. So, if you heard me saying something other than that, I apologize for my lack of clarity.
Blessings,
Alan
“We must teach people to experience His presence and hear His voice.”
That’s giving life right there!
Thanks for the word. It touched me and confirmed something I’ve been sensing.
Alan, thank you for your post. It seems that a discussion of the “models” as the only way to know Jesus, suggests that “the Holy Spirit” is getting into a weird area. I think not.
Ok love this on discipleship! I have been devouring the 5 Basic Freedom classes. I come from same background as Marcus.B Alan if you know his background. We gave Pharisees run for there money! Funny now, not then.
My question may still come from wanting teach good. Anyway I want to know how to do this? Its a simple final statement “Want to make disciples? Teach people to hear God’s voice and experience His presence”… but how? thanks brother!
Alan, The heaing series is the best summary of the Good News of the Gospel I have ever heard. It is amazing. Truly God was in this teaching. Thank you.l
Maybe it’s like the fishing example. It would be like buying a bunch of people fishing equipment, taking them out in the yard, teaching them to bait the hook, throw the line and reel it in. But then, never taking them to the lake where the fish are. They’re never going to catch them because they don’t go to the source of the fish, the water. So, their behavior just becomes a cycle of activity (casting/reeling) that eventually gets old, produces no results, they hang up the pole and quit. They have all the steps down, but are never connected to the source of the fish. just a thought.