How To Make Disciples

By Beverly Hill McKinney

When Christ chose His disciples, He realized the need to train them to carry on the gospel after He was gone. Christ would entrust to these few men the plan of salvation which they would spread around the world. Jesus tells His disciples (and the world) in Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...”

The question is then, what is a disciple? Eerdmans Bible Dictionary defines disciple as “One who learns, a student, a follower, a pupil under the guidance of a teacher.” Webster’s Dictionary defines disciple as “One who follows the teaching of another, devoted allegiance to another giving full loyalty.”

What are the qualities disciples should possess?

1) Total allegiance.

Examples are found in Matthew 4:19 as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee He saw Simon Peter and Andrew his brother. He said: “Come follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. No hesitancy or questions just total submission to His command. In Matthew the 8^th chapter as Jesus is talking to the crowds, a teacher of the law wanted to follow Jesus but first wanted to go bury his father. Jesus told him to let the dead bury their dead. Don’t worry about the cares of life, just total obedience to His call.

2) Be Trainable.

Christ took special care to spend time with the disciples. He taught them to pray and expect miracles from the power He invested in them. Later, Paul admonishes in 1 Timothy 4:7 to have nothing to do myths, but rather “…train yourselves to be godly.” Also, in Philippians 3 Paul states: “…I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me” Paul instructs in 2 Timothy to entrust to reliable men the things he had preached and qualifications to teach others.

3) By Example.

In John 15 Christ tells His disciples that He does not consider them servants, but friends. “…everything I have learned from my father I have made known to you.” The disciples were Christ’s closest companions here on earth and they formed a strong bond of friendship among themselves. In I Peter 2:21: “To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Paul also emphasized the necessity for obedience to Christ even unto death.

4) Accountability to God.

Greg Ogden in Discipleship Essentials writes: “Discipling then is a relationship where we intentionally walk alongside a growing disciple …and challenge them…to grow toward maturity in Christ.” As a teacher is accountable for the proper teaching of their pupils, so as we disciple others, we are accountable to God. Paul writes in Romans 14:12: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Let’s remember these four qualities as we open our lives to a discipling relationship with anyone God has put in our paths.

Beverly Hill McKinney writes from Rogue River, Oregon. bmckinnehill@yahoo.com