What is Discipleship?

A friend and church member approached me a couple of months ago and asked me to disciple him. I agreed so we planned to get together this month for lunch to come up with a course of action. We met yesterday and discussed what it takes to become a more mature follower of Jesus.

But lately, I've been asking myself, "What is discipleship?" What does it really mean and how does one become a disciple?

(Note: I couldn't resist the cheesy picture generated by Google Images when I typed in the word "disciple.")

Years ago, if you asked me that question, my answer would have involved books, courses, and specific Bible studies. My approach to any subject is usually an academic, curriculum-based approach since I like to read. But I realize that reading is drudgery for some people so to point them to a book in order to gain spiritual maturity is like leading them into an abyss of misery. Guys, especially, tend not to read as much as women so it's even more difficult to disciple men in my experience.

There is another school of thought on discipleship out there. It's the philosophy that "more is caught than taught." No doubt, this philosophy works too. This was one of the methods Jesus used with his disciples. This method says that if you do life with people and let them see how you walk with Jesus everyday, they will become more mature from watching your life. As people glean things from your life, some of it will transfer over to them. While there is truth to that statement, deep down, I still believe that you have to read something in order to grow. But that's just me.

The problem with this method is that I don't know many guys that can just hang out with me a lot. Will having lunch with me every other week be enough? Probably not. Most disciples can't spend a lot of time with their disciplers and truly do life together. So the rub with the "more is caught than taught" philosophy is a matter of time.

I guess I should stop here and ask, "What does it mean to be a disciple?" The word "disciple" means "pupil" or "learner." So when someone says, "I want to be discipled" they are saying, "I want to learn."

So maybe the answer to the question of how to become a disciple is answered with another question. "How do you learn best?" Now you're getting somewhere. If you're a reader, read. If you learn by doing hands-on things, get busy. If you prefer watching and listening, find someone that will feed you.

In my experience over the years, the Church has limited discipleship only to those willing to read and attend extra classes. That is a mistake. We must do a better job of discipling people. After all, isn't that the Great Commission? "Make disciples of all nations," Jesus said. He didn't say make church members of all nations. He didn't say make churches in all nations. He said make disciples.

Chew on this today: The printing press was invented in the 15th century. Until then, copies of the Bible were rare and usually kept by the clergy. Christians didn't have their own personal study Bibles at their bedside. Most of them probably didn't know how to read anyway! So how did Christians make disciples during the first 1500 years of the Church's existence?

We ended our lunch yesterday without a specific plan. I'm still "chewing" on it (how to disciple my friend, not lunch.) I suggested to him that the Christian life is a journey. We will never completely arrive at spiritual maturity. But the key, I think, is to make progress everyday. Have some habit or discipline in your life that will take you one step closer to spiritual maturity. Be a life-long learner. The tools used are not the most important thing. The most important thing is this: Are you being a pupil of Christ? That, ultimately, is what a disciple is.