Treasures New and Old

On Being a Disciple – Our Training

“As a disciple, I want to master the Bible so that the Master of the Bible can become my Master.”

– Author unknown

Disciples are learners by definition. A disciple is one who learns at the feet of a master. We have (or had) in this country/time period an equivalent – the apprentice. The goal of an apprentice was to study under the master/mentor for a period of time to acquire the skills, tools, and techniques needed for the craft being studied (like welders, carpenters, plumbers, etc.). The disciple is one who wishes to learn from the master what he/she knows so that someday they can go off on their own as a “master” and disciple others. Our charge to both make and be disciples is best highlighted in Matthew 28:19-20. Please pay particular attention to the words teach:

Matthew 28:19-20: “Go ye therefore, and teach [matheteuo] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching [didasko] them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Teach: matheteuo: G3100: “From <G3101> [mathetes]; intransitive to become a pupil; transitive to disciple, that is, enroll as scholar:- be disciple, instruct, teach” (Strong’s G3100). This phrase could easily be read as: “Go ye therefore, and make disciples in all nations.”

Teaching: didasko: G1321: “A prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb dao (to learn); to teach (in the same broad application):- teach” (Strong’s G1321). So we are to instruct, train, mentor, teach those who have become our disciples.

The Highlights

What Are the Four Basic Elements of a Kingdom?

1. A king: The Lord Jesus Christ
   
2. A jurisdiction: In His future kingdom, He will rule the world. In His present kingdom, He wants to rule our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.
3. Laws: The Ten Commandments, the commands of Christ
4. Citizens who follow laws: Jesus’ disciples and believers

The theme of Christ’s teaching and Paul’s preaching was the kingdom of God. Jesus told us to make it our first priority, and Paul proclaimed it to both Jews and Gentiles. His final days under house arrest were spent teaching things concerning the kingdom of God. (See Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23.) In that kingdom, the kingdom of God, there are authority structures with God the Father at the head, Christ below Him, and the Holy Spirit below Jesus. Then we are next in the structure. I suspect that structure is further divided with numerous levels much like we see in our own governments (country, state, county, city, etc.) as the centurion explained in Matthew 8 and Luke 7.

The goal is to teach/disciples others about the kingdom of God. But also all that pertains to it like righteousness, salvation, Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection, etc. Sound doctrine, as well, as described in Acts 2.

The Process

In one sense, it is a simple process as Jesus described it:

1. Go: Go ye therefore,
2. Make Disciples: and teach all nations,
3. Baptize those that believe: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
4. Instructing: Teaching them
5. The Curriculum: to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
6. The Power/Authority: and, lo, I am with you always,
7. Length of Classes – your lifetime: even unto the end of the world [age – aion (Strong’s G165)]. Amen. (Since the “age” has lasted some 2,000 years, I can safely assume that classes are for our entire lifetime.)

A Lifetime of Training

When I was a teacher in high school in Michigan, I taught computer science and, specifically, four languages: Autocoder (a form of assembler) COBOL, Fortran, and IBM Assembler. I already knew these computer languages and had been coding in them a few years before I began to teach them. Then the student population in the city dropped, and the number of students was cut by some 20 percent. And since I had tenure, was qualified, and an English teacher had just retired, the English department was shuffled around, and I was given two ninth grade English Literature classes to teach (Yes, I may have been top dog in the computer department, but I was low man on the totem pole in the English department!). As a result, I was mostly just a few weeks ahead of those ninth graders and, in effect, learning as they were learning – just ahead of them! If we are to be making disciples, and it is a lifetime process, then it stands to reason that we are also lifetime learners ourselves – just as I was as an English teacher. We can never stop learning at the feet of the Master so that we can always be instruction those we are discipling.

The Curriculum

What is our curriculum – our textbook? Both an easy and a complex answer. Obviously the Bible. But that’s a big book! It is living and speaks directly to our spirit. Perhaps some of these verses will help.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (bold added): “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” NOTE: ALL SCRIPTURE.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9: “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” NOTE: AT ALL TIMES.

Psalm 119:9: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

Psalm 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp unto thy feet, and a light unto my path.” NOTE: PURIFIES AND ILLUMINATES.

Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in yours hearts to the Lord.” NOTE: HIS WORD IS TO DWELL IN US RICHLY – COMPLETELY.

Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” NOTE: ABLE TO DISCERN YOUR HEART.

Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” NOTE: HIS WORD IS FOR OUR LEARNING AND GIVES US HOPE.

Portions of Psalm 1:1-3: “Blessed is the man” . . . “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night” . . . “and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” NOTE: MEDITATION ALL THE TIME.

Matthew 4:4: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” NOTE: EVERY WORD IS OUR SPIRITUAL BREAD.

John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.“ NOTE: HIS WORD CLEANS US.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (bold added): “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The Method

• By prayer and supplication
• Always and everywhere
• Meditation (which also implies memorization as well)
• Singing Scripture
• Application to our lives
• Doctrine principle learning
• Example from Scripture
• And so much more, but we will close this list with the commands of Christ as found in the Gospels (He is after all “The Master.”)

Remember the Lesson about “burdens”?

The burden of rabbis. A rabbi had a particular message they would impart to their students, their talmidim. Besides the general teachings they all got, they would get specific training and teachings in a special area of ministry. One would concentrate on the Torah. One would emphasize prophecy. One, purity of heart. Another on the coming of the Messiah and to look for His signs. One on self-discipline for a holy life, etc.

Becoming a Talmidim member: A rabbi would watch you in your younger days at Torah school, and as he saw a particular bent or passion, he might ask you to go past thirteen (age of adulthood) and study some more in his particular discipline. Sometimes a young man could petition a rabbi of renown that had an established school that was known for an emphasized subject and, after an interview, could be accepted.

What’s your burden?: As you set down your heavy weights and loads and accept His burden (portion) He designed for you, you will find that God has a burden (an emphasis, a cause, a desire) that for you is not burdensome at all, but light! Evangelizing the lost, ministry to widows, teaching God’s Word, making disciples, waiting on tables (in the sense of serving the congregation), etc.

And that brings us back to:

2 Peter 1:10: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

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