Christ in Discipleship

Introduction

For almost two millennia, from Augustine to N. T. Wright, scholars and laymen alike have struggled with the nature of Christ’s involvement in the process of Christian discipleship. The question of how Christ is central to Christian discipleship continues to be debated. However, without a clear understanding of the centrality of Christ, Christianity risks landing into a form of religious moralism indistinct from other religions. This brief analysis shows that Christ, not man, is the central figure of Christian discipleship as the source of both justification and sanctification of the disciple. The result of the centrality of Christ is comprehensive obedience that follows a pattern of regeneration, transformation, and multiplication, which culminates in helping other disciples take steps of obedience by following the example of Christ’s earthly ministry.

Centrality of Christ

As the central figure of Christian discipleship, Christ moves beyond important and becomes the source of discipleship–both the justification and sanctification of the disciple. First, Christ is the central figure as the source of the justification. Per Bauer’s Lexicon (BDAG), to justify (δικαιόω) means to “be pronounced and treated as righteous.”[1] The Apostle Paul explains that the righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) of a disciple occurs “by His [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24-25).[2] In other words, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains, Christ is righteousness personified, and since disciples participate in Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. Gal 2:20; Rom 6:4-5), righteousness is granted to them whereby the “righteousness of Christ is really also the disciples’ righteousness.”[3] Bonhoeffer rightly abhorred the German Lutheran contortion of righteousness that rendered it an abstract principle condoning disobedience to avoid a works-based theology.[4] However, modern Protestants may commit the opposite error by completely ignoring the reality of righteousness altogether and, as Richard Lovelace observes, “rely on their sanctification for justification.”[5] In sum, discipleship begins, but does not end, with the foundational act of Christ’s justifying work on the cross that renders the believer righteous through the forgiveness of sins.

Second, Christ is the central figure as the source of sanctification of the disciple. According to BDAG, sanctification (ἁγιασμός) means “personal dedication to the interests of the deity, holiness… (the state of being made holy).”[6] The Apostle Paul states that “because of Him [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30). Commenting on 1 Corinthians 1:30, Gordon Fee explains that Paul’s reference to Christ becoming wisdom for us “means He [God] has made Him [Christ] to become for us the one who redeems from sin and leads to holiness.”[7] Accordingly, Christ is the central figure of both justification and sanctification.

In Bonhoeffer’s book, Discipleship, he explains how obedience reflects discipleship by highlighting the recurrent theme that justification and sanctification cannot be divorced without undermining both.[8] Specifically Bonhoeffer states, “only the believers obey, and only the obedient believe.”[9] If discipleship targets the former (justification) to the exclusion of the latter (sanctification), it risks cheap grace, if discipleship targets the latter (sanctification) to the exclusion of the former (justification), it risks a works-based theology.[10] Both alternatives reject God, if applied exclusively. Bonhoeffer explains that cheap grace (justification to the exclusion of sanctification) is a form of relativism or paganism that exists with a “justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs….Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.”[11] Alternatively, according to Tim Keller, sanctification to the exclusion of justification results in a form of religious moralism that avoids “God as lord and Savior by developing a moral righteousness and then presenting it to God.”[12] With Barthian overtones, Bonhoeffer agrees with Keller by stating “religion and morality can become…the most dangerous enemy of the Christian message of good news.”[13] Accordingly, obedience that reflects the discipleship of Christ must encompass the indivisible appropriation of both justification and sanctification.

The areas of life that a disciple must submit to Christ are anthropologically sweeping. Paul highlights the comprehensive nature of submission by stating, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:23). Michael Heiser explains that the wording of 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “expresses totality of being, not distinct parts.”[14] In other words, the whole personhood of the disciple, inner and outer, must be in submission to Christ. Specifically, the beliefs (cf. Gal 3:22), thoughts (cf. Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 10:5), emotions (cf. Gal 5:22-23), and actions (cf. John 14:15; 2 John 1:6; Jas 1:25) of the disciple must all be in submission to Christ.

Three Stages of Discipleship

While referencing A. B. Bruce’s book, The Training of the Twelve, Dave Earley suggests the three stages of discipleship are declaration, development, and deployment that result in regeneration, transformation, and multiplication.[15] Earley explains that the first stage, regeneration, is a “process leading to an event”–a process that starts with curiosity that leads to conviction until the seeker is convinced to turn toward God for conversion.[16] The process ultimately culminates in a new birth of the individual (cf. John 3:1-8), a new creation status in Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:17), who is loved by God (cf. 1 John 3:1) as a son or daughter of God (cf. Gal 3:26) that accepts the gift of Christ’s righteousness (cf. Rom 5:17).

The second stage of discipleship is transformation. Earley suggests that stage two begins by developing a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer and engaging in community, Scripture, and ministry.[17] Earley is correct that prayer, community, Scripture, and ministry are integral parts of discipleship. However, none of these practices, in and of themselves, have the power to transform. In fact, all can be used to reject God. For example, believers can use prayer to pursue selfish agendas, use community to fulfill personal insecurity (cf. Luke 14:26), use Scripture to deceive (cf. Luke 4:9-11), and use ministry success to glorify self. Furthermore, Keller explains that obedience to these items also has the potential to reject God by promoting a theology of moralism “in an effort to show that he (God) ‘owes’ you.”[18] The Apostle Paul explains that transformation occurs through the “renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2). More specifically, the mind renewed with God’s truth is what transforms the disciple, which can occur through prayer, community, Scripture, and ministry. In the Gospel of John, Jesus states, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Commenting on John 8:31-32, F. F. Bruce states, “False belief holds the minds of men and women in bondage; truth liberates them. Truth by its very nature cannot be imposed by external compulsion, nor can it be validated by anything other than itself.”[19] Thus, transformation occurs by the renewing of the mind on God’s truth in an environment of prayer, community, Scripture, and ministry. Mind renewal ultimately results in the fruit of the Spirit of Truth as well as actions of obedient love–a transformed life.

The third stage of discipleship is multiplication. Earley suggests that stage three calls disciples to “intentional global commissioning,” not as something done for God or an activity of the institutional church, but by “getting in sync with the heart of God and cooperating with the activity of God.”[20] Earley also notes that Christ sends all disciples, and all disciples must immediately start in their current culture.[21] It is difficult to imagine not sharing the gospel once a disciple is freed by God’s truth and experiences the righteousness of Christ, the love of God, the fruit of the Spirit, and restored relationships through actions of obedient love. To keep one’s freedom in Christ a secret would be a complete affront to humanity.

The three stages of discipleship work together in a transformative spiral. Once regeneration occurs, it is easy for a disciple to forget “that he was cleansed from his former sins” (2 Pet. 1:9). When the belief eludes disciples, Peter explains that they need reminded of their purification even though they already know it and the truth is present in them (2 Pet 1:12). Furthermore, as lies from the enemy (John 8:44) attack, the attack must be countered through transformational mind-renewal (Rom 12:2). Thus, Paul asserts that disciples must destroy “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” and take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Accordingly, disciplers must go and remind believers of their purification of sins (regenerate status) and assist believers in the renewal of their mind on God’s truth (transformative process), within an environment of prayer, community, Scripture, and ministry, which necessarily results in the fruit of the Spirit and obedient acts of love.

Assisting in Obedient Steps

The question of how the discipler helps disciples take steps of obedience remains. Jesus modeled several strategies to help disciples align beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and actions with His truth, which moved disciples toward obedience. First, Jesus extended empathy and listened. John explains that Jesus’s entire life was a form of divine empathy as “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus famously exemplified empathy and listening when he broke down ethnic and gender barriers by drinking a glass of water with the Samaritan woman at the well and deeply understood her. The woman leaves by saying, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did,” in other words; He knows me! (John 4:29). Second, Jesus told stories because He knew that many of his disciples did not truly see, hear, or understand what He was saying (Matt 13:13). Namely, Jesus told stories to facilitate understanding. Third, Jesus asked questions to facilitate the discovery of truth. In fact, the four Gospels record over 100 of Jesus’s inquiries (cf. Matt 5:46-47; 6:27-28; 7:3). Fourth, Jesus confronted. For example, when Peter questions Jesus’s purpose, Jesus rebukes him (cf. Matthew 16:21-23). Confrontation is effective when a high level of relational trust exists, otherwise confrontation leads to defensiveness, which often pushes the disciple deeper into sin.  Finally, Jesus forgives and restores. In John 18:15-18, Peter denies Jesus, yet Jesus models forgiveness and restoration in John 21:15-19.

Conclusion

This brief analysis has shown that Christ, not man, is the central figure of Christian discipleship as the source of both justification and sanctification interdependently woven into the tapestry of every disciple. The result of Christ’s work is comprehensive obedience that encompasses the entire spectrum of human life: beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and actions. Accordingly, the believer obediently lives out Christ’s work in a pattern of progressive discipleship: regeneration, transformation, and finally, multiplication. During the final stage of discipleship, believers help other disciples take steps of obedience by following the example of Christ’s earthly ministry of listening, extending empathy, telling stories, asking questions, confronting, as well as forgiving and restoring. Without question, the example of Christ’s earthly ministry offers concrete practical steps for all modern day disciplers.

Bibliography

Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Barcelona, Berlin, New York: 1928-1931. Edited by Clifford J. Green, Reinhart Staats, Hans Christoph von Hase, Holger Roggelin, and Matthias Wünsche. Translated by Douglas W. Stott. Vol. 10. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008.

———. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959.

———. Discipleship. Edited by Geffrey B. Kelly and John D. Godsey. Translated by Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003.

Bruce, F. F. The Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition and Notes. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1983.

Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2013.

Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1987.

Heiser, Michael S. The 60 Second Scholar: 100 Observations on Bible Doctrine. Silver Spring, MD: CAM, 2015.

Keller, Tim. Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.

Lovelace, Richard F. Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1979.

[1] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000), 249.

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).

[3] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, ed. Geffrey B. Kelly and John D. Godsey, trans. Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003), 119–20.

[4] Ibid., 11–12.

[5] Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1979), 101.

[6] Arndt, Danker, and Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon, 10.

[7] Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1987), 87 (emphasis added).

[8] Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, 5.

[9] Ibid., 63.

[10] Ibid., 67.

[11] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959), 44.

[12] Tim Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 63.

[13] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Barcelona, Berlin, New York: 1928-1931, ed. Clifford J. Green, Reinhart Staats, Hans Christoph von Hase, Holger Roggelin, and Matthias Wünsche, trans. Douglas W. Stott (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008), 10:353.

[14] Michael S. Heiser, The 60 Second Scholar: 100 Observations on Bible Doctrine (Silver Spring, MD: CAM, 2015), 25.

[15] Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2013), 59-60.

[16] Ibid., 64–66.

[17] Ibid., 68.

[18] Keller, Center Church, 63.

[19] F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition and Notes (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1983), 196–97.

[20] Earley and Dempsey, Disciple Making Is, 78.

[21] Ibid., 80–83.