Making Disciples Who Teach Others
[By Cameron Piner]
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
Jesus’ final commission to the apostles (which they passed on to us) was to “Go… make disciples…” In 2023, we have talked a lot about that calling to seek the lost by planting and watering. We’ve told our stories about coming to Christ, examined conversion stories in scripture, considered ways that people in the Bible evangelized, and discussed various tools & approaches that we can use in our evangelism today. Our goal of bringing souls to Christ is not just a 2023 goal, but it is part of who we are as Christians (every day & every year). But, that commission given by Jesus wasn’t just to “Go”, nor just to “bring people to Christ”, it was to “Go…make disciples… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”
What is a disciple? – Merriam-Webster.com defines the English word “disciple”, as: “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.” Bauer’s Lexicon (aka BDAG) defines the Greek word that is translated into “disciple” (μαθητής), as: “1. one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice. 2. one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views, disciple, adherent.” In other words, a disciple (specifically a disciple of Christ) is someone who learns from Jesus’ instructions, is constantly associated with Jesus, and who gets involved in the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus. A disciple doesn’t just accept the gospel, but they also are changed by it and teach it to others.
Before making disciples, we must first become disciples of Jesus. And that doesn’t just mean that you accepted Him and obeyed Him. It means that you continue to learn from His instructions, be transformed into a constant follower of Jesus, and being a disciple of Jesus means that you are involved in teaching others about Him. Are you a disciple of Jesus?
Ok, so if we are disciples, then that means that we are actively working to “go…make disciples… teaching them to observe all [Jesus] commanded…” What kind of disciples are we making? Are we just focused on bringing people to Christ? Well, that alone doesn’t make them a disciple, and we are called to do more than bring people to Christ. We are called to “…make disciples…”, which means that our job is not done until the person whom we have brought to Christ has not only accepted the gospel, but has also been completely changed by it, and is now teaching others and working to make more disciples.
Paul put it this way to Timothy, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2, NASB). That is God’s marvelous plan to spread the gospel! Someone taught you the gospel, you accepted it, were changed by it, and now teach it to others. Then you teach those new Christians how to “go…make disciples.” Then those new Christians become disciples as they accept, are changed by, and teach the gospel to others… who will teach others… who will teach others. Disciples make disciples who make disciples.
The other part of that great commission that is sometimes left out, is that Jesus called us to continue teaching the new Christian. Obviously we teach them enough to be able to receive and respond to the gospel, but then we continue “teaching them to observe all that [Jesus] commanded…” Evangelism is not just about teaching the gospel to people who have never heard or obeyed it (though that is part of it), evangelism is also about continuing to teach the gospel to people who have already obeyed it, “…until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NASB), as we all “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, NASB).
Let us all “go… make disciples…” “…who will be able to teach others also” (Matthew 28:19 & 2 Timothy 2:2).