It Takes a Disciple to Make a Disciple

Discipleship is an essential feature of God’s plan to build His church; it is not an optional add-on to evangelism. Jesus spent many hours teaching both “the multitudes” and His disciples. The command of the Great Commission is to “make disciples” by baptizing new converts and then teaching them. This teaching is to be comprehensive—in fact, a never-ending task. Each new convert is to become a disciple who learns “to observe all things” that Jesus commanded.

The basic meaning of the Greek word translated “disciple” is someone who learns. In the Book of Acts Luke appears to use the word “disciple” as equivalent to “believer.” In this article, we use the word in a third sense: a committed follower of Christ. Every believer should strive to be a disciple of Christ in this sense. Paul describes a disciple as someone who “would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12).

The goal for every believer is to become like Christ. We have been “[predestined] to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). According to Ephesians 2:8–10, we are saved by God’s grace, so that He can use us for “good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Salvation is not just “a ticket to Heaven”; it is a life lived in service for the Savior. It’s been said many times, “Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.” Discipleship is the preparation.

Of all the churches we know about from the New Testament, the one at Thessalonica is arguably the ideal, the model church. One passage that supports this conclusion is Paul’s request for their prayers in 2 Thessalonians 3:1: “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.” What an amazing compliment! Paul asks them to pray that his ministry will be as effective as the work the Lord is doing in their midst.1 Another line of evidence is the rapid and wholehearted transformation of these new converts into committed disciples as reported in 1 Thessalonians 1. Paul’s report of their total conversion provides us with a model for discipleship.

The first thing to note is that Paul was absolutely certain of their conversion. He writes, “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God” (1 Thess. 1:4). This is quite a contrast to our experiences today, when we are often uncertain whether a profession of faith is genuine. (“Did she really mean it when she prayed?”) What gave Paul such certitude? Was it just because he was an apostle?

Powerful Proclamation

Paul knew the message he preached and the power of the Spirit at work. He describes that memorable occasion: “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake” (1 Thess. 1:5). His words were accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. The word “assurance” can be translated “perfect certitude.” The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament suggests the translation “in great fullness of divine working” to combine the elements of power, Spirit, and assurance.2 However, the concept of certainty should not be removed.

Paul proclaimed the gospel with boldness and clarity without any attempt to make it “acceptable” or socially correct (1 Thess. 2:2–5). Boldness in witness is the work of the Spirit and is associated with being with Jesus and prayer (Acts 4:13, 29, 31). Any watering down of the gospel message leads either to false professions of faith or to struggling believers.

Convicting Demonstration

Paul did not simply proclaim the good news of salvation with his mouth; he lived it out before them in compelling fashion. Before they even arrived in Thessalonica Paul and Silas had given a dramatic demonstration of commitment to Christ in nearby Philippi. The people in Thessalonica knew that they had been beaten, thrown in jail, and set free by an earthquake (1 Thess. 2:2). And here they were, preaching with such boldness that they seemed anxious for a repeat prison performance!

Paul’s manner of life among them was impressive. He was gentle toward them like a nursing mother (1 Thess. 2:7) and as a father treating them as his children (v. 11), demonstrating self-sacrificing love (v. 8). He and Silas were blameless in their conduct. He was clearly “not in it for the money,” because he labored long hours, most likely as a tentmaker in the public market, sewing with his hands while witnessing, or discipling all who would listen.

If we use Paul as a model of a disciple, his view of his own salvation and his resulting self-image are very instructive. He viewed himself as the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).

He had a well-balanced view of himself—great humility and yet a very strong confidence in God’s ability to use him. Paul displays this in 1 Corinthians 15:9, 10: “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

What was the key to Paul’s great drive to give himself totally to the service of Christ? It would seem to be his overwhelming sense of gratitude. He knew he was a wretched sinner, literally an enemy of Christ. Yet Christ died for him and then, amazingly, called him to be His servant! And serve Him Paul did. If all believers honestly faced up to the enormity of sin and the depths of God’s grace, there would be more dedicated disciples today. If we want committed disciples we should stress these important themes: the enormity of our sin, the super abundance of God’s grace, and the free gift of salvation, all of which call for a life of grateful service.

Paul demonstrated a Christlike life in Thessalonica, and the new converts became followers (mimics) of Paul and therefore of Christ. They did not just become “good Bible-believing Christians. They became a group of little apostle Pauls! True Biblical discipleship is a multiplication process. These converts began to do for those around them what Paul did for them. Paul preached the gospel to them and lived a godly example for them. They in turn became “ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing” (1 Thess 1:7, 8).

Persistent Follow-Up

Despite Paul’s short initial time in Thessalonica, he persisted in the discipleship process. He wrote them two letters. He tried his best to revisit them but was prevented (2:17, 18). Instead he sent Timothy “to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith” (1 Thess. 3:2). That word “establish” (sterizo) is translated “to strengthen, to confirm.” Paul uses this word three other times in his two Thessalonian letters to express his fervent desire that these believers would be strengthened in their new faith.

A strengthened form of the word (episterizo) is used in Acts three times showing that Paul made a habit of continuing the process of discipleship after his initial contact (Acts 14:22; 15:41; 18:23). This word is used in extrabiblical literature to describe staking up a vine. Paul did not simply plant churches and move on; he maintained contact either in person or letter or representative—or all three.

Paul clearly set a very high standard for those who would make disciples. He viewed his converts as family, loving them, longing to be with them and praying fervently for them when away from them.

Formal Discipleship

On the third missionary journey Paul boldly preached the gospel for three months in the Ephesian synagogue until people were hardened. Then Paul took the “disciples” (Luke’s terminology for believers) and withdrew to a school setting (Acts 19:8, 9). For over two years he reasoned with them. We get “dialogue” from that Greek verb. It means “to speak back and forth or alternately, to converse with, reason, present intelligent discourse.”3 God certainly blessed this discipleship program because these students put their training into practice “so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). From Ephesus these disciples went out witnessing throughout the region of Asia, and, if they followed Paul’s practice, they organized the converts into churches. This most likely explains the origin of the seven churches of Revelation.

Discipleship is an integral part of evangelism and the Great Commission. It should always follow conversion, and it should also result in more evangelism as new converts follow the example of the Thessalonians who followed Paul who followed Christ. This is the Biblical pattern of multiplication.

David W. Clark is a retired missionary, having served under Baptist Mid-Missions for thirty-five years training nationals in Australia, Southeast Asia, and India. Prior to his missionary service he pastored two churches here in the USA.

(Originally published in FrontLine • September/October 2012. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.)

  1. Even if the last phrase should be taken as “just as it did with you,” it is still a great compliment because Paul would be saying that his ministry there was the best of all. []
  2. Balz, Horst Robert; Schneider, Gerhard. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990-c1993, S. 3:107. []
  3. Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Electronic ed. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000, c1992, c1993, S. G1256. []