Making disciples – Why is it important?

from the old testament

• Although the New Testament explicitly refers to discipleship, the Old Testament counterpart calls believers to teach others to know, love, and obey God, especially by passing on God’s ways to the next generation. This wasn’t called "discipleship" in name, but the heart of it—knowing God personally and helping others do the same—is clearly there. Israel, for example, was commanded to teach God’s commands and ways intentionally and consistently, starting in the home (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
• Teaching others about God's works and ways was meant to build generational faith (Psalm 78:5-7).
• Wisdom literature shows the ongoing work of mentoring and spiritual instruction (Proverbs 1:8-9).
• Isaiah has a vision of God’s people learning from God and then walking in His ways, a clear theme of discipleship (Isaiah 2:3).

from the new testament

• After His resurrection and before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples to make disciples: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). This is known as the Great Commission and is a mandate for all Christians.
• Jesus called believers to make disciples, not just converts. Sharing the good news of eternal salvation is the first part of becoming a disciple, but making disciples also includes "teaching . . . [people] to observe all that . . . [Jesus] commanded" (Matthew 28:20).
• Acts 2:42 describes early disciples who “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” This shows that discipleship involves teaching, but also involvement in each others’ lives.
• Discipleship strengthens believers’ faith and equips them to disciple others. The apostle Paul encouraged his protege Timothy to “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
• Paul affirms the discipleship responsibility Jesus gave His followers: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

implications for today

Making disciples begins with introducing people to Jesus by sharing the gospel. Discipling continues as we share in life together and help people know Jesus. The process is sometimes complicated by people who think that discipling requires specific programs or that discipling is the responsibility of a select few Christians. But disciple-making is about more than theological training, and it is something all Christians are called to do.

Jesus should be our model in discipling others. Christ’s followers walked alongside Him…literally! They lived with Him, watched how He made decisions, saw how He interacted with others, sat at His feet and learned. They studied everything about Him. Our aim should be to know and follow Him that closely. As disciple-makers, we teach people to devote their lives to Christ, and we walk alongside them as they do. We pray and study the Bible with them, but we also meet for coffee, go fishing, play games, etc. We’re part of each others’ lives. Disciple-making is investing in the life of others so that we and they get to know Jesus better and follow Him more closely. When we grow in knowledge and understanding of Jesus, we come to love Him and want to share His great love with others.