Introducing Biblical Discipleship

INTRODUCING

BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP

Volume 1

INTRODUCING

BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP

Volume 1

Professor P. V. Ntintili

Ph.D.; Th.D.

Copyright © 2018 Professor P. V. Ntintili

Published by Professor P. V. Ntintili Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Author using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Tony van der Watt for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: reach@webstorm.co.za

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the people I discipled in the 70s, even though I did not know that I was doing discipleship then. I was merely helping younger brethren who loved the Lord and were on fire for him. These were brethren who were associated with the Students Christian Organization (SCM), led by Mr. E. Mahlutshana then, Teachers Christian Fellowship (TCF) led by Mr. N. Gila then, Hospital Christian Fellowship (HCF) led by Miss Olga Ngwadla who is still leading it even today, and Scripture Union led by Mr. Nat Nkosi (of blessed memory). I also dedicate this book to these three brothers and one sister who did a sterling job in discipling young people who had committed their lives to God. We did not call what we were doing discipleship; but it was. We had opportunities to disciple students, newly-qualified teachers and nurses. This book is dedicated to them. I worked closely with the Jesus Kids and had an input into the lives of individuals associated with this group of young people, who went around our high schools evangelising students. I dedicate this book to all those who started this good work, of Jesus Kids, and who sustained it out of their meagre salaries. I want to particularly mention Mbongeni Castin ‘Sir Might’ Mlungwana (of blessed memory). Then, in the 90s, there was Equleni Kingdom Ministries and Christian Leadership Equipping And Networking (CLEAN Ministries). There are people who I was privileged to disciple through two these ministries. When I joined the Living Seed Team, I was more deliberate in discipling brethren, young and old. This book is dedicated to every person who calls himself or herself a disciple in South Africa and who was connected with me. May those who are currently involved in genuine biblical discipleship grow in their faith in Christ and may they raise many other lives to be faithful followers of Christ. Long live discipleship!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

1. Correcting Some Misconceptions

2. Defining Discipleship

3. Bible’s Description of Discipleship

4. The Importance of Discipleship

5. The Purpose of Discipleship

6. Entrance Into Discipleship

7. Types of Disciples

8. Professional Discipleship

9. Correct Environment for Discipleship

10. The Marks of True Disciples

11. The Pursuit of Discipleship

12. Dangers to be Avoided in Discipleship

13. Challenges of Discipleship

14. The Demands of Discipleship

15. Conditions of Discipleship

16. Continuance in Discipleship

17. The Voluntariness of Discipleship

18. A Passionate Appeal

19. A Heartfelt Word of Warning

20. Suggested Textbooks

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

This book, as it has been stated above, has been dedicated to those who, wittingly or unwittingly engaged in discipleship in the 1970s. It has also been dedicated to those who were recipients of such incipient discipleship.

In this acknowledgment, I want to recognize those who, two decades later became disciples of this author. While discipleship is a process of disciples being made, they do not know that they too have a way of making their discipler. These brothers and sisters have shaped my life in ways they may not realize. It is not possible to mention all such disciples; heaven knows them all.

Representatively, I want to mention only a few individuals. I wish that, like Paul in the Rom 16, I could mention more names. The first one I want to acknowledge is Pinkie Nomahomba Hlengisa, formerly Miss Luswazi. She started following me as an adolescent of 13 years old when she used to attend some of the conferences at which I taught. She relates how she would sneak into some of those meetings and listened to teachings from the Word of God. Later in life, as a young adult, God expressly told her to ‘follow this man.’ She faithfully did so at a high cost and suffered great persecution for doing so; yet without flinching or baulking. I acknowledge her unwavering faithfulness to what God told her. Gugu Zilwa met the author at the University of Transkei, now known as Walter Sisulu University, where they both worked. He attached his life to his, just as Philip did to the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:29). He followed him until, ultimately, he ended up in discipleship as we know it today. I celebrate his indefatigable and unrelenting faithfulness. How can I forget Nokwanda Magwentshu and Lineo Ndzeleni. These are those who have tarried with me from the beginning; from the days of Equleni Kingdom Ministries. That first lot of disciples will include Chief Sibongile Dumalisile, the chief of the Amajinqi nation. Ah Ngwenyathi! He and his parents have decided to make me the priest of the family. This is humbling and there is no occasion over which I do not have the privilege of presiding in that Great Place. May all this redound to the glory of God! This brother is not shy to bring the principles and values of the kingdom of God to his domain and he has paid a high price for it and yet he is undaunted and impervious to all the challenges that relentlessly confront him. May God stand with you, Sir! The words I have for you are Acts 18:9-10.

One of the younger brothers who has shown unassuming and quiet, but steadfast determination to follow me in discipleship is Sonwabile ‘Soso’ R. Nombebe. I have watched him, with gleeful satisfaction, blossoming in front of my eyes. And yet, he is still a rough diamond that has not been fully polished and whose full glitter is still in the future. We can’t tell what he and his wife, Namhla, will become in the future, if they remain in the hand of God; and I know they will. We have no time to relate how Pambili Bulumko Sinxoto spectacularly came to the Lord; his conversion is a fascinating story. But even more impressive is his rapid growth in Christ. This young man is truly ‘a budding man of God;’ he is ‘a man of the Spirit’ who hears great things from God, most of which he is not allowed to utter. What a deeply reflective brother! Samson Adeyemi has followed the author even before he got married. He and his wife, Grace, have been faithfully following discipleship till now. He is a loyal brother. My prayer is that they will make an incredible impact in academia as they lead both students and lecturers to Christ, and then disciple them to become like Jesus. May the Lord equip them for this!

From beyond the boundaries of South Africa there are many that I would like to acknowledge. We thank God for Busisiwe Manana from Swaziland. She is a deep woman of God whose ability to hear from God is quite amazing. She is truly a friend of God. May nothing sever that friendship! Solomon Mabuza reminds me of Timothy in so many ways. If there is someone who laboured tirelessly with me for the establishment of discipleship in Swaziland, it is this brother, with Letsiwe, his dear wife. If there is one verse that describes Solomon, it is Phil. 2:22. His labour in Swaziland will never be in vain. In Botswana, Brother Percy and Ashley Thaba and brother Adekule and Sister Ronke Eyitayo have been exceptionally encouraging. Percy, with his disarming smile, is a gem. Adekule is such a steady and committed brother who has laboured for years for the realization of revival in Botswana.

Just as I have said, these brothers and sisters represent a host of disciples who are lovingly acknowledged in this book. Even though your name is not mentioned, it is actually acknowledged in heaven. All those who have become disciples in the 1990s and 2000s, to-date, are fondly acknowledged in this book. Discipleship is a reciprocal relationship. Just as disciplers form disciples, disciples also form disciplers. Most disciples, with whom I have rubbed shoulders, do not know how much I have learned from them. Brothers and sisters, you have made my life. That is why I fondly acknowledge you in this book. May you all grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Professor P. V. Ntintili

Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa

August 2018

Preface

Discipleship is what has sustained the work of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Every accomplishment of note in both testaments was associated with someone who was a disciple. The emancipation of the children of Israel was led by Moses, who had been discipled by the priest of Midian, Jethro. Joshua, who took the people of Israel to the land of Canaan, the land which was promised to Abraham, had been discipled by Moses. Esther, who stopped the genocide of the Jewish nation plotted by Haman, was a disciple who had been discipled by Mordecai. The people who established the Church, the Body of Christ, were the Apostles who had been discipled by Christ. We can go on and on and point out the achievements of disciples. We could say with confidence that if discipleship had not been there, the great things that were accomplished by God could not have been achieved. It seems clear, therefore, that when God intended to do something significant on earth, He had to ensure that a disciple or disciples were raised through whom to do it.

I must admit that the word ‘discipleship’ is not used in the Old Testament. What we see is the practice of discipleship, and not just its theory. As we shall describe it, you will agree that the relationships we see in the Old Testament are discipleship connections which have produced spiritual giants who took the purposes of God very far.

I do not know when and how discipleship got lost in the world. It would be the duty of someone else to research this great loss. We would also need to trace the time when it was rediscovered. How we thank God for this great rediscovery. The period between the close of the Old Testament and the ushering in of the New Testament is known as the 400 silent years, during which there were no dreams and no revelation from Heaven. It is known as the Dark Ages. We could say that years between the time when discipleship was known and the time when it was rediscovered were years of confusion and of apostasy and straying away from the Word of God. It is during this time that spurious teaching imported from America and Asia invaded our nations and brought untold pollution and confusion to the Body of Christ. We are thankful that it has pleased God to bring back His programme of discipleship. If it survives and continues to grow, then God will be able to accomplish His Purpose on earth. God has introduced discipleship to His Church by Himself. The Anglican Communion (The Anglican Denomination worldwide) resolved to make discipleship the programme of the entire denomination. They came up with a document called ‘Intentional Discipleship and Disciple-Making.’ A doctoral student wrote a Doctor of Ministry Thesis at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary on ‘The Pattern and Principles Jesus Created to Train the Twelve Apostles.’ If one were to research on discipleship today, he or she would find a lot of material. We thank God for promoting it in His Church.

I must warn though that not everything that calls itself discipleship is actually discipleship. There are so many things that masquerade as discipleship and yet they turn out to be something else. Some call church-growth programmes, discipleship. Others refer to foundational training for new believers as discipleship. But biblical discipleship is very scarce. I remember one pastor saying that he did not like discipleship from such and such a place and would have preferred it to have come from Latin America. He was confused and associated discipleship with places, rather than with the Word of God and with Christ. The kind of discipleship that will restore biblical Christianity and which will usher in revival on earth is the one found from the Word of God, the Bible.

This book is an introduction to discipleship and it will lay a solid foundation for anyone who desires to study this biblical concept. The idea, though, is not intellectual knowledge of discipleship. Rather, it is something that we wish you to experience for yourself. You will never understand discipleship by studying it from books. It is when you are actually engaged in it that you will know what it truly is. May you find discipleship where you are. Visit the group that claims to be doing discipleship and ascertain if the discipleship they are running is actually based on the Word of God. Once you are sure that it is, join it. Even better still, find someone who is engaged in discipling people. Look at his or her life and if he or she impresses you as someone who has patterned his or her life after Christ, ask that person to disciple you. May you discover discipleship for yourself! If you are failing to get any help, at the back of this book you will find our email and phone number. Contact us and we will guide you to where you can find biblical discipleship. May disciples multiply on earth!

Professor Vuyani P. Ntintili

Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa

July 2018

Introduction

The Devil, the enemy of the Church and of God’s people, likes to steal anything that will advance the Church and the Kingdom of God and which is likely to harm or hinder his own Kingdom. Discipleship is one such thing. Whenever discipleship is omitted, many things go wrong. The example of that is evident in the Book of Judges. Moses was discipled by Jethro and Moses in turn discipled many people, including Joshua, Aaron, Hur and others. Yet there is no record that Joshua discipled anyone. The results are seen in the Book of Judges. Joshua 2:8-9 reports the death of Joshua at the age of hundred and ten years and of his burial. Verse 10 states something that is startling. It says, After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. When the generation that had been discipled died, a generation arose that did not know God, because it had not been taught about God and His mighty deeds. In Judges 17:6 and 21:25, we are told that every person did what seemed to be right in his or her own eyes. In the absence of discipleship, a sense of responsibility, accountability and mutual dependability is removed. This situation in Judges seems to be indicative of what is happening in our days, too.

The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission) in South Africa, is supposed to regulate the practices of religious organisations and to ensure that they do not conflict with the laws of South Africa and that they also do not infringe on the rights of others. We are reading of quite bizarre and wacky things that are happening in churches, because there seems to be no guidance. Apart from these things that are way out, things generally are not going well in the Church. Everyone seems to be doing what looks right in his or her own eyes. The reason for this is the absence of proper biblical discipleship. In many other professions, we hear of mentoring and coaching. But in the Church this seems to be absent, although there are few exceptions.

If the Church will rise to its lofty position in society and if Christians will be the salt and the light of the world they were supposed to be, then discipleship must be reintroduced to the Church of God. We are glad that God is doing it. In some countries, it is thriving and is impacting every sphere of society. In South Africa, it was reintroduced and it is beginning to make some impact and its influence is steadily growing.

There are several textbooks that are available for the various levels of discipleship and we thank God for those who have written them. What a contribution to the Church! Now this book is a humble addition to those books. Its purpose is to actually introduce biblical discipleship to those who do not know it and to differentiate discipleship from other programmes of the church. We hope that it will be helpful to the Body of Christ. We pray that it will please the Holy Spirit to introduce it to the Church.

Books on discipleship are not meant to provide preaching and teaching materials for ministers and those involved in various ministries. Rather, they are meant to be tried out in one’s personal life. When they have been found to be working, then one can share them with others; and one will do so with conviction because he or she has seen results. It would be hypocritical to recommend to someone else something that has not proved to be helpful to oneself. Books on discipleship are meant to be studied and applied to life. One could start a group that will use this material in one’s discipleship classes. The study itself is meant to be interactive and every person is supposed to discover the truth by him- or herself, as he or she interacts with the material and with one another. But this book is not meant to be used in this way. We will suggest the books that could be used for group study. This one is meant to introduce the whole concept of discipleship to those who are not familiar with it. Maybe we could prepare a workbook from it, which would be amenable to Bible Study. We pray that it will help you and many others who come across it.

Chapter One

Correcting Some Misconceptions

The first thing I want to do is to correct some misunderstandings about discipleship and there are many of them. The first one we want to correct is the belief that the word ‘disciple’ is a Christian concept. In the etymology (history of the usage a word) of the word ‘disciple’, we discover that it was used even in a secular sense. For example, in the Greek culture, philosophers had disciples, i.e. those who followed their teachings and their pattern of life. In this regard, Robert P. Meye explains that a disciple was, inter alia, One who belonged to a certain school of philosophy (e.g. a disciple of Socrates. Any person who had something important to teach to others had followers. Greek Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates and many others, had disciples and some of their disciples were emperors. The term ‘disciple’ predates Christianity.

Jewish Rabbis also had disciples. So, the Bible will speak of the disciples of the Pharisees, for example. Mark 2:18 writes, And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? The contention was that the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast and those of Jesus did not. The point we want to emphasise though, is that even the Pharisees had disciples. Concerning the Rabbis and discipleship, Lawrence O. Richards says, Rabbis had disciples who studied with them in a well-defined and special relationship. The need for training was intensely felt in the Jewish community, which believed that no one could understand Scripture without a teacher’s guidance. The reason why the Pharisees often questioned the authority of Jesus is because, for Him to teach the Word of God, He had to pass through the hands of a rabbis as a disciple. That is why they were surprised that He could teach with such authority, even though He was unlearned. The question was: Where did He learn from, or rather, from whom did He learn? There were people who regarded themselves as disciples of Moses. John 9:28 says, Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. Various prominent leaders in Israel had disciples. You need to bear in mind that the word ‘disciple ‘means follower. Those who were prominent in society, particularly those who had something worthwhile to teach, had disciples, i.e. people who followed their teachings. You have noted that Christ also had disciples. In John 9, the Pharisees queried the fact that Christ had healed a blind person on a Sabbath. In the discussion that ensued between them and the blind man, and the blind man was defending Jesus, the Pharisees insulted Him and claimed to be the disciples of Moses (John 9:28).

The second misconception we want to correct is that discipleship is associated only with Christ. We read in Mark 2:18 that John the Baptist had disciples who followed and learned from him. We learn in John 1:35-38 that two of his disciples left him and followed Jesus, after he had recommended Jesus to them. In John 9:28, as we have already noted, we hear of the disciples of Moses. Every prominent teacher in the New Testament times, and even before, had disciples. They learned valuable lessons from them. If you are engaged in discipling people, you must not think that you are the only doing do. There may be others that you do not know anything about.

Third, it is not true that discipleship is found only in the New Testament. It is found in the Old Testament as well. As we shall see, a disciple is a person who follows another person with the intention of learning from that person. We have many examples in the Old Testament of people who followed others and who learned about God and His ways from them. For example, Moses learned a lot from Jethro, a priest from Midian. This becomes very clear when we read Ex. 18:1-27, when Jethro had gone to see him in the desert; on the plain, near the northern summit of Horeb. This was three months after they had left Egypt. Jethro continued to teach Moses administration. It is clear that Joshua, among others, followed Moses and learned from him. Since he was the most faithful disciple of Moses, when Moses died, Joshua was the natural successor of Moses, his master. The list of people who had a discipleship relationship with another person is endless. It would include the relationship between Eli and Samuel, Naomi and Ruth, Mordecai and Esther, Elijah and Elisha and many others. The point we are raising is that discipleship is found not only in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament as well. We would learn a lot when we carefully study the discipleship relationships we find in the Old Testament. That would produce many books on discipleship. Gbile Akanni studied the relationship between Naomi and Ruth and drew some valuable lessons in discipleship from this study. He writes I have seen the lifestyle of a disciple in relationship with the discipler and the outcome. The labour of a discipler over the life of a disciple is also clearly demonstrated through the lives of the characters in this book. Indeed, I could not find a better picture of discipleship relationship in the Old Testament. It is indeed a shadow of what our Lord Jesus came to show us in raising disciples for the Kingdom. Once we understand that discipleship is found in the Old Testament as well, we would study the relationships where one person is following another with the intention of learning about the God of Israel.

Fourth, there is another impression we want to correct, namely that Jesus had only twelve disciples. Whenever we speak of discipleship, we immediately think of Jesus and the twelve who were close to Him. Luke 10:1, 17 speaks of seventy disciples. By the time Jesus left the earth, He had 120 overt disciples (Acts 1:15). But there were others who were covert followers of Christ. It seems clear that Nicodemus, the Jewish Rabbi and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Ruling Council among the Jews, was a follower (disciple) of Christ. There is also Joseph of Arimathea, who was also a follower of Christ. The Bible says about Joseph of Arimathea, in Matt. 27:57, As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, so that he could bury Him in his own tomb. John 9:39 tells us that he was accompanied by Nicodemus when he went to make this request. John 19:38 says that this Joseph was a disciple, a secret one, because he feared the Jews. He was also a member of the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin. Can we really know how many people privately followed Christ? The answer is no. Christ had innumerable faithful and committed disciples, who were willing even to lay down their lives for Him.

Sixth, in some churches discipleship is a programme for newly-saved people. In my church, for example, someone who has been baptised, just before becoming a full member of our church, must go through discipleship class, which usually lasts for about three months. Then that person may apply to become a full member. To use the designation ‘discipleship’ for that programme would be to misapply the word ‘discipleship’. Rather, it should be called the ‘new beginners class’ or ‘foundational training class’, as otherwise it gives an impression that discipleship is simply for people who do not know much about the faith. But this is not true. Paul was a disciple, even at the time when he was having incredible revelations from God.

Seventh, another misconception of discipleship is that it is often confused with a church-growth programme. While discipleship, when properly conducted, will lead to church growth, its aim is not church growth. Acts 6:7 says, And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. There is a clear association, in this verse, between the growth of discipleship and many people becoming obedient to the faith. But the focus of discipleship is the transformation of one’s life and its conformity to the life of Christ. Obviously, when a life has been gloriously changed, it attracts people to Christ; a changed life replicates itself. But the focus is not on the growth of the church, but on the restoration of godliness in individual lives. To make church growth the primary purpose of discipleship, is to confuse things.

Eighth, there is another confusion which is between discipleship and mentorship. Some people think that these two terms are synonymous, but they are not. A mentor is a role model who guides another employee (a protégé) by sharing valuable advice on roles to play and behaviours to avoid. Mentors teach, advise, and sponsor their protégés so as to expedite their career progress. Mentorship is about the sharing of experiences and expertise, so as to help the mentee to climb up the corporate ladder much quicker. The concern of mentorship is competence and effectiveness in what one does and it does not so much concern itself with moral issues that are not career-related. Discipleship, on the other hand, is concerned with the whole person; it is holistic. There is no area of life that is not touched in discipleship, because the aim is that the person will be whole. When it comes to spirituality, a lack in one area will inevitably affect other areas. In discipleship, the focus is not expertise or upward mobility, but character formation; it is life. The two concepts are very different and to make them mean the same thing is to confuse discipleship.

Finally, there is a confusion that one can graduate from discipleship. This is to misunderstand what discipleship really is. In