What’s The Goal of Discipleship?
When planning church ministry strategy, beginning with the end in mind is essential. If not,
then it’s probable the final product will be deficient. So, what is the goal or end product of any
ministry in the local church? It’s been said that discipleship is not just a ministry of the church,
it’s THE ministry of the church. What does the Bible say regarding this proposition?
Consider the Great Commission. It’s been labeled It’s “co-mission” for a reason. The church is a
body of believers working together in concert with the Holy Spirit to accomplish this mission.
There is a unified cooperation with believers and the Holy Spirit. It’s labeled “great” because it
much more than normal. It’s not just good idea. These are some of the last words of Jesus that
are recorded in the biblical record. So, it’s a Great Command!
Here’s the actual commandment: “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” (ESV).
Mission Details. The mission of the church is to “make disciples” of all nations by going,
baptizing, and teaching. This includes theses three participles that describe the commandment
of imperative to make disciples. This is “why,” but what is the “how” of fulfilling this
command?
- “Go” is the evangelism verb of the New Testament which translates, “as you are going.”
In John 15:16, Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you
that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” Note that
the “fruit” He mentions follows “going.” Jesus is not speaking of “the fruit of the Spirit”
or the character fruit mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. One can bear all of
those fruits without going anywhere. But if a disciple is going to “fish for men”, he must
go to where the fish are.
- “Baptize” is the enlistment verb in Jesus’ Great Commission. The word “baptize”
pictures our incorporation into Christ, from which disciples are forever “in Christ.”
Baptizing means to be identified – with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
(Rom. 6:1-4). Consider Paul’s statement, “I am (literally - “I have been and remain”)
crucified with Christ”—Galatians 2:20. Baptism is a one-time event in the life of the
believer and identifies the disciple with Christ and His bride, the church.
- The word “teach” is the word for the one most important on-going action for fulfilling
the Great Commission. This is the education and edification verb of the Great
Commission. No education should be called “Christian” if it does not lead to the spiritual
growth and edification of the disciple. So, this magnifies the teaching ministry of the
church. Teaching in the church should go on at every moment of every hour of every
day of every week of every month of every year, etc., etc.—until Jesus comes. This
happens by instruction, modeling (imitation) and discipline.
The End in Mind. So, church leaders and workers who are involved in leading and teaching
others, consider the biblical goal of discipleship as a thread that ties ministry together. The
Great commission provides both the “why” and the “how” of fulfilling the aim of discipleship.
The Great Commission has both an evangelism and an edification (education) or spiritual
growth component. To make a disciple, first one has to win a person (a non-disciple) to Christ.
Then the new disciple needs to grow or mature as a disciple, hence the edification component.
The command to “make disciples” stresses both evangelism and edification.
The aim of Christian discipleship is development of character and values that model Jesus in the
life of individuals resulting in multiplication…fulfilling the commission. This process begins with
a spiritual re-birth, continues in the development of Christ-like thoughts and values, and equips
individuals to serve of God. And the process is multiplied or replicated over and over from one
generation to the next. The apostle Paul provides spiritual insight. His words reveal that the
aim of discipleship is to “…attain unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to
mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13 ESV). The
Great Commission is the vehicle to keep the end in mind.
