DISCIPLESHIP

DISCIPLESHIP
The term ‘disciple’ is defined in several ways. Notable amongst these definitions are:

1. WordWeb Dictionary: Someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another
2. Oxford Dictionary: (1) A follower of a religious, political, artistic etc leader or teacher. (2) Any of the 12 close followers of Christ during His life.
3. Cassell Popular English Dictionary: (1) A pupil or adherent (of a philosopher, leader etc) (2) A follower (of a particular cult, area of interest etc) (3) One of the early followers, especially on of the twelve personal followers of Christ.

DISCIPLESHIP IN OTHER RELIGIONS
In Hinduism, most of the bhakti movements are said to have been founded by ‘saints’—the gurus by whom the tradition has been handed down in unbroken lineage, from guru to disciple. After years of training, the disciple becomes a guru.

Buddha began to preach, wandering from place to place, gathering a body of disciples, and organizing them into a monastic community known as the sangha. It was in this way that he spent the rest of his life.

The disciples or devotees Hinduism and Buddhism are required to take an oath to stay without physical possessions and dedicate their entire lives to the advancement of their creed and beliefs. They eat restricted diets and undergo very rigid tasks daily.

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP
Jesus Christ called His disciples in John 1:40-51. Jesus called his first disciples, “Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother” (Matthew 4:18) and “James the son of Zebedee and John his brother” (Matthew 4:21). This is what became known as the Four. It is observed that three of them became the closest associates of Jesus Christ.

Later, as his followers increased in number, Jesus selected more and they became 12 disciples in all. The names of the 12 is as follows:
Simon, called Peter
Andrew (whom Matthew and Luke identify as the brother of Simon Peter),
James (called the son of Zebedee by Mark and Matthew),
John (Mark and Matthew identify him as the brother of James, son of Zebedee),
Philip ,
Bartholomew,
Matthew (whom the Matthew evangelist identifies as a publican), named Levi in Luke and Mark ,
Thomas,
James, the son of Alphaeus,
Simon, called a zealot in Mark, Matthew, and Luke ,
Judas Iscariot ,
Jude Thaddaeus, called Thaddaues by Mark, Lebbaeus Thaddaeus by Matthew, and Judas, son of James by Luke

The most widely used definition of discipleship by Jesus Christ comes from John 13:34-35: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (NRSV).

The most outspoken chapter on discipleship is found in Luke 14. In this chapter, Jesus Christ told his disciples what it meant to be his disciple.

During Jesus’ three-year ministry, it is observed that there were several things that the disciples did. They include:

1. Giving up everything they had to follow Jesus. (Mark 10:28: Then Peter began to say unto Him, Lo, we have left all and have followed thee: this indicates that Peter left everything he had including his business as a fisherman, family and riches.) Also, Luke 14:26 Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. And Luke 14:33 says So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions
2. Brokenness: The disciples were humble and down to earth. Though some of them were richer, more educated or older than Jesus Christ, they put everything aside and concentrated on learning the spiritual knowledge and expertise that Jesus Christ taught without questioning.
3. Forgetting all what was going on in the world. They became alien citizens of this world and they were adjoined to the Kingdom of God with only one King, Jesus Christ.
4. Learning the way of the life that Jesus Christ put up. Jesus Christ mentored them and they therefore used his life as a model life which they led.
5. Carrying the burden of Jesus Christ as it came. Luke 14:27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
6. Taking lectures and conscious lessons from Jesus Christ. This was evident in that whenever Jesus Christ noticed that the disciples were advancing to a higher level, he taught them about deeper spiritual things.
7. Loving one another was a commandment Jesus Christ gave to his disciples in John 13:34-35.

GRADUATION OF THE DISCIPLES TO APOSTLES

After the death of Jesus Christ, the disciples were totally shocked and surprised about the situation at hand. They were confused and unsure of the next move until the Holy Spirit came upon them. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they graduated from disciples to Apostles. They became independent practitioners of the principles of Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

As Apostles, the disciples began to preach and teach the word of God without looking out for further guidance and support. Apostleship begins when disciples get the power and right to do the will of God. This can only be possible when the Holy Spirit is firmly grounded in the disciple.


CHURCHIANITY VERSUS DISCIPLESHIP
It is observed that the 12 disciples were the core of the church. However, apart from the 12, much is not known about the number of other disciples who moves with Jesus Christ. Luke 6:17 states that And He came down with them and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him and to be healed.
Additionally, seventy people are sent out in pairs to prepare the way for Jesus (Luke 10). They are sometimes referred to as "the Seventy" or "the Seventy Disciples". They are to eat any food offered, heal the sick and spread the word; that God's reign is coming, that whoever hears them hears Jesus, whoever rejects them rejects Jesus and whoever rejects Jesus rejects the One who sent him. In addition they are granted great powers over the enemy and their names are written in heaven.
This means that although there were 12 people very close to Jesus Christ, there were others who were also studying His ways. The names of some of these people are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Some of these people were given greater assignments in the body of Christ and through them, the church was established firmly.

In 12/70 Paradigm Shift, Reverend Eastwood Anaba linked the 12 disciples to the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 spies Moses sent out who brought a bad report in the Old Testament. The similarities they had was that there was competition in their midst. They all struggled and argued over who is supposed to be the greatest. There was rigidity, restrictions and sceptism in the midst of the 12 for example John once stopped a man casting out demons with the power of God, Judah ordered Joseph to be sold because he had seen through a dream that he was supposed to be the greatest. In the same way, Joshua, one of the spies Moses sent out, stopped Eldad and Melded from prophesying when the power of God came upon them although they were not part of the 70.

Reverend Anaba identified in the 12/70 Paradigm Shift that in the midst of the 70, there is flexibility and there are few restrictions. It is through the 70, that God reaches the masses. He pointed out that through the Jethro system, the 70 elders of Israel that Moses imparted power to became the core of the Sanhedrin and the Jewish legal system. Also, after the death of Jesus Christ, the 70 became the core of the Church.

Many people associate Peter with the 12 (Discipleship) and Paul with the 70 (Churchianity). These two people in the Body of Christ taught the doctrine of Jesus Christ but from two different perspectives.

Peter believed that whoever will believe in Jesus Christ, and will obey and follow Him, has entered into the Kingdom of God and has received eternal life and the power to walk in righteousness by the Holy Spirit.

However, many Paulinists believe that Accepting, Believing and Confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Personal Saviour brings you into the church, thereby giving you an avenue to be saved. This was the approach Paul used and he spread the Gospel far and wide. This was a very spiritual approach and everyone who accepted it got a new birth and a new spirit that directed him from within.

It is observed that both approaches have their backing from God. Every Christian therefore has the responsibility of choosing the approach that he has faith and confidence in.

WOMEN DISCIPLES IN THE BIBLE
In Luke (10:38–42), Mary, sister of Lazarus is contrasted with her sister Martha, who was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part," that of listening to the master's discourse. John names her as the "one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair" (11:2). In Luke, an unidentified "sinner" in the house of a Pharisee annoints Jesus' feet. Any pre-existing relationship between Jesus and Lazarus himself, prior to the miracle, is unspecified by John. In Catholic folklore, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is seen as the same as Mary Madgalene
Luke refers to a number of people accompanying Jesus and the twelve. From among them he names three women: "Mary, called Magdalene, ... and Joanna the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources" (Luke 8:2-3). Mary Magdalene and Joanna are among the women who went to prepare Jesus' body in Luke's account of the resurrection, and who later told the apostles and other disciples about the empty tomb and words of the "two men in dazzling clothes". Mary Magdalene is the most well-known of the disciples outside of the Twelve. More is written in the gospels about her than the other female followers. There is also a large body of lore and literature covering her.
Other gospel writers differ as to which women witness the crucifixion and witness to the resurrection. Mark includes Mary, the mother of James and Salome (not to be confused with Salomé the daughter of Herodias) at the crucifixion and Salome at the tomb. John includes Mary the wife of Clopas at the crucifixion.
THE VIEW OF MODERN APOSTLES ON DISCIPLESHIP

Modern Apostles often choose between the Discipleship and Churchian Approach. Dr. D. K. Olukoya blends these two approaches by introducing a third way. In most of his sermons, he talks about a very Pauline approach of salvation by accepting, believing and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Afterwards, he encourages the use of a very spiritual approach to break away from spiritual ties in a conscious deliverance programme. This method is becoming popular in Africa which has a long history of idolatry.

SOURCES:
1. Wordweb Dictionary
2. Microsoft Encarta
3. Wikipedia Encyclopedia
4. Discipleship Net
5. 12/70 Paradigm Shift, Eastwood Anaba