Hearers & Doers: A Pastor's Guide for Making Disciples
“Pastors make disciples by training them to be fit for the purpose of godliness.”
What is a disciple?
Evangelical Christians worldwide define this little word by primarily using the same words. Regardless of denomination, I have found that most define the word disciple with its lexical meaning of follower, learner, student, or pupil of a teacher or master. So, what is the big deal? Why are there so many evangelicals writing about this tiny little word that most Christians define with the same words? Why is this website dedicated to disciples helping disciples? Isn’t the meaning of a disciple obvious?
Before diving into another book on discipleship, let’s first think through the gravity of the term disciple. Consider one passage where Jesus describes what it means to be a disciple.
Luke 14:26-27, 33: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple… any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Jesus makes three statements about being his disciple:
1. Disciples of Jesus will love him more than their own family
2. Disciples of Jesus will sacrifice their physical life
3. Disciples of Jesus will surrender everything they have
Understanding the word disciple is critical because of the definition Jesus gives it. Jesus has forever changed this term. What we think of and believe about the word disciple is cataclysmic. When we talk about "what is a disciple," we are talking about the makeup of a genuine Christian. We are talking about someone saved from an eternity in hell to an eternity in heaven with Jesus.
Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer is the Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Vanhoozer is a brilliant evangelical scholar who balances technical theological writings with practical insights for local churches and Christian leaders. His recent book Hearers & Doers is written as a practical guide to help pastors think about what is a disciple and how do we make disciples. Every church must answer two questions, and every congregation should ask their pastors and elders to answer with brilliant clarity. However, in my opinion, Hearers & Doers uncharacteristically missed the practically helpful mark by generating more confusion than clarity regarding the question "what is a disciple?"
Disciple Definition Confusion
Vanhoozer states plainly, “a disciple is one who does not simply face a new direction but begins to walk in it. A disciple is a convert in motion, on the way” (p. xxv). Now, this definition is reasonably straightforward. A disciple is a hearer and doer of scripture because they adore the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to change their life in allegiance to him. I am good with that. I can jump into that boat and sail into some spiritual warfare. But as we progress, problems emerge.
Vanhoozer often uses the modifiers “genuine” or “true” when talking about the makeup of a disciple, implying that there are ingenuine or false disciples. On page 49, he says, "Genuine discipleship, in contrast, is the sustainable practice of hearing and doing freedom in Christ." That might make your head turn at an angle, but I think what he is talking about can be readily seen in John 6:66, where self-identified disciples turn away from following Jesus because of his hard sayings. But then, in the middle of the book, Vanhoozer starts defining discipleship differently. He argues that all people, Christian or not, are in some sense disciples—it is just a matter of whom they are following (p. 126, 174, 206). He writes that he has argued this way throughout the book (p. 126). But unless I grossly passed over it, I couldn’t find that argument. And this is where clarity starts to break down, and a definition dualism is employed without specificity. The dualism is both a definition for a disciple that is uniquely Christian (Christlikeness) and a definition that is non-Christian—generic follower, student, learner, or pupil. However, the reader is left wondering at times which definition is being used.
Consider how this unspecified dualism affects our second question, how disciples are made. Vanhoozer sees disciple making as a pre and post-conversion practice best enacted by people learning Christ through the scriptures and doctrine (p. 6, 14-15, 25, 44, 60, 86, 130, 134, 143, 206, 212). Vanhoozer appears to get to this conclusion because a disciple is simply a follower—not specifically of Christ, just a person who follows something or someone. In short, I believe he is employing the definition that suits the context of the argument he wants to make. But doesn't that contradict his explanation for a disciple when he opens the book (p. xxv)? Apparently, in certain sections of Hearers & Doers, only genuine, truly regenerated Christians pursuing their complete identity and transformation in Christ through the scriptures and doctrine are real disciples. And yet, we are supposed to disciple unbelievers? Is the unbeliever a disciple when we are discipling them? Or does our disciple making engage unbelievers with the hope of seeing them become disciples? Vanhoozer is leaps and bounds wiser than I am, and maybe I missed something, but there appears to be a problem with definitions.
I think the problem is Vanhoozer doesn't articulate that there are two definitions—a uniquely secular and uniquely Christian definition. When the incarnation occurs, Jesus transforms the definition of disciple forever. He radically alters its context and meaning to something significantly more demanding than a follower, student, learner, or pupil. Thus, why Paul consistently identifies himself as a slave, a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Vanhoozer clearly sees this dualism but doesn't distinguish it, and as a result, he leaves the reader with more questions about what a disciple is and how to disciple others than he gives answers.
Disciple Definition Clarity
Michael Wilkins Following the Master is the best resource I found that offers explicit and defensible definitions for disciple, discipleship, and discipling (Appendix A). Wilkins conducts a biblical theology and lexical study on “disciple” that provides readers with the following helpful definitions that directly impact practical ministry.
As Vanhoozer alludes to, Wilkins articulates that the term disciple should be thought of as having two contextual definitions (there are really more, but these two categories make it simple)—secular and Christian. A disciple is a committed lifelong follower of a great master or movement in the secular context. In the Christian context, a disciple is "one who has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Jesus” (p. 40). When we consider the Christian context, Wilkins argues from scripture that if one of these components is habitually missing, the person is not a true disciple. Similar to what we see in John 6:66. In calling people disciples, the church is not inviting a person into something new but instead recognizing the new creation that God has created in them. In the Christian context, disciples are true converts to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and thus when Jesus is talking to disciples or speaking about what a disciple is, he is talking to every believer (p. 46).
Confusion arises in practical ministry when the church fails to specify what context of a disciple is being used. Therefore, church leaders should communicate with precision on the definition of a disciple and what the implications are for Christian life and ministry.
To mention the most basic implication, consider what the Christian context of a disciple means for our use of discipleship and discipling. Wilkins smartly defines both terms: "Discipleship is the ongoing process of growth as a disciple. Discipling implies the responsibility of disciples helping one another to grow as a disciples” (p. 41). Within these definitions is the implication that disciple, discipleship, and discipling are distinct from evangelism. As rightly understood after Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, discipleship and discipling involve post-conversion practices. The church does not practice non-believer discipleship, as the natural man cannot conform themselves to the image of Christ (p. 41). As disciples of Jesus, we are commanded to go make disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). But we do not disciple unbelievers. We evangelize. We bring them face to face with the light of the world, the one in whom is the embodiment of truth, who will take hold of their heart and transform them into a new creation—we bring people to Jesus, who will transform them into his disciple. A person must first become a disciple through faith in Jesus Christ before beginning the lifelong process of discipleship and discipling.
So what is a disciple?
“One who has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Jesus.”
I summarize this as saying a true Disciple is SOLD out for Jesus!
