LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Evangelism and the Gospel
Submitted to Dr. Jonathan Geukgeuzian
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500 – B03
Discipleship Ministries
by
Olusola Oladepo Akinwale
May 11, 2022
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The term “disciple” has so many uses. It is used secularly and spiritually. Sadly, in the
church of Jesus Christ there has been some difficulty agreeing on the meaning of the word. Rod
Dempsey says, “Many times churches try to make disciples without a clear understanding of
what a disciple actually looks like.”1 Putman et al. say, “A church must correctly define disciple
before it can move toward making disciples.”2 Thus, defining a disciple is an inevitable precursor
to discipleship, for one cannot identify something if first they do not know what they are looking
for.
In the books, Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion
and Confidence, and DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who
Make Disciples, the authors make it their aim to clear misconceptions on who a disciple is, and
to clearly define the term. Certain truths come to light concerning who or what a disciple is. In
the following paragraphs, three characteristics of a follower of Jesus Christ will be outlined.
In the first place, a follower of Jesus is one who is born again; he or she has accepted
Christ as his or her Savior and Lord. If one has not been saved, then he or she is not yet a disciple
or a follower of Jesus. It does not matter if he or she attends church or is even actively serving in
a community of Christians. Salvation starts followership. It is the induction into a life of
discipleship or being a follower of Christ. In DiscipleShift, the authors note: “Conversion is the
first step in the discipleship process. A convert is one who turns around. Meaning, a person is
moving one direction, becomes convicted of sin, turns the other direction, and comes to Christ.
By simple faith, the person receives the gift of salvation. Conversion is the beginning of a
1 Rod Dempsey, “Beginning on a Sure Foundation,” in Disciple Making Is . . .: How to Live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013), Logos.
2 Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman, DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your
Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013), Logos.
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journey, whereas discipleship is ongoing.”3 Salvation is not by works, but by grace alone (Eph.
2:8-9). After salvation good works as a fruit of salvation are brought forth (Eph. 2:10), and they
are part of the things that accompany salvation (Heb. 6:9).
Second, a follower of Jesus is committed to following the teachings of Jesus. When one is
saved, they begin the process of learning. This is when discipleship or following Christ begins. It
is like becoming a student. One enrols, learning starts, continues, and the student keeps on
moving to higher classes. However, the “School of Discipleship” is one school where the student
never graduates. In following Christ, “The person becomes a lifelong learner, a disciple. Being a
disciple is a learning process that never ends,”4 according to Putman, Harrington, and Coleman.
A disciple learns from what Jesus taught and lived. Jesus invited those who would follow
Him to learn from Him (Matt. 11:28-29). The word “learn” comes from the Greek word
manthanō which means “to learn, be taught; to learn by practice or experience, acquire a custom
or habit.”5 This entails more than just hearing or reading, it carries the idea of practice and habit.
Learning from Him means continuing in His Word (John 8:31-32). As one does the Word, they
become free. In addition, they mature, grow and bear the responsibilities of a matured one.
In the Great Commission, Jesus told the apostles to make disciples of all nations, teaching
those who accept the message to observe all that He commanded. Following Jesus’s teachings
can be summarized as: loving God, loving people, and doing the Word of God. A disciple follows
Christ Jesus. Jesus’s teachings and His lifestyle never contradicted what He taught. His life was a
demonstration of His teaching.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 William D. Mounce, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 1205.
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Finally, a follower of Jesus is a witness. Jesus’s last words to His disciples were that they
would receive the power of the Holy Spirit and they would be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:8). A
witness is one who shares his or her faith in Jesus Christ. This is not only done in word, but
equally in deeds or actions. A disciple continues to learn the Word of God and embodies the
example of Jesus in all he or she does. As this happens, the life of Christ in him or her irradiates,
and people can see Christ through him or her. People noted Peter and John and knew that they
had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Something about Jesus was conspicuously present in their lives.
Witnessing for Christ inevitably leads to the salvation of souls and potentially inducts the new
coverts into their own lifelong journey of discipleship. Thus, discipleship is a means of fulfilling
the Great Commission and making even more disciples.
From the foregoing paragraphs, a definition for a follower or a disciple are:
First: A disciple is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord.
Having repented of his or her sins, he or she has decided to live the new life in Christ Jesus. For
this, see Eph. 2:8; Matt. 11:28.
Second: A disciple is one who has made a commitment to, and is actively following the
Word of God, the teachings of Jesus and His example. He or she is committed to obeying the
Word of God, submits himself or herself to the demands of the Bible and comports his or life by
active obedience to the Word of God. For this, see Matt. 11:28-29; John 8:31-32.
Third: A disciple is one who witnesses of his or her new life in Christ through words and
actions, leading many to Christ and helping them to become disciples. For this, see Acts 1:8.
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Bibliography
Dempsey, Rod. “Beginning on a Sure Foundation.” In Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the
Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013.
Logos.
Mounce, William D. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
Putman, Jim, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013.
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