Five Stages of Discipleship
Matthew Stromberg
April, 7th 2019
DSMN-500
Dr. Tammy Gutierrez
There are five stages of discipleship that one can see as a growth process for a Christian.
Those five are spiritually dead, infancy, childhood, young adulthood and parenthood. While
these stages of our growth as a Christian can be very overwhelming. One can see that the main
focus of these stages of growth as a disciple is to submit our complete focus to Christ alone. For
some, this can be a vicious cycle. For others it can be a continuous learning of who one has
become.
The first stage is spiritually dead. This is when one is faced with a lot of unbelief. Yet,
while one has stages as a Christian that you may go through one could say that it maneuvers as
we digress and progress towards or away from Christ. The greatest example of spiritual death is
Adam. While a severe example, it is the most recognizable. Genesis 2:16-17 states “and the
LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must
not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will
certainly die."1 As soon as Adam took a bite of the fruit, he knew he was naked and had therefore
realized he had sinned. In that very moment when Christ said “you would certainly die” he
meant spiritually. Knowing, that Adam lived over 900 years obviously it was not a physical
death. So one can see this story and relate it to our lives as one sins. As long as one is coming
back to Christ within those moments or after those moments of sin that person is forgiven. One
has to realize though, if Adam lived as long as he did after what some would classify “the biggest
sin” of humanity obviously God had grace. In that, as Christians one has to understand that we
will struggle, we will fall but as long as we are coming back into Christs’ light one will
overcome.
1 Genesis 2:16-17 NIV
The second stage is an infant in Christ. This is described by Putman as being able to
“incarnate Christ’s life in a lost world and then invite people to respond to the cross”. 2 Infancy
as a Christian is a transitioning phase into become more like Christ. While, yes that is what we
are supposed to do continuously, the fastest, more noticeable change comes within this phase.
This is the phase where one is asking a lot of questions such as “How does God want me to enter
the lives of these people and show them love”?3 That being said, there is a focus on sharing one’s
life, and the journey that has been travelled to get thus far. Infancy also is a phase where one
starts to become knowledgeable in what God has called them to do, in the sense of what gift do
you have that benefits a five-fold ministry. So while one is learning these things, that person is
doing their part within the kingdom to fulfill the Great Commission.
The third stage of discipleship is childhood. This would be described by Putman as the
stage where we “help new Christians associate with other disciples and consecrate themselves to
God”.4 In this phase Christians may be faced with what Keisha Hairston describe as Christians
who “are usually unaware that they are self-centered and they also tend to be rigid in their
beliefs. They may exhibit, pride, overconfidence, and contrarily may exhibit, shyness, insecurity,
self-loathing, and an attitude of defeat”.5 As disciples this is where one has to really develop a
idea of necessity for taking time to consecrate on Christ. In this one has to have a foundation of
what submission to Christ is. One can see this idea of submission and consecration laid out in
Romans and it states “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.
2 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 156
3 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 155
4 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 158
5 Keisha L Hairston, Spheres and Stages of Discipleship (Lynchburg, Virginia: 2015) 4
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect
will”.6 Christ simply calls us to something bigger than ourselves and that is to be transformed in
everything that we do so that we can be the disciples he has called us to be. In that connection to
God the next step is being able to connect to the local church. One has to stay connected to a
local church, so that they may grow in Christ. This happens by others being obedient in their
calling and discipling others. Therefore the process repeats itself, continues and is laid out as a
map in front of us.
Next, is young adult. In this one is ready to be equipped, provided the tools, and released
into ministry. Arguably in between child and this phase is where a lot of Christians become
stuck. Because one can easily mix the two up and try and go forth when something for them by
Christ has not been laid out for them yet. Putman offers a great example by breaking this phase
down further. He goes on to elaborate and says that in this phase we demonstrate, delegate and
supervise. In that, “Demonstration means that Jesus showed his disciples how to minister”.7 He
did just that, he walked with them, talked with them and led them wherever they made need to
go. Next, Putman states “Delegation simply means that Jesus gave his disciples something to
do”.8 Christ always speaks about wanting us to be more like him, so what does he do? He does
just that and gives us the opportunity to do just that. Lastly “Supervision means that Jesus made
his disciples accountable”. 9 That is what helps us to become better people, the accountability of
6 Romans 12:1-2 NIV
7 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 160
8 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 161
9 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 161
one another. This is how one has a deeper relationship with Christ, because now we are able to
share these things with Christ good or bad.
Lastly, is parenthood. Often referred to as mentorship. We see this phase a lot amongst an
older generation. Not simply because they are older but simply because they have more wisdom.
This is broken down into two different elements reproduction and impartation. “Reproduction
means that Jesus anticipated fruitfulness” and “impartation means that Jesus gave his followers
his spirit”.10 These things are very evident in todays church. When one teaches, or preaches as a
ministry we expect to see growth. This growth is the reproducing of the fruits of the spirit. This
is all activated by Jesus’ Holy Spirit that was a gift to us. That being said, just as Christ gave us
that gift, we should pray for others to receive that gift as well. Hence, impartation of the Holy
Spirit, this is why one can here this so often in the church.
Within the stages of discipleship there are what one would call 4 spheres of discipleship.
Putman breaks them down into share, connect, minister and disciple maker. Others like to
reexamine this outtake and classify them as your relationship with God, the disciples love for
other believers, love for his/her spouse, and lastly the disciples love for the world. When broken
down by Putman my biggest struggle is the minister part of everything. Everything else comes
naturally to me, the only issue is that it become difficult for me to be able to equip others with
what they need to share the Gospel. It is much easier for me to talk about has God works, deeper
theological conversation and the process of spirituality. All of that being said if I were to go by
others representation of what the spheres are broken down into my most difficult to deal with is
to love the world. The reason this is so is because it is hard to be able to love the people in the
world without getting a lot of temptation from the world. That is okay because those are the
10 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 163
things that will strengthen us as Christians. The hard part of this being able to love people that
willingly get abortions, and willingly do things that are obviously against scripture. It makes me
want to love them all the more, but makes it difficult for me to do so. In that, God has taught me
that it is the love that I have for the person that counts. We do not have to love the sin that they
are struggling with but who they are and what they can become if the Gospel is shared to them.
“Discipleship as allegiance to the person of Jesus Christ places the follower under the law
of Christ, that is, under the cross”.11 This is Bonhoeffer’s call to the cross. A call to the cross so
that we may have a commitment to Christ. After reading volume four of his works, there was a
ton of good content. I guaranteed that I would try and some up his call to the cross in one of his
own sentences. This is what was derived from my readings. Our allegiance to Christ is knowing
and grounding ourselves in the knowledge that his cross brought us to a place where we can
freely be forgiven. We are to be like Jesus and share the Gospel. To help lift the cross and
continue to become better at the things Christ has called us to. Dave Earley states “In addition, as
we share our lives together, we also become aware that God has brought us together, not just to
have fun and fellowship, but to labor in the harvest fields”.12 Yes, we can have fun as Christians,
yes we can go out and do entertaining things. One can not lose focus though, one has to see that
the cross is the only reason we are able to do these things. Whereas Bonhoeffer expounds upon
the seriousness of the greatness of cross, one has to take a step back and look at how much that is
worth. Though we may have been lost at sin, we can see the cross, bow at the cross and freely be
released from the sin that has held us back.
11 Dietrich Boenhoffer, Works Discipleship, vol. 4 (Minneapolis, Minnesota: 2003) 85
12 Dave Earley, Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville,
Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group 2013) 206
Our submission to Christ should be profound. In todays non-stop world one can say
something about a man dying for you and one would most likely pass it off like it is not of
importance. This is when the realization of the true Gospel of Jesus comes into play. John Piper
states “The principle is that being in obedience to the authority over us, whatever that authority
is, will bring a temporal blessing in real time here and now and, for the believer, reward later”.13
So if we are called to live like Jesus then we must follow Christ in the things that he has done.
Scripture literally says in James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you”.14 This is what we are called to do daily. We are called to pursue the cross,
live as Christ did and make a point to minister to hurting souls. In this modern day world, not a
lot can change the thoughts and mindset of a person because of how fast pace it is. Like the
pervious example mentioned about telling someone a man died for you. This is not a game, it is
so much more and until we can perceive what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in pursuit of the cross
is then maybe we should put ourselves in check and re-submit ourselves to the holiness of Jesus.
13 John Piper, A Godward Life: Seeing the Supremacy of God in All of Life (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books,
2015) 42
14 James 4:7 ESV
Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Geffrey B. Kelly, and John D. Godsey. Discipleship. Minneapolis, MN:
Fortress Press, 2001.
Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is--: How to Live the Great Commission with
Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B & H Avademic, 2013.
Keisha L Hairston, Spheres and Stages of Discipleship Lynchburg, Virginia: 2015, 4
Piper, John. A Godward Life: Seeing the Supremacy of God in All of Life: 120 Daily Meditations.
Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2015.
Putman, Jim, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your
Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.
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