This is a small teaching from a book I'm writing about discipleship and brokenness. They both go hand-in-hand. Christians are to quick to call themselves disciples, and most "discipleship" classes are nothing more than getting believers to do what they should have been doing the first day they were saved.
Just because we read our Bibles, witness, pray, tithe and regularly attend a church does not qualify us as being disciples. Just because we do the basic commands and expectations of being a Christian does not make us a disciple. This first study from the book should show us that one of the first traits of being a disciple is learning how to be a pupil, a student, a learner of the Word. Being a good denominational student and knowing and walking out its creed and code of faith also does not qualify one for being a disciple.
What we will see in this book on brokenness and discipleship is that being a disciple is not the things done outwardly, but what we allow God to do to our heart inwardly.
There are four Greek words for disciple.
Just because we read our Bibles, witness, pray, tithe and regularly attend a church does not qualify us as being disciples. Just because we do the basic commands and expectations of being a Christian does not make us a disciple. This first study from the book should show us that one of the first traits of being a disciple is learning how to be a pupil, a student, a learner of the Word. Being a good denominational student and knowing and walking out its creed and code of faith also does not qualify one for being a disciple.
What we will see in this book on brokenness and discipleship is that being a disciple is not the things done outwardly, but what we allow God to do to our heart inwardly.
There are four Greek words for disciple.
- The first is “mathetes” pronounced math-ay-tes. It means one who is a learner such as a pupil. It is the most used word in the Bible for a disciple, being used 249 times in the 256 verses.
- The second word which is only used four times is “matheteuo” pronounced math-ayt-yoo-o. It means to become a pupil or disciple or to enroll as a learner or student. It also means to instruct or teach the one enrolled.
- The third word which is only used once is “materia” pronounced math-ay-tree-ah. It means a female pupil or disciple.
- The fourth word which is only used once is “summathetes” pronounced soom-math-ay-tace. It is a compound word and means a co-learner of Christianity or fellow disciple.
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