Biblical discipleship is the act of one person intentionally impacting the life of some other person in the direction of Christlikeness (2 Timothy 2:2). 

So biblical discipleship is:

Intentional —Discipleship is not simply someone learning about Christ. It is not accidental. It’s intentional. It is not a function of the learner’s learning but of the teacher’s teaching. Someone must intend to do it.

Impacting—Discipleship does not happen because a student is excited about or impressed by a teacher. Discipleship brings about a change in virtues, values, beliefs, and lifestyle.

Personal—Discipleship is not covering material or being part of a group (a class, congregation, family, etc.). It is one person dealing with another person personally.

Christlike —Discipleship is not just a mentee modeling a mentor. The modeling must be moving in the direction of Christlikeness.

Seven Principles of Biblical Discipleship.

1. Biblical discipleship happens in real life.

Incarnational means in-the-flesh. (“Carnation” means “flesh.”

• For example, chile-con-carne means chile with
• “Carnal” desires are fleshly desires, etc.)

In-the-fleshness is what God used to reveal Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ(John 1:14 and 1 John 1:1).

• Christ’s apostles continued the incarnational approach.
• Paul reviews his ministry with the Thessalonians by comparing himself to a nursing mother tenderly caring for her children and giving them the Gospel and his own life (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).
• Biblical discipleship is done in the flesh.
• It cannot be done well through books, podcasts, websites, videos, or presenters in auditoriums. While all of these things may be useful, discipleship is being present.

2. Biblical discipleship is reproductive.

Being productive is not a goal of biblical discipleship. Businessmen, sportsmen, professionals, preachers, and evangelists are usually considered productive when they accomplish a quantitative goal. Biblical discipleship, however, emphasizes:

1. multiplication, not addition
2. quality, not quantity
3. the potential of people, not the positions they hold

(See Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 1:11; Thessalonians 1:6-8.)

Consider the impact of a lifestyle of discipleship:

In one year, an evangelist reaching 1000 people daily would reach 365,000 people.

Someone disciplining one person a year and reproducing that with one other person a year would reach two people.

In ten years, an evangelist reaching 1000 people daily would reach 3,650,000 people. Someone discipling one person a year and reproducing that with one other person a year would reach 1,024 people.

In 25 years, an evangelist reaching 1000 people daily would reach 9,125,000 people. Someone discipling one person a year who reproduces that with one other person a year would reach 33,554,423 people.

3.  Biblical discipleship demands personal study.

A disciple has to discover the truth for himself. The discipler’s job is to present the truth that must be self-discovered. Jesus often presented things in such a way that people had to look beyond the obvious and try to discover what He meant.

• In John 2, He threw the money changers out of the Temple. When challenged about it, He said, “Dismantle this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (verse 19). He was referring to His bodily resurrection, but understanding that was difficult.
• In John 3 Jesus required Nicodemus to discover what it meant to be born again (verse7).
• In John 4, the woman at the well had to discover what He meant by “living water” (verse 10).
• In John 6 the disciples had to discover what it meant to eat His flesh and drink His blood(verse 53).

Discipleship was more than parroting answers or learning a program. It required faith and focus, which led to self-discovery.

2 Tim 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

4. Biblical discipleship is based on evidence.

• Discipleship is not based on mysticism, emotions, or blind
• Through Isaiah, God told Israel, Come now, and let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18).
• Concerning Paul’s discipleship, we read that he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:4).
• We also read that Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead (Acts 17:2-4). (See also Acts 19:8-10; 28:23-24.)

5. Biblical discipleship considers the cost.

One of the differences between discipleship and mentoring is the cost involved. Jesus said,if anyone comes to Me; first sit down and calculate the cost (Luke 14:26-28).

In this passage, Jesus gave us two costs to count:

• The first is the cost. He said we must “hate” our family and those close to us. Hate is not the opposite of love; apathy is. Rather, it is a choice that prioritizes one over the other (Malachi 1:2-4).
• The second cost is that Jesus said we must hate our own lives (Luke 14:26) and lose ourselves for His sake (Matthew 10:39; see also Ephesians 5:29).

6. Biblical discipleship is giving.

God loves extravagance and hates stinginess.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Discipleship is extravagant giving, which involves laying down our lives for others (John 15:13).

• It is an act of love, and love always results in giving of the sort that expects nothing in return (John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25).
• One of life’s most significant challenges to maturity is learning how to become a giver (of time, talent, resources, etc., not just money).

7. Biblical discipleship has an eternal perspective.

Let’s look at the example of Jesus Christ again (1 Corinthians 11:1), this time from John 5:

He pointed people only toward God (verse 19).

• He did only what God was doing (verse 20).
• He sought only God’s will (verse 30).
• He judged only with God’s judgment (verse 30).

Discussion Questions:

Q: What is and what is not biblical discipleship?

A: Biblical discipleship is intentional, impacting, personal, and Christlike. So instruction–even good instruction–which is by chance, just academic, without personal involvement, and unrelated to Jesus Christ, is not biblical discipleship.

Q: What must I do to disciple someone?

A: I must (1) physically be with them, (2) lead them to reproduce themselves in others, (3)help them discover the truths of God’s Word for themselves, and (4) reason, persuade, and give evidence.

Q: What must I become if I am to be a disciplemaker?

A: I need to (5) become someone who counts the cost, (6) become a giver who expects nothing in return, and (7) develop an eternal perspective.