Nurturing Spirituality, Part 4: A Biblical Philosophy of Discipleship I

Nurturing Spirituality

Ken Boa begins to outline a biblical philosophy of discipleship—why we disciple, which is an important starting point so that our perspective on its purposes shapes our practice rather than the other way around. Principles behind the purpose of discipleship include the following (the first four are covered in this session):

We must be disciples to make disciples
Discipleship is a dependent process (an ongoing event that relies on the work of the Spirit; God is the one who causes growth)
Concentration is crucial to multiplication (training a few vs. spreading ourselves thin across the multitudes)
People are not our disciples (they’re Jesus’)
Reproduction is a mark of discipleship
There is no maturity without ministry
We cannot measure our ministries
Discipleship is more than a program
Discipleship requires a servant attitude
Spiritual friendship is a component of discipleship
Effective discipleship requires more than one method¹