“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
I like to think of the New Testament epistles as concrete examples of how the apostles discipled men and women and thus fulfilled the Great Commission. In these letters we see the apostles writing to their new converts and instructing them on how to obey everything Christ had commanded them.
There is no One Correct Approach to Discipling Men in the New Testament
They are all different, these epistles. They reflect the colorful personalities of their authors, the often dire circumstances of the times, and the perplexing questions and messy problems of the believers the apostles were were writing to.
This kaleidoscopic variety in the epistles serves to remind us men’s ministry leaders that there is no one “correct” approach to discipling men. Our goal is, like that of the apostles, to see obedience to Jesus Christ. But, like the apostles, how we go about accomplishing that goal also reflects our own unique personalities, the rapidly changing circumstances of our times, and the questions and problems of the believers we are working with.
But there is One Common New Testament Discipleship Practice
On the other hand, there is an important common practice running through the epistles relating to discipleship that we need to pay attention to. That practice is how the apostles paid close attention to doctrine when they discipled men.
For example, the first half of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians is dedicated to doctrine – our many blessings in Christ, our position in Christ, our unity in Christ. It isn’t until chapter four that Paul begins the practical application of these truths. “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received,” Paul exhorts in 4:1. The following three chapters are then dedicated to practical application of the doctrine in the first three.
The author of Hebrews spends eleven chapters primarily on doctrine. It’s not until 12:1 that the focus changes to practical application: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Likewise Peter paints a clear doctrinal backdrop in his first epistle before launching into practical application in 1:13: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self-contained, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Teaching Doctrine is Critical to Discipling Men
The lesson here for those of us engaged in men’s discipleship is that we need to be sure our men have an excellent grasp of doctrine. After all, you cannot obey what you do not know.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
Since 2003 New Commandment Men’s Ministries has helped hundreds of churches throughout North American and around the world recruit teams of men who permanently adopt their widowed and single parents in their congregations for the purpose of donating two hours of service to them one Saturday morning each month. We accomplish this with a free training site called New Commandment Men’s Ministry
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