Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dr Sylvia Wilkey Collinson. PhD (tvlurdoch). tVI.Ed. (Sydney). BAi-lons (London School ofTheoloQi) is
Dean ofStudents and part-time New Testament lecturer at hAorting College. Sydney. Australia. She has been
a teacher, associate pastor, vice principal of the Bible College of South Australia, and has been involved
extensively with Scripture Union in voluntary ministry, administratively and in preparing Bible readinp. She
has a strong passion for building discipling relationships within the faith community. She has contributed to
The Women's Study New Testament (Marshall Pickering, 199S). IVP Women's Bible Commentary
(InterVarsity, 2002) and }ouma\ of Christian Education, Vol. 43. No.3. Dec 2000. "Makingdisciples: An
educational strate^ for use beyond the time of Jesus?" This paper is adapted from the published version of
her doctoral dissertation. Making Disciples; The Significance of Jesus' Educational Methods for Today's
Church (Paternoster. 2004). and is used with permission.
Making Disciples and the Christian Faith 241
possession (Ex. 19:5,6). He loved them His sacrificial death on the cross made
and rescued them from slavery in possible the restoration of God's origi-
Egypt and formed them into the nation nal relationship with all who would
of Israel (Dt. 5:6). He entered into a respond by placing their faith in him.
covenant agreement with them, bind- In our earlier chapters we have seen
ing himself to them and in tum requir- that the close personal relationship
ing their undivided love and loyalty. which Jesus had with his disciples in
'You shall love the LORD your God the Gospels and which continued,
with all your heart, and with all your albeit in a changed dimension, in the
soul, and with all your might' (Dt. 6:5). life of the early church, demonstrates
He gave them the law, the land, something of the relationship which
leaders and kings and when they failed Christians believe that they may share
to keep their part in the covenant he with God. Although Jesus sometimes
spoke through the prophets, warning used the imagery of servant/master to
them of his judgement if they did not illustrate his teachings, he never
return to him. The Old Testament used addressed his followers as servants.
the shepherd image to describe God's They were his friends (Jn. 15:15) whom
Ccire for his people (Ps. 23; Ezk. he knew and allowed to know him (fn.
34:11-31). He searched for them, res- 10:14). He looked to them for support
cued them and brought them to a place (Mk. 3:14; 14:32-41). He loved them,
of safety and freedom from fear. He taught, guarded, prayed for and sent
provided more than enough for their them out into the world (Jn. 17:6-19).
sustenance, bound up the injured, He was much more than a human mas-
strengthened the weak and brought ter or teacher among his disciples.
justice to all. His relationship with the After his resurrection they worshipped
nation was likened to that of a husband him as Lord and God Qn. 20:28), and
toward his wife (Ho. 2:19), a father to they responded to God in a prayerful
his child (Ho. 11:1) or a mother bird relationship much more readily than
sheltering her young under her wings had previously been the case.
(Ru. 2:12; Ps. 63:7; 17:8). These Although Jesus did not refer to his
intensely personal images expressed followers as 'servants', most of the
the depth of God's love and unreserved writers of the Epistles identified them-
commitment to his people. selves primarily in that way (Rom. 1:1;
The second part of the drama of Jas. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1:1; Rev. 1:1).
God's relationship with humanity came They chose the title to identify with his
when Jesus appeared on stage, as God death, as the suffering servant of Yah-
incarnate, the dearly loved Son. He weh and in acknowledgment of his
lived, worked, healed and proclaimed lordship in their lives (Is. 52:13—
the good news of God's kingdom. He 53:12; Phil. 2:6-11).
cared for his followers like a shepherd When Jesus' physical presence was
with his sheep. He provided for their withdrawn, he promised that the
physical needs but he also demon- Father would send his Holy Spirit to be
strated the full extent of God's love for with them forever 0n. 14:15-26;
the world by laying down his life for the 16:7-15). The ministry of the Spirit
salvation of humanity (Jn. 10:1-18). would be built upon, and the necessaiy
244 Sylvia Wilkey Collinson
sequel to, that of Jesus.^ He, also, was the values they teach. Disciples leam
'person' and would continue to teach those values as they experience them
them and help, encourage, comfort and expressed toward themselves by God.
be an advocate for them {parakletos]. Thus love (1 Jn. 4:19), forgiveness
He would guide them into truth. The (Eph. 4:32), holiness (1 Pet. 1:16),
Acts of the Apostles recounts his com- comfort (2 Cor. 1:4) and many other
ing upon Jesus' assembled disciples qualities are learnt directly from God
(Acts 2:1) and his subsequent activi- who gives them to behevers when he
ties among the Samaritans, Gentiles, gives them himself (Gal. 5:22,23).
disciples at Ephesus and as guide and
enabler of the missions of the apostles.
The Epistles represent him as God's The value of each individual
gift to believers, providing a pledge of Equally integreil to the Christicin faith
their future hiheritance as the people is the concept of the distinctive signifi-
of God (Eph. 1:13-14), and giver of cance of each individual in the sight of
gifts for ministry (1 Cor. 12:7-11). God.^ Every human is created in his
'Within persons, and within the church image and deemed as 'very good' (Gn.
the Spirit is the Spirit of holiness, love, 1:27,31), not in the sense of moral
worship and praise, prayer, proclama- worth, but as a being who in a special
tion...'' way reflects the 'image' of God. The
Is discipling congruent with these value of each individual is evident
perspectives? In the light of our previ- throughout the biblical revelation in
ous analyses of the biblical evidence it the significance placed on human life
is clear that discipling by its very from its very conception (Gn. 9:6; Is.
nature reinforces the centrality of God 44:2), in care for the underprivileged,
as sovereign Lord and Master. He is oppressed, weak or dispossessed (Ex.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who takes 22:21-27), and in the command to
the initiative and calls humanity to a 'love your neighbour as yourself' (Lv.
close, personal relationship of learning 19:18). New Testament teaching pro-
and following him. Those who respond, claims no difference between Jew and
express their love for him in worship Greek, slave or free, male or female
and prayer. They begin the lifelong (Gal. 3:28). Jesus valued care for the
task of knowing him personally, learn- least important as being the same as
ing his will for their lives as revealed care for himself (Mt. 25:45), and he
through the Scriptinres and serving him would not tum even a little child away
through the use of their ministry gifts. (Lk. 18:15-17). God's love shown in
Christians understand God himself to Jesus extends to all (2 Cor. 5:14,15),
be the source and supreme example of and every person is unique and of
worth, yet different from every other
being (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11).
4 L. Morris, The Gospel according to fohn
(NICNT) (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1971), p.
701. 6 C. Sherlock, Contours of Christian Theol-
5 G. Bingham, The Things We Firmly Believe ogy: The Doctrine of Humanity (Leicester: Inter-
(Adelaide: New Creation, 1981), p. 58. Varsity, 1996), p. 157.
Making Disciples and the Christian Faith 245
of discipling with such insights, the if it has no works, is dead' (Jas. 2:17).
congruence is close. In particular, as By its nature discipling is a dynamic,
we saw in the New Testament church working relationship. Disciples are
in Part Three of this study, discipling is involved in the learning process often
closely allied with the normal Iife of the in active, informal situations. They
community of faith. The process of interact with the teacher or leader,
learning to know God and becoming with one another and among those they
like him is one which is assisted by oth- are serving.
ers in the faith community. Teaching
may come through those who at a par-
ticular time have superior knowledge Human freedom
or skills and who seek to impart this to The Christian faith emphasizes that
their fellows. It may also come from God has given to humani^ the freedom
the communily as a whole as it pro- to choose between right and wrong.
vides worthy models of life and faith or Each person is a responsible moral
as spiritual gifts are exercised in the agent. And although sin entered the
supportive, caring community atmos- world and humanity lost 'the rational
phere or as the community reflects power to determine [its] course in the
upon its life and ministry. Those with direction of the highest good", people
positions of responsibility within the remain accountable for their actions.
church are representatives of Christ, Individuals have the freedom to choose
and by teaching and applying his word to live imder the lordship of Christ, and
derive their authority from him, not are free to make choices as to their life
themselves. of discipleship.
The focus of discipling is not on the It is therefore highly significant that
teacher or the community but on Jesus discipling is a model of teaching which
the master-teacher. The process, how- depends upon the voluntary, willing
ever, involves a teacher or a teaching- commitment of the learner to the
learning community which performs teacher or commimity and to the learn-
the roles of facilitator, organizer of ing process, for an extended period of
learning experiences and model. Thus time. As with the disciples of Jesus, the
discipling entails: an atmosphere of freedom exists for the process to be
love and friendship, with openness concluded at any time, but with Jesus
between teacher and taught; pastoral those who were genuine did not per-
care for each person's whole being to manentiy leave. Followers today may
enable the development of joy and life choose to enter or leave teacher-
in all its fullness Qn. 10:10; 17:13); learner relationships with others or
nurturing, guarding and protecting the with particulcU" discipling communi-
leamer in a 'safe' but challenging envi- ties, but in the general course of events
ronment; and remembering his or her their relationship with Christ finds
needs and bringing them to God in expression somewhere within an
prayer.
Christian teaching emphasizes the
connection between personal belief 9 L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (London:
and active good works. 'Faith by itself. Banner ofTruth, 1941), p. 248.
Making Disciples and the Christian Faith 247
successfully passed down the basic members of the body and given for the
elements of Christian behef to new upbuilding of everyone, he idle or
generations of believers. But formal under-utilized while those with teach-
teaching alone will never communicate ing responsibilities exhaust them-
the full spectrum of what it means to be selves trying to meet every demand.
a follower of Jesus. That is a com- The formality of the schoohng
pletely different way of life. model can mitigate against the forma-
A personal relationship with God tion of open, caring relationships and
may receive great emphasis in formal hinder the promotion of community.
teaching, but the relationship itself is Development of faith tlirough experi-
more easily 'caught than taught'. Peo- ences requiring its exercise is largely
ple understand what it means by see- absent and opportunities for reflection
ing and being with others who have on such times are divorced from the
such an experience. Classroom situa- moment of experience and action.
tions are too limited to demonstrate or The processes of schooling and dis-
experience more than a few of the atti- ciphng both involve some loss of free-
tudes or behaviours involved in beiag dom for leamers but those involved in
Christian. It is one thing to teach about discipling have voluntarily chosen to
the fruit of the Spirit," and another do so, whereas some of those involved
thhig for people to be provided with in schooling may be offered no choice
opportunities to develop these in their in the matter.
hves. Discipling's emphasis on the mis-
Something of the value of each indi- sion of the church is not reflected
vidual is lost in the schooling model strongly in the schoohng model. Leam-
because of the groups of leamers ers may be formally told to go out in the
involved. It is difficult to provide for the name of Christ in service to others, but
range of individual differences which apart from establishing schools or col-
exist in any formal group of leamers leges, informal situations are usually
where set curricula or graded assess- required for them to actually imple-
ments apply. In formal situations the ment the commission. Discipling
makes that possible.
teacher often is the focus of attention,
not the leamers. Schooling's curricu- While Jesus endorsed both the for-
lum-centred approach means subject mal and informal teaching models for
materials do not arise naturally out of members of the faith community by his
the leaming environment and may bear use of them, discipling rather than
httle relevance to the daily hves the schooling was the model which he com-
leamers. Leamers may become recep- missioned his followers to use in tak-
ing his message to the world. It is a life-
tors of information rather than active
centred approach which they could use
participants in the process, and fre-
among future believers no matter what
quently spiritual gifts possessed by
their nationality, gender, age, skills,
resources or experience of life.
14 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gen-
erosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-con-
trol (Gal. 5:22,23).
250 Sylvia Wilkey Collinson