Ask any pastor about the importance of discipleship and you’ll get a vigorous nod accompanied by passionate words.

“Absolutely what we’re to be about”…
”The bottom line by which to measure success”…
”Jesus’ marching orders couldn’t be clearer.”

That being the case, why do we see discipleship languishing in the vast majority of churches? Bible studies, classes, and seminars notwithstanding, why are these methods not leading to real transformation?

Obviously, that’s a huge question. Scores of books have been written on it. Hundreds of sermons have been dedicated to it.

But as I reflect back on four decades of pastoral leadership and my own struggle with this, I’ve come to see that there’s a missing link in the way we’ve been trying to disciple. It has to do with the idea that disciples are not mass-produced, they are hand-tooled.

The Jewish Context

Jesus, the greatest discipler of all time, set the example here. We read that “…He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” (Mark 3:14)

Notice that they were called to be with Him so that they might learn from Him and do the things He did.

In the Jewish culture, the discipling context was:

The early church grew out of a Jewish context and so we read in the opening chapters of the book of Acts how the church multiplied disciples out of a teacher/learner model. Luke uses the word 28 times.

What’s fascinating is that the word “disciple” is not used in any of the letters that Paul or the other apostles wrote. This didn’t mean that this idea of spiritual modeling ceased to exist.

Rather, it’s a brilliant example of cross-cultural translation.

The Greek Context

The Greek world was largely unfamiliar with the rabbi/disciple relationship. In that culture, the nurturing context was that of parents and children. A father would spend time with his children, especially his sons, training them to follow in his footsteps.

That’s why Paul wrote to believers in Greece: “…I became your father through the gospel. I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me.” (I Cor. 4:15-16)

Classroom vs. Apprenticeship

Although the imagery changed depending upon the context, the essence of discipleship remained the same. Discipleship was to be not merely about information, but also about imitation. Not only a function of what was heard but what was seen.

Discipleship is to be not merely about information, but also about imitation.

The Greek word for “disciple” is mathetes. When directly translated, it means learner. There are different ways we might learn: Classroom/ Lecture and Apprenticeship/Modeling.

Classroom learning is when facts and data are taught from a teacher to a student, typically in a lecture setting. It’s the passing on of information.

Apprenticeship is when the learner attaches himself to the teacher in a way whereby he/she can understand and see the skill being sought, getting hands-on training. It’s a matter not only of information but imitation.

The Role of Imitation

In the Western church of today, discipleship is mostly about the first of these: the classroom experience (the sermon, the Sunday School class, the Bible study). The premise is this: “If we can just get the right information into their heads, they will be able to innovate that into their lives and become more like Jesus.”

Triangle showing flow from Information to Innovation.

In the Western church, discipleship is mostly about the classroom experience. The premise is: “If we can get the right information into their heads, they’ll be able to innovate it into their lives & become more like Jesus.”

Now…I’m a preacher and I love to preach. My top spiritual gift is teaching and I have an ability to teach. So take what I’m about to say with that context in mind.

By placing discipleship primarily in the sanctuary, classroom, or lecture setting we’re making some big-time assumptions. We’re assuming that simply giving people information (read the Bible, pray, serve, witness) they can actually figure out how to do it.

Most folks know they should be doing those things. Most folks want to do those things. But most folks don’t know how to do those things because they’ve never had someone to imitate.

The sad fact is that there is virtually no apprenticing happening in our churches. Is it any wonder our churches aren’t seeing the life, vibrancy, and power that was the norm in the 1st century?

The sad fact is there is virtually no apprenticing happening in our churches. Is it any wonder our churches aren’t seeing the life, vibrancy, and power that was the norm in the 1st century?

Here’s what I’ve come to see. Large group instruction has its value, but it also has its limitation.

Imitating Jesus

As Jesus looked to create a movement, to be sure, there was “classroom teaching.” The Sermon on the Mount, for example, was Jesus’ 101 level teaching on the Kingdom of God. He knew the importance of information transfer.

And yet out of Jesus’ nearly three years of public ministry, at least 18 months were private ministry – where He focused on the Twelve. He knew that while you might learn big chunks of information in the classroom experience, you learn how to develop specific skills in an apprenticing relationship.

Triangle with flow going from Information to Imitation to Innovation.

Out of Jesus’ nearly 3 years of ministry, at least 18 months were focused on the 12. He knew that you might learn big chunks of information in the classroom, but you learn how to develop specific skills in an apprenticing relationship.

When you read the gospel accounts, it’s evident that the Twelve spent massive amounts of time with Jesus up close…in all sorts of situations.

They saw how He spent time with His Father.
They saw how He treated the marginalized.
They saw how He responded to His critics.

But above all, they saw in Jesus a life of love and joy and peace and capacity. They saw in Jesus a life well-lived. They saw in Jesus a life worth imitating – a life that they wanted for themselves.

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. However, He knew full well that disciples could not be formed through information alone. It required imitation as well.

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. However, He knew that disciples could not be formed through information alone. It required imitation as well.

Perhaps if we would recapture this “missing link” in our discipleship, we could begin to see the sort of results the Master did.

The Missing Link of Discipleship