Printer-Friendly          E-mail this page

Disciples, The
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Sometimes we give the disciples too much credit. Though they knew enough to follow Jesus, and their understanding was growing, they still did not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit to any great degree. They were still very much in the unlearning process—that is, unlearning the false teachings they had received all their lives. It would be akin to asking an American to believe that individual rights, capitalism, baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie were evil, and that an uneducated man from the backwoods knew a better way. The disciples' thinking was still based on the typical Jewish understandings promoted by the Pharisees and Sadducees. They had never known any other way of life, and they were proud of their strictness in following it (Acts 10:14; Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:4-6). Even years after they both had received the Holy Spirit, Paul corrected Peter for the tendency to fall back on his Jewish upbringing (Galatians 2:11-21). For all that, however, they knew Jesus was special. A short while before, when many of Jesus' disciples deserted Him because of misunderstanding His teaching, He asked the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" (John 6:67). Peter's answer for himself and the others is insightful: Then Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (verses 68-69) This shows that they had this one fact firmly in hand. However, they were still not totally ready to swallow everything Jesus told them right away. Peter went so far as to rebuke Jesus for even mentioning that He would suffer crucifixion and rise from the dead (Matthew 16:21-22). To Peter, the Messiah should not have to endure such a thing! Even the transfiguration, crucifixion, and resurrection did not completely persuade them to accept the outworking of God's plan. Before Christ ascended to heaven they asked Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). In reality, though the disciples had at least recognized Him as Messiah, they were still in their spiritual infancy. They had a long and arduous work before them, and God found it expedient to kindle their faith with a raw dose of His Son's once and future glory—the Transfiguration. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Why the Transfiguration?

Luke 5:10-11  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Jesus takes the opportunity of this miracle to call His disciples into a Teacher–student relationship with Him. He figuratively catches Peter in His net before commanding him to "catch men" for the Kingdom of God. Immediately, Peter, Andrew, James, and John leave their boats and nets behind and follow Him. They now understand that Jesus is more than capable of supplying their every need. We are to apply this lesson in our own lives. When Christ speaks, it is always about obedience to God's way of life. In this case, His teaching affected the disciples' livelihoods. Worship and work form major parts of our lives, too, and in both we must consistently maintain righteousness. Had Peter failed to obey Christ's command, he would have failed to experience both the miracle and the resulting blessing. No one serves God without being compensated for his service. When we serve, sacrifice, testify, or stand for Him, He will suitably reward our efforts. When God asks us to invest our time, effort, talent, or anything else, we must not resent the opportunity. No one pays dividends on an investment as abundantly as God does—"good measure, pressed down, and running over will be put into your bosom" (Luke 6:38). Martin G. Collins The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Great Catch of Fish

John 8:31  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Abide means "to continue in" or "to remain in." Thus, "If you remain or continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed." A disciple is a learner. Jesus is telling us that a person who merely begins walking down the road of Christianity is not really a disciple. A true disciple is one who not only begins but also continues on the way and abides in it. John W. Ritenbaugh The Awesome Cost of Salvation

John 8:31  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) He says a similar thing in John 18:37: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed." Those who hear the voice of Christ, those who hear His truth, will then submit to it. That is what will separate them from the world. John W. Ritenbaugh Truth (Part 1)

 

XML RSS  feeds available		The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. See what over 35,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Email Address:
We respect your privacy. Your email address will not be sold, distributed, rented, or in any way given out to a third party. We have nothing to sell. You may easily unsubscribe at any time.

Printer-Friendly          E-mail this page