Topical Studies
Disciples, Role of
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Mark 1:16-20 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Jesus called His twelve disciples before He started the New Testament church. A disciple is a student or learner. Christ chose them—they did not choose Him. He told Simon (Peter) and Andrew his brother: "Come ye after me, and I will make you . . . fishers of men." Jesus taught and trained the twelve disciples so they could become teachers—so He could start the church around them. The apostles would form part of the foundation of the church. They would be the teachers of those whom God would call into His church later. But none became members of the church until after Jesus had ascended into heaven. Rather, He first called the disciples. Jesus Himself taught them so they could become teachers and members, upon their spiritual conversion. When Jesus did start the church, He already had trained teachers.
What and Why the Church?
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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
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Luke 12:41-44 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Jesus says that exhortations to "watch" apply to everyone (Mark 13:35-37). In this case, the parable that follows shows that the apostles have a special responsibility. In it, the steward in charge of the servants is a servant himself, teaching the importance of faithfulness in doing the will of the master (I Corinthians 4:2). Not only does Jesus teach the certainty of His return at an unexpected moment, but he also implies that the church—His disciples—would continue serving God for an unspecified time until His return. As He says, "Blessed is the servant whom His Lord will find so doing when He comes."
Martin G. Collins
Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants
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Luke 14:26 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Undertaking discipleship involves the entirety of a person's life—all the time, everywhere. It is the issue in the Bible: whether we will show by our lives that we are loyal to the Kingdom of God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Revelation 2-3 and Works
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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
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John 15:8 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
A disciple is one who, during his lifetime, is continuously loyal to God and in the position of a student, of a junior member of the family, being prepared for the Kingdom of God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Revelation 2-3 and Works
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