This is the third segment on ignored portions of the New Testament
The restoration of the church will surely come from a sort of new monasticism which has in common with the old only the uncompromising attitude of a life lived according to the Sermon on the Mount in the following of Christ. I believe it is now time to call people to this.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
I want to continue the discussion of the previous segment with the question, “What is a disciple?” The concept of discipleship is almost totally misunderstood today.
For the most part people think that being a disciple is learning a series of Bible verses and doctrines and being able to regurgitate those to another learner in the future. This concept of learning reflects the Greek orientation in our thinking. Greek thinking, in the time that the New Testament documents were being written was based on theory, reason, concepts and oratory, little attention was paid to practical skills. This concept of discipleship crept into the church during the third century and unfortunately has stayed with it ever sense, except in rare instances.
Hebrew thinking, on the other hand, was based on practice and not just understanding concepts but being actual doers of the word. All Jewish boys in that era went to Hebrew School on Saturday and studied the Torah. They memorized vast portions of it, plus the Psalms and some of the Prophets. But, practical application of the Torah was not neglected. Classes were held on a discussion format and many “what if” scenarios were proposed and discussed. After their Bar-Mitzvah, (which means ‘son of the word’) at 12 years of age most became full time apprentices in their fathers business but a few were selected to move on to further study. Finally. Any student desiring to actually become a rabbi would select his own rabbi and request to walk with him as a disciple. If the rabbi decided that this youngster had the stuff to not only learn what he could teach but to do what he did then he would issue the invitation, “Come follow me!”
Hebrew thinking, on the other hand, was based on practice and not just understanding concepts but being actual doers of the word. All Jewish boys in that era went to Hebrew School on Saturday and studied the Torah. They memorized vast portions of it, plus the Psalms and some of the Prophets. But, practical application of the Torah was not neglected. Classes were held on a discussion format and many “what if” scenarios were proposed and discussed. After their Bar-Mitzvah, (which means ‘son of the word’) at 12 years of age most became full time apprentices in their fathers business but a few were selected to move on to further study. Finally. Any student desiring to actually become a rabbi would select his own rabbi and request to walk with him as a disciple. If the rabbi decided that this youngster had the stuff to not only learn what he could teach but to do what he did then he would issue the invitation, “Come follow me!”
A disciple, in the Christian context, is one who has dedicated himself as a servant of Christ, to obey him in all things regardless of the cost. In Kittel’s dictionary on disciple, the difference between Jesus’ form of discipleship and that of the rabbis or Greek philosophical schools (Socrates) is that in the latter the basis of allegiance of the disciple was always directed to a cause or the idea that he personally represents. In contrast to both Jesus brought his disciples into a personal allegiance to himself alone. Secondly, the rabbinic disciple’s calling even though it might include a radical separation from all of his previous lifestyle, knew that if he completes his course of study and becomes a full-fledged rabbi he will be among the most respected and revered group in all Israel, a position which could include material compensation as well.[1] The followers of Jesus on the other hand are promised only persecution, hardship, misunderstanding, contempt and maybe even death. The way of Jesus is the way of the cross.
THE CALLING OF JESUS’ DISCIPLES
John’s version of the calling of the twelve is interesting. Jesus passes by where John the Baptist was preaching and John calls out, “Look, there goes the lamb of God.” Two of John’s disciples hear what he said and they immediately leave and follow Jesus, who turns around and says, “What do you want?” It seems they are caught off guard and answer, “Uh…where are you staying?” Jesus invites them to, “Come and see,” and they end up spending the rest of the day with him. One of them was Andrew who goes and finds his brother Simon and takes him to meet Jesus. The next morning he passes Philip on the road and says to him, “follow me.” Philip is from Bethsaida, the same town of Andrew and Peter. Philip immediately goes and finds his brother Nathanael and invites him to come along. (John 1:35-51) Matthew tells of his own calling. As he was minding his own business, doing his work in the IRS office near Nazareth Jesus passes by, sticking his head in the door says, "Follow Me." Matthew immediately gets up and leaves. He doesn't shut off the computer or lock up the money box, he just leaves. The demand of immediate and full obedience is abundantly clear. One potential disciple who is mentioned who doesn't immediately leave all and follow Jesus is one who tries to buy a little time saying he needs to go burry his father. Jesus’ answer seems a little abrupt to us, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (Mat. 8:22) But it illustrates to us the intensity of what Jesus is about.
Jesus leaves his followers in no doubt as to what was in store for them if they decide to fully follow him, the cost of discipleship is made clear—
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And 'a man's foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Mat.10:35-39)
Since all of the twelve died violent deaths except for John, I don’t think Jesus was being overly dramatic.
MAT 4:18 Now Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 Then they immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 And going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. And He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
ARE WE CALLED TO SEEK OUT A ‘RABBI’ OR IS JESUS OUR ONLY TEACHER?
Over the course of the past year, I have thought considerably about what I have done over the past years of walking with Jesus and what Jesus has called me to do in the future. I remember when I first lived in Mexico City I met a man there who had been in Mexico for 35 years and done successful ministry with the obvious anointing of the Spirit. I sensed the Spirit’s leading, saying, “Attach yourself to that man, there are things I want you to learn from him.” I obeyed the Spirit but always sensed that the brother was pushing me away and was not open to spending much time with me. We did spend some time together and I did learn some valuable things. Years later when I wrote him to apologize for some things I had said and for my attitude. I asked him why I always felt like he was keeping me at arm’s length and unwilling to form a stronger relationship when it seemed to me that the Lord was pressing both of us toward that. He said that we are so much alike that he was afraid that his defects would be transferred to me as well as the good things. I didn’t agree with the reasons but I understood the concept. He had gone to Mexico alone and was never mentored by anyone, he had no grid or model for that type of training.
Later when we were living in South Texas I met another man, Hugo Contreras, an apostle from Argentina. I have only met about three real apostles in my lifetime, but he was the real deal. He and his younger brother Celcio along with two other boys started a movement (at a time when any Bible believing church in that nation with 25 people was considered a mega-church) which now numbers several hundred works in South America. I had a few opportunities to spend time with him and always came away having received edification, not always from what he said but from his presence. I remember after a meeting where he preached he invited me to go to dinner afterword. About ten people showed up so I positioned myself to be across the table from him to be able to hear what he said. A young man sat down next to Hugo and monopolized the conversation for the entire time with nothing to say of any substance. I was so angry I wanted to slap him! I wanted to say, “don’t you understand that you are in the presence of an apostle of God? Shut up and listen.” I didn’t say anything, noticing Hugo’s somewhat amused look. It seemed that he was content not to be called upon to say anything. Later he invited me to accompany him to Argentina and Brazil but an emergency happened and he had to cancel the trip. I regret not having taken advantage of the opportunities that I had to spend time with him, not having as deep an understanding of the value of those relationships as I did later.
During this time of reflection the Holy Spirit called my attention to an interesting fact. Of all the people that I worked with and pastored during the years that I was an associate pastor and “Senior pastor” (where’s that in the Bible) almost all the individuals I can look back on and think, “There is a life changed, there is a real disciple following Jesus,” are the ones with whom I spent serious blocks of dedicated time, some even lived in our house. Others may have benefited from my teaching and ministry but I am convinced that the real changed lives came out of a serious one on one relationship. Why have we not learned this truth? Today it we think that in order to train disciples all we need to do is get a building and some chairs and collect some perspective disciples and seat them in neat rows and teach them for a few hours a day and then when we have taught them enough we send them out. Usually that doesn't work so the general solution is to extend the course adding more time and hope that somehow the extra time will cause them to mature enough to survive and do an adequate job of ministry wherever God sends them.
My friend and mentor Hugo told me the story of the beginning of his ministry in Argentina. He and his three friends had attended a Bible school near Buenos Aires. They had dedicated themselves to fasting and prayer. The result of which was that the Holy Spirit began to move on the entire school so powerfully that classes were continually disrupted and even a prayer over breakfast would provoke an outpouring of power that would leave all the students prostrate on the dining room floor for hours crying out to God. Deep repentance was the work of the Spirit during those days.
What was the solution to this problem? Well, the directors of the school felt that it was necessary to hold classed in the prescribed manner and since they were unable to do so with this pesky fellow (the Holy Spirit) showing up and disrupting classes they closed school a month early for summer vacation and sent the students home. After that they met and having determined who the fomenters of the problem were the notified them and told them they were not welcome to return to the school. By the way, this was a full-gospel, Pentecostal Bible school! Hugo and his friends camped out at the home of one of the group licking their wounds and asking the Lord what to do. Meanwhile classed started again and four other friends finding out the fate of the four left school and joined the group at the house. They asked the Lord where they might go to a Bible school. The Lords reply was interesting. He said, “Find me a Bible school in the Bible and I will let you go to one.” They had no concordance of computer program in 1950 so they divided the bible up into eight sections and started reading. After a few days they had finished and reported back to the Lord that they could find no model for a Bible school in the Bible except the group called the “sons of the prophets” in 1st and 2nd Kings and that it had not seemed to be effective in producing much in the way of ministries. Then the Lord said to them. “Now, I want you to read the gospels and learn how I trained my disciples.” They read through the gospel record and studied carefully what Jesus had done. They came up with five basic points which are.
1. Jesus took the disciples with him wherever he went, they listened to his teaching
2. They watched while he did what the father had commanded him to do.
3. Then he allowed them to do it while he watched
4. He corrected their mistakes
5. Finally, he sent them out to do it without supervision
Then Jesus told them to start meetings in the house where they were living and to invite those who seemed to have a heart to serve the Lord on a deeper level to come and live in the house with them. They began to study the Bible together, to pray to evangelize, to heal and to cast out demons, they learned as they went. After about a year they had about fifty people meeting together and a dozen people living in the house. Jesus began to speak to some of them to move to other towns and do the same things there. Hugo took his family to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic region of the south, and planted several churches. Now there are churches associated with that movement all over South America, Spain, Mexico and even in the US. Hugo explained to me, “When we went out the Lord showed us not to give our heart to the multitude but to look out among them for those whom the Holy Spirit was resting upon and to call them aside and to pour our life into them.” They taught their disciples not just right doctrine but right practice as well.
Bonheoffer’s case was a little different. “ In 1935, he accepted an
invitation from the confessing church to direct an underground seminary that would recover the rich Christian tradition and train a new generation of church leaders in orthopraxy (right practice) as well as orthodoxy (right belief). The seminary at Finkenwalde became a social experiment in intentional Christian community modeled on the Sermon on the Mount, “a sort of new monasticism.” Bonheoffer’s Life Together gives the details. It lasted but a moment: the Gestapo, the secret state police, closed the seminary in 1937 and arrested more than two dozen of its students. Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943 and executed in 1945, just weeks before the end of World War II. Bonheoffer’s project continues in new monastic communities today.” [2]
What did Jesus send out his disciples to do?
“1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease …5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: ‘Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 ‘But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 "Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 "nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.”
(Mat. 10:1,5-10)
Jesus charged his disciples with the work of doing precisely what he was doing as he traveled around in Israel. Preach the gospel, heal, cast out demons. Later he enlarged that calling to include the entire world and to training others who would train others to do the same. He never instructed his disciples to plant churches, much less, to start orphanages, hospitals or anything else. There are many today from the emerging church movement and other more historical movements say they believe in training people to do what Jesus did, they emphasize the sermon on the mount (Jesus’ ethical teaching) but they totally ignore the historical reality that Jesus expected his disciples to do what he did, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.” What are we going to do with that?
Some contend that the miracles mentioned in the scriptures have ceased to take place since the death of the last Apostle. This view neither stands up to biblical scrutiny nor historical record. It is a view with so little strength that it is barely worth addressing. The burden of proof lies with those who would take away part of the great commission and leave the remainder intact.
I contend that the church that doesn't cast out demons boldly and publicly as Jesus did has no right to call itself a New Testament Church.
But now we should not continue without dealing with the other part that has been emphasized by the Anabaptists, Mennonites and recently by the emergent group and virtually ignored by Pentecostals, charismatics and others emphasizing signs and wonders. I’m referring to the consideration of obeying the teachings of Jesus, especially those in the Sermon on The Mount. (Mat.5-7)
Why do we have a tendency to ignore these important teachings?
We will deal with that next time.
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