Historical Approach to Discipleship

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HistoricalApproach toDiscipleship


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A brief history

Relational: first century.

Experiential: third century through middleages

Academic: Enlightenment, Reformation

Individual and Personal: !"th and #$th%

Incarnational: #$th and #!st%


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Robert E. &ebber'Although the () does not set forth a

systematic and linear se*uence of stages in+hristian formation in any great detail e

do hoever catch snapshots here and theree see hints of early practices. Acts #contains several of these. -ost obvious isthe conversion process in Repent and be

bapti/ed, everyone of you, in the name of0esus +hrist for the forgiveness of yoursins. And you shall receive the gift of the1oly 2pirit3 Acts #:45%.6


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)he 7olloing Elements of a

Process Emerge from Acts 1earing the 8ospel

Instruction to flee the corrupt orld

Reception of the 8ospel

Repentance 9aptism a passage rite%

Reception of the 1oly 2pirit


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Phillip +arrington, bishop of uebec

7ound a pattern in Ephesians, +olossians,

0ames, ! Peter that stressed four points for

all ne +hristians to observe

!. &herefore putting off evil

#. 2ubmit yourselves

4. &atch and pray

;. Resist the


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Another example of se*uential and

holistic discipleship!=)hen the eleven disciples ent to 8alilee, to the mountain

here 0esus had told them to go. !>&hen they sa him, theyorshiped him? but some doubted. !5)hen 0esus came tothem and said, @All authority in heaven and on earth has

been given to me. !")herefore go and mae disciples of allnations, bapti/ing them in the name of the 7ather and of the2on and of the 1oly 2pirit, #$and teaching them to obey

everything I have commanded you. And surely I am ithyou alays, to the very end of the age.@

BB-atthe #5


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A picture of hat discipleship loos

lie ;#)hese remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the

brotherhood, to the breaing of bread and to the prayers. ;4Andeveryone as filled ith ae? the apostles ored many signs and

miracles. ;;And all ho shared the faith oned everything in common?;Cthey sold their goods and possessions and distributed the proceedsamong themselves according to hat each one needed. ;=Each day, itone heart, they regularly ent to the )emple but met in their houses forthe breaing of bread? they shared their food gladly and generously?;>they praised 8od and ere looed up to by everyone.


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9elieve . . . 9ehave . . . 9elong

'As I see it, in +hristianity3s early centuries

conversion involved changes in belief,

belonging, and behavior in the context ofthe experience of 8od.6 BBAlan Freider

2ee 0ustin A< !4$%

0ustin3s &ritings reveal a cycle of believing,belonging and behaving that exhibits the

maing of disciples in the second century


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1yppolytus 4rd+entury%

The Process

2tage !Gthe seeer

The rite of welcome

2tage #Gthe hearer

The rite of enrollment

2tage 4Gthe neeler

The rite of baptism

2tage ;Gthe faithful

The Result

+hristian In*uiry

Conversion


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)he -aing of a


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)he


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)he


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)he


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)he Reformation Era

Catechetical Innovation. Duther introduced the catechism

'instruct6 because of the invention of

print. Its purpose, 'It is necessary tomae the pupils and the people to learn

by heart the formulas chosen to be

included in the catechism, ithout

changing a single syllable. As for those

ho refuse to learn tell them they are

denying +hrist.


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)he Reformation Era

Catechetical Innovation. Its positive features: taught the

+hristian 7aith. And its negative aspect:children became subect to intellectual

faith.

')he negative impact of the catechismhas reverberated don through the

history in the Protestant tradition. )hespirituality of the medieval mystics asno supplanted by intellectualnoledge.


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)he Anabaptists Era

Sought to recover the first three centuries And in turn cut a path into the free church

tradition as opposed to state church%.

THE CHICE THE CMMITME!T2tep !Gadult baptism Evangelism out of choice

2tep #G


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)he Enlightenment: shift to reason

and experience Enlightenment: supremacy of reason and separation ofall aspects of life into distinct disciplines.

Enlightenment: revolution against mindBoriented

+hristianity initiated by heartBoriented pietisms of the

!>thcentury 0ohn &esley, Evangelical Aaenings in

England and America%


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&esley3s -odel bears close resemblance to

the 4rdcentury model

)1E PRJ+E22

2tep ! PreachingGentire

congregation

2tep # 2ocietiesGpastoralcare classes

2tep 4 2ociety bandsG

smaller groups fordiscipleship

)1E RE2KD)

Evangelism,

repentance and faith

Embodying the ay ofsalvation

Pursuit of +hristianperfection


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')he rise of a secular and pagan society, the

emergence of the (e Age -ovement of

spirituality, postmodern pluralism andrelativism have created a ne cultural

situation in hich the church speas the

faith.6


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C$B!"C$%&esleyan Evangelism !>C$B

!"$$%

#$th+entury Evangelicalism

#!st

+entury Evangelism


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)ranslating the ancient process for today

Historical Approach to Discipleship

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