"One free man defending his home is more powerful than 10 hired soldiers." This inspiring quote came from the movie, "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves." Robin Hood, who in the movie is played by Kevin Costner, says these inspiring words to his renegade men as he is teaching them how to fight. As the movie unfolds, the renegade men turn from untrained peasants to warriors. In a sense these men go from mere acquaintances of Robin Hood, to followers, and then to disciples.
Now it's easy to overlook the difference between a follower and a disciple. The word, "disciple" is primarily usually used in our culture as a noun, identifying someone who follows a specific a religion, person, group, or teaching. Ironically though, this word can also be used as a verb and when used as a verb, it's easy to see how the word was originally used as a noun! It's interesting to note how much culture has a influence on words.
When using disciple as a verb, we must first note where the root of the word disciple comes from. Disciple comes from the word discipline. Discipline means to teach, train, to teach a higher form of education, and to correct disobedience by punishment. Someone who is disciplined is someone who is structured, spends time perfecting their particular craft, and has a strong mind. When I think of a person who is disciplined I think of soldier, a professional athlete, a doctor or lawyer. People who have built a life around studying their craft, sacrificing time and pleasure for pain, in hope of becoming a success.
Now if you are going to disciple someone, that would mean that you would have to have been discipled yourself. You would have to went through the same pain staking discipline that you yourself are now trying to impart to somebody else. You are going to have to be at such a high level in your craft that you not only can get someone to not only memorize what you are doing, but get them to know what you are doing and why. In fact if I'm a music teacher and I'm trying to teach someone music my students may have the talent to mimic notes for so long. In fact, my students may be learning how to play just by mimicking. Mimicking can only take a student so far. It may get them to be a Saturday night Karaoke all star, but will they be able to teach somebody else? No. No, if they cannot read music, how can they teach something they don't know or even understand?
Mimicking is skill that can only take a person so far. You may be singing the song spot on, but at a certain note you hit an A note and not an A-sharp. You don't know something until you know how and why it works. Someone who is good at mimicking or copying certainly would not be at the level where they could teach others. They certainly would not meet the definition of a disciple because a disciple, by definition can disciple someone else. Someone who is merely mimicking cannot defend their why, because their anchor is not solid, their anchor is blind faith.
To drive this point home I will use my craft, teaching. If I teach one of my students, 3 multiplied by 3, I'm not just going to tell them the answer. No, I break it down and show them that it's three sets of the number three. Three plus three, plus three equals nine. Now if I just tell my student the answer without teaching them why it works, do they really know the right answer? Better yet, are they at the level where they can teach 3 times 3 to another student? No, they really don't know the answer and they are obviously not at the level where they can teach anybody! The only thing they can do is mimic. The funny thing about mimicking, is that mimicking can be forgotten. When you spend time on your craft, it's hard to forget. An easy answer usually leaves as fast as it comes.
Now if Robin Hood is turning his men into disciples, that should mean that he is taking the knowledge he knows and is placing this same knowledge in the minds of his men. This takes hours of investing time and working on the craft of warfare, which the movie does a great job showing. Robin Hood had to discipline these men in order to make them disciples. In fact the objective to making these men disciples would be to get them to fight just like himself, so that they can be an extension of their teacher. These men had to learn how to stand and fight on their own, when Robin Hood is gone.
As Robin Hood's men spend more time with him, they learn more about him and from him. As they grow in relationship with this man, they also grow in skill and will, eventually to the point where they are willing to lay down their own life for Robin Hood and his vision. A mere follower would not be able to do this.
So here it is, the criteria for being a disciple. First you must be disciplined. This means that it's a process that doesn't happen overnight. You must spend time on your craft so that you know it for yourself and you know why and how it works. Secondly you have to know your craft where you can defend it and also you must know your craft to the point where you can disciple others.
Lastly, you must be taught by a disciple. A follower or mimicker cannot teach you, even they maybe able to provide you with the correct answer. A correct answer really doesn't help anybody because a correct answer is only as powerful as the knowledge behind it. In order for the right answer to be of any use, you must have authority behind it or it means nothing.
With all this said, is it possible that the Church is failing to make real disciples? As I look around in in the world today, I see a whole lot of followers. I see followers teaching people how to follow and parrot. Rarely have I ever met someone who I could stand toe to toe with, who could explain their faith to me, why they believe it, and why they believe it's correct. Most of the time I hear a cliche phrase, another cliche phrase, and an opinion. Blind faith, not anchored faith that can stand on the word. (Bible) Again, it's ironic how much our culture has influenced our words and also the church!
This blog and specifically this post has been such a blessing to me. I no longer see success through human eyes when it comes to the definition of a disciple. I no longer see "numbers" or followers as the key ingredient to a successful and strong church. I see the value of discipling and being discipled. I see the value of how one disciple defending truth, is more powerful than 10 hired followers.
Now it's easy to overlook the difference between a follower and a disciple. The word, "disciple" is primarily usually used in our culture as a noun, identifying someone who follows a specific a religion, person, group, or teaching. Ironically though, this word can also be used as a verb and when used as a verb, it's easy to see how the word was originally used as a noun! It's interesting to note how much culture has a influence on words.
When using disciple as a verb, we must first note where the root of the word disciple comes from. Disciple comes from the word discipline. Discipline means to teach, train, to teach a higher form of education, and to correct disobedience by punishment. Someone who is disciplined is someone who is structured, spends time perfecting their particular craft, and has a strong mind. When I think of a person who is disciplined I think of soldier, a professional athlete, a doctor or lawyer. People who have built a life around studying their craft, sacrificing time and pleasure for pain, in hope of becoming a success.
Now if you are going to disciple someone, that would mean that you would have to have been discipled yourself. You would have to went through the same pain staking discipline that you yourself are now trying to impart to somebody else. You are going to have to be at such a high level in your craft that you not only can get someone to not only memorize what you are doing, but get them to know what you are doing and why. In fact if I'm a music teacher and I'm trying to teach someone music my students may have the talent to mimic notes for so long. In fact, my students may be learning how to play just by mimicking. Mimicking can only take a student so far. It may get them to be a Saturday night Karaoke all star, but will they be able to teach somebody else? No. No, if they cannot read music, how can they teach something they don't know or even understand?
Mimicking is skill that can only take a person so far. You may be singing the song spot on, but at a certain note you hit an A note and not an A-sharp. You don't know something until you know how and why it works. Someone who is good at mimicking or copying certainly would not be at the level where they could teach others. They certainly would not meet the definition of a disciple because a disciple, by definition can disciple someone else. Someone who is merely mimicking cannot defend their why, because their anchor is not solid, their anchor is blind faith.
To drive this point home I will use my craft, teaching. If I teach one of my students, 3 multiplied by 3, I'm not just going to tell them the answer. No, I break it down and show them that it's three sets of the number three. Three plus three, plus three equals nine. Now if I just tell my student the answer without teaching them why it works, do they really know the right answer? Better yet, are they at the level where they can teach 3 times 3 to another student? No, they really don't know the answer and they are obviously not at the level where they can teach anybody! The only thing they can do is mimic. The funny thing about mimicking, is that mimicking can be forgotten. When you spend time on your craft, it's hard to forget. An easy answer usually leaves as fast as it comes.
Now if Robin Hood is turning his men into disciples, that should mean that he is taking the knowledge he knows and is placing this same knowledge in the minds of his men. This takes hours of investing time and working on the craft of warfare, which the movie does a great job showing. Robin Hood had to discipline these men in order to make them disciples. In fact the objective to making these men disciples would be to get them to fight just like himself, so that they can be an extension of their teacher. These men had to learn how to stand and fight on their own, when Robin Hood is gone.
As Robin Hood's men spend more time with him, they learn more about him and from him. As they grow in relationship with this man, they also grow in skill and will, eventually to the point where they are willing to lay down their own life for Robin Hood and his vision. A mere follower would not be able to do this.
So here it is, the criteria for being a disciple. First you must be disciplined. This means that it's a process that doesn't happen overnight. You must spend time on your craft so that you know it for yourself and you know why and how it works. Secondly you have to know your craft where you can defend it and also you must know your craft to the point where you can disciple others.
Lastly, you must be taught by a disciple. A follower or mimicker cannot teach you, even they maybe able to provide you with the correct answer. A correct answer really doesn't help anybody because a correct answer is only as powerful as the knowledge behind it. In order for the right answer to be of any use, you must have authority behind it or it means nothing.
With all this said, is it possible that the Church is failing to make real disciples? As I look around in in the world today, I see a whole lot of followers. I see followers teaching people how to follow and parrot. Rarely have I ever met someone who I could stand toe to toe with, who could explain their faith to me, why they believe it, and why they believe it's correct. Most of the time I hear a cliche phrase, another cliche phrase, and an opinion. Blind faith, not anchored faith that can stand on the word. (Bible) Again, it's ironic how much our culture has influenced our words and also the church!
This blog and specifically this post has been such a blessing to me. I no longer see success through human eyes when it comes to the definition of a disciple. I no longer see "numbers" or followers as the key ingredient to a successful and strong church. I see the value of discipling and being discipled. I see the value of how one disciple defending truth, is more powerful than 10 hired followers.