As Christians, we are commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.” What does this mean?

This commandment from Jesus is called discipleship. This means developing your relationship with Jesus and maturing as a Christian. We are called to live as Jesus lived, and tell people who are interested in the good news of Jesus. 

What is discipleship, and how can we as Christians know we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do? Learn more in the following blog post! Click To Tweet

Discipleship Definition

The definition of discipleship is quite literally growing and maturing in your relationship with Christ or helping other Christians to do the same. It isn’t converting others to Christianity, and it isn’t taking the responsibility to change a person’s heart on yourself. Discipleship is about focusing on your relationship with Christ and studying what He taught. 

To be clear, discipleship is not the same thing as evangelism. Evangelism is spreading the Christian gospel through public preaching or giving your testimony. And while that is important, the word is not interchangeable with discipleship.

The Great Commission – Matthew 28

So what does the Great Commission mean? The Great Commission is in Matthew 28:19-20. As Jesus was leaving this earth, He was telling his disciples to go teach those in all nations what was taught to them. This command was originally to Jesus’ first disciples, but we can learn from His words and follow His command.

Our Role in Discipleship 

To be clear, discipleship is not the same thing as evangelism. Evangelism is spreading the Christian gospel through public preaching or giving your testimony. And while that is important, the word is not interchangeable with discipleship.

We are of course supposed to talk about what we believe with others. That is how we connect with people as well as show God’s love for people. But, your goal when discipling others or when evangelizing should never be to “win” by bringing as many souls to Christ as you can. 

Argumentation, while it does have its place, cannot save people. Salvation isn’t your job as a Christian. Christ did that through His sacrifice and the Holy Spirit. 

Your job as a Christian is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). When we do that, God’s influence is clear through us. 

Patience and Love

To recap, discipleship is growing your relationship with Christ as well as helping other Christians do the same. It is not the same thing as evangelism, even though both of them are important. The best thing you can do is focus on your relationship with Christ by studying what he taught. 

Contact us if you would like more information on discipleship!