Discipleship in the Time of Christ

Introduction

Discipleship, in a Christian context, is the process of learning to follow and become more like Jesus Christ. It involves actively learning from Him, striving to live according to His teachings, and guiding others to do the same. Discipleship is a lifelong journey of spiritual growth, not just a one-time event. In order to understand biblical discipleship in its fullness, we must see how it functioned in the time of Christ.

The Galileans

Ray Vander Laan provides a rich understanding of how discipleship in the time of Jesus. He notes, “Discipleship was a very common practice in Christ’s day and especially in the Galilee area. The people of Galilee were the most religious Jews in the world in the time of Jesus. This is quite contrary to the common view that the Galileans were simple, uneducated peasants from an isolated area. This perspective is probably due to the comments made in the Bible, which appear to belittle people from this area.” Vander Laan continues, “The Galilean people were actually more educated in the Bible, and its application than most Jews were. More famous Jewish teachers come from Galilee than anywhere else in the world. They were known for their great reverence for Scripture and their passionate desire to be faithful to it.”

Discipleship Training Began Early in Life

Training for discipleship, as we would know it today, actually started very young in the life of a Jewish child. They would enter grade school (called Beth Sefer) at around 4-5 years of age, which was generally held at the local synagogue. The teacher at the synagogue was called a rabbi. At this level, they would mainly be instructed in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), learning to read, write, and memorize it. The rest of the Old Testament was referred to as well. Much of the Torah was committed to memory, and it’s likely that by the time this level of education was finished (age 13), they had much of it memorized.

After grade school, the best students would then continue on to middle school (called Beth Midrash). They would continue to learn and memorize the Torah, but would branch out and learn the rest of the Old Testament as well, committing much of it to memory.

After the Beth Midrash level, those who wanted to continue in discipleship would then seek out a rabbi who would accept them as disciples. They would often leave home to travel with him for a lengthy period of time. These students were called talmidim (talmids) in Hebrew, which is translated as disciple.

Memorization Was a Key Factor in Discipleship

Memorization was important during Jesus’ day because most people didn’t have their own copy of the Scriptures, so they either had to know it by heart or go to the synagogue to consult the local village scroll. As mentioned, by the time a child finished the Beth Midrash level of education, they had memorized most of the Torah and much of the Old Testament. The common memorization technique involved rote, constant repetition, a practice still used to this day.

A Disciple Imitated His Rabbi

Discipleship in Christ’s day involved a heavy dose of imitation. A talmid (disciple) emulated his rabbi in all facets of life. His goal was to be like his rabbi. Vander Laan adds, “There is much more to a talmid than simply calling one a student. A student wants to know what the teacher knows for the grade, to complete the class or the degree, or even out of respect for the teacher. A talmid wants to be like the teacher, that is, to become what the teacher is.” That meant that students were passionately devoted to their rabbi and noted everything he did or said.

Vander Laan continues, “The rabbi-talmid relationship was a very intense and personal system of education. As the rabbi lived and taught his understanding of the Scripture to his students, they listened, watched, and imitated him to become like him. Eventually, they would become teachers themselves, passing on a lifestyle to their own talmidim.”

Discipleship Entailed Learning Much Scripture

The very few talmids that reached the status of a rabbi were extremely respected and sought after. Those who became rabbis were incredibly knowledgeable in Scripture, and many had memorized much, if not all, of the Old Testament. As mentioned, during Christ’s day, they didn’t have their own personal Bibles like we do today, so they had to commit it to memory to be able to reference and discuss it. As a result of memorizing so much Scripture, the rabbis were extremely knowledgeable in God’s Word.

Those who wanted to learn from a rabbi also committed much, if not all, of the Old Testament to memory as well. This was a requirement to be a disciple as their discussions about Scripture didn’t mainly deal with what the Scriptures said, but what they meant. Rabbis in the time of Christ would be equivalent to theologians today who hold at least one Ph.D. in theology.

To reach the status of a rabbi was a great accomplishment. They were the ones who decided biblical doctrines, practices, and customs of the country. Their words were exceptionally authoritative and valued. Doug Greenwold says, “In the world of Pharisaism, rabbis were the teachers who had been given the authoritative role to interpret God’s Word for the living of a righteous life — defining what behavior would or would not please God.”

Rabbis were affiliated as well with many different groups, such as the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and others. For example, John the Baptist was a rabbi who had his own disciples (Luke 5:33), and the Apostle Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel before eventually becoming a disciple of Christ at his conversion to Christianity. Some rabbis reached notable status and had a strong influence on religious and government affairs.

Strict Devotion Was Expected

The rabbis expected strict, complete devotion and adherence to their teachings. They expected loyalty and obedience even beyond that given to their families. Greenwold states, “If a rabbi ultimately agreed to a would-be disciple’s request and allowed him to become a disciple, the disciple-to-be agreed to submit totally to the rabbi’s authority in all areas of interpreting the Scriptures for his life. This was a cultural given for all observant Jewish young men — something each truly wanted to do. As a result, each disciple came to a rabbinic relationship with a desire and a willingness to do just that — surrender to the authority of God’s Word as interpreted by his rabbi’s view of Scripture.”

Different rabbis varied in their views of Scripture, so students would choose their rabbis according to their recognition in the country and their theological positions. Today, it would be similar to which seminary a student might choose for their graduate level of theological training. These rabbis, on occasion, would take their students on training trips that could last from several days to several weeks. These were intense times of training where all distractions from the busyness of life were set aside, and the students would focus entirely on the teachings of their rabbi.

The rabbis also had favorite teaching places, one of which was on the Southern Steps, which led up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Tradition holds that even Christ taught His disciples on these steps.

Theological Discussions Were a Part of Discipleship

It was common for the rabbi and his disciples (a group called Yeshivas) to wrestle significantly with the Word of God. These yeshivas would intensely discuss and debate over an aspect of life and what Scripture said about it. “It was a standard part of rabbinic teaching methodology.” Greenwold adds, “Studying their rabbi’s view of Scripture and wrestling with the text to comprehend God’s way for the conduct of their life was the main priority of a disciple and the yeshiva experience. Since all disciples had memorized most, if not all, of their Hebrew Scriptures in preparation for their Bar Mitzvahs at age 13, the issue was not what God’s Word said but rather what it meant and how it was to be lived out.” During their times of intense discussion and debate, these yeshivas would arrive at their theological convictions and doctrinal positions.

Transparency and Accountability Were the Norms

There was amazing transparency in these groups of yeshivas as they spent much time together in their teaching sessions and discipleship training trips. Doug Greenwold says it well: “Unlike many of our contemporary discipleship programs, there was no curriculum or agenda for this multi-year discipling experience. Rather it was a continual daily relational living experience where either the rabbi would ask questions of the disciple as he closely observed the disciple’s life, or the disciple would initiate a discussion by raising an issue or asking a question based on some aspect of his daily life.” In this discipleship format, not only was theology passed on, but character, attitudes, and behavior.

The Meaning of “Believe”

As a disciple learned from their rabbi, they were placing their entire trust and belief in him. This process was called “believing.” Unlike today, the term “believe” has a very different meaning in Hebrew culture. Once again, Greenwold states it well: “The Semitic understanding of ‘believe’ was not based on an intellectual assent to a creed, doctrinal statement, or series of faith propositions. Rather, to a first-century disciple ‘believe’ is a verb in which you willingly submitted to your rabbi’s interpretive authority regarding God’s Word in every area of your life. Thus, to say you were a disciple in the name of Gamaliel, meant that you totally surrendered your life to Gamaliel’s way of interpreting Scripture. As a result, you conformed all of your life’s behavior to his interpretations.”

In Hebrew culture, the word “believe” meant taking action, applying knowledge to daily life, and changing some attitude or perspective on life, not just mentally knowing something and remaining unchanged. Today, the word “believe” slants toward mere intellectual agreement or mental assent, which is a very different meaning than the usage in Christ’s day.

Conclusion

Taking into account the historical meaning of discipleship, we can now better understand the discipleship process Christ employed with His disciples. He called them to follow Him, be with Him, learn from Him, practice what they learned, surrender completely to Him, and love Him more than their families, friends, and culture. It meant even being willing to die for Him if needed. 

Therefore, a disciple can be summed up as a disciplined learner or student who chooses to follow Christ, their rabbi, to such a degree that they submit their entire life, will, time, plans, desires, dreams, character, and efforts fully to Him and His teachings. They are willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and obey all His commands with total abandonment. A biblical disciple is a person who gives complete devotion and loyalty to Christ above any human relationship or influence. It’s a person who is willing to die for the cause of Christ daily, and once and for all if needed.