Bill Hull provides a comprehensive guide to the central issue of contemporary Christianity: discipleship of Jesus Christ. Those already aware of Bills continuing leadership in this arena will not be disappointed. Essential reading for anyone concerned about being truly Christian in the twenty-first century!
LARRY HART, PhD professor of Systematic Theology,
Oral Roberts School of Theology
Bill Hull is the modern voice on disciple-making for the church. His writings never fail to convict me, provoke me, and move me to action. This latest work has what I have been hungry for: a historical perspective on disciple-making with a helpful bibliography and introduction to little-known masters. I will use this book with my leadership as we seek to be faithful to Jesus Great Commission. May it find a broad readership in the church!
SANDY MASON church planter and senior pastor,
Desert View Bible Church, Phoenix, Arizona
In the last fifty years, the U.S. Church has been duped into substituting quality of church programs for quality of individual Christlikeness , and the result is too many churches with too few disciples! The Complete Book of Discipleship is a real treasure of motivation, ideas, and applications to help counter-balance this problem. No other book provides so much practical help in making disciples in the local church.
BOB GILLIAM President, T-NET International
T HE N AVIGATORS R EFERENCE L IBRARY
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF
D ISCIPLESHIP
O N B EING AND M AKING F OLLOWERS OF C HRIST
BILL HULL
NavPress is the publishing ministry of The Navigators, an international Christian organization and leader in personal spiritual development. NavPress is committed to helping people grow spiritually and enjoy lives of meaning and hope through personal and group resources that are biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical.
For a free catalog go to www.NavPress.com
or call 1.800.366.7788 in the United States or 1.800.839.4769 In Canada.
2006 by Robert W. Hull
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from NavPress, P.O. Box 35001, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. www.navpress.com
NAVPRESS and the NAVPRESS logo are registered trademarks of NavPress. Absence of in connection with marks of NavPress or other parties does not indicate an absence of registration of those marks.
ISBN 978-1-60006-957-4
Cover design by Wes Youssi / www.thedesignworksgroup.com
Cover image by Martin Barraud
Creative Team: Kent Wilson, Brad Lewis, Amy Spencer, Darla Hightower, Arvid Wallen,
Pat Reinheimer, Brooke Graves
Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.
Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ( NIV ). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Other versions used include: the Revised Standard Version Bible ( RSV ), copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, used by permission, all rights reserved; The New English Bible ( NEB ), 1961, 1970, The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press; New King James Version ( NKJV ). Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved; and the King James Version ( KJV ).
Hull, Bill, 1946-
The complete book of discipleship / Bill Hull.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-57683-897-8
1. Discipling (Christianity) 2. Spiritual formation. 3. Christian life. 4. Church history. I. Title.
BV4520.H7795 2006
253--dc22
2006016252
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 / 12 11 10 09
CONTENTS
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12:
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INTRODUCTION
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.
The reasoning behind this dramatic statement by Dietrich Bonhoeffer provides the rationale for this book. Without discipleship, Christianity doesnt exist, because following Jesus activates the Christian faith.
Bonhoeffer expanded his thought:
Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous, and in fact they positively exclude any idea of discipleship whatever, and are essentially inimical [detached] to the whole conception of following Christ. With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relation of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even to put it into practice; but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth that has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. A Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship.
Unfortunately non-discipleship Christianity dominates much of the thinking of the contemporary church. In addition to sucking the strength from the church, Christianity without discipleship causes the church to assimilate itself into the culture. And sadly, whenever the difference between the churchs and cultures definition of morality ceases to exist, the church loses its power and authority.
Many mainline churches depart from orthodoxy because they reject the absolute authority of Scripture. However, many evangelical churches pose an even more subtle danger by departing from the gospel that calls on all believers to be disciples and follow Christ in obedience. As a result, we evangelicals accept and even encourage a two-level Christian experience in which only serious Christians pursue and practice discipleship, while grace and forgiveness is enough for everyone else. Dallas Willard notes, We have not only been saved by grace, we have been paralyzed by it. Willard adds that the church stresses who is saved and who isnt. However, when we see faith as agreement with a doctrinal test and understand grace as forgiveness of sin alone, we lose the idea that discipleship is normal. And when we lose discipleship, we also lose vibrant Christianity.
Willard both defines and describes discipleship: Discipleship is the relationship I stand into Jesus Christ in order that I might take on his character. As his disciple, I am learning from him how to live my life in the Kingdom as he would if he were I. The natural outcome is that my behavior is transformed. Increasingly, I routinely and easily do the things he said and did. In other words, we cant truly follow Christ without desiring to become like him. Following him requires regeneration or new birth. If were reborn, well follow him unless were taught that we dont need to.
