The Great Assumption

[Disciple]

http://miltrodriguez.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/the-great-assumption/

[cjb]

I might be missing the point, but here is how I read it.

Jesus said go and make disciples. I always thought that an apostle was a disciple who actually was with Jesus on earth. I don't think there are any apostles walking around today, but I guess it's in how you define it, or redefine it. The dictionary defines it as "Apostle One of a group made up especially of the 12 disciples chosen by Jesus to preach the gospel."

All of us are called to be disciples, growing in love, faith, obedience, knowledge, and works. Our desires being transformed from are own, to God's. IMHO, I see this as walking with God, in that are desires mirror His desires.

As for the apostles, I guess you could redefine it as persuing this as a vocation, whether a missionary, pastor, etc. I would see these as more apostles, but maybe I wrong. I also don't see this a a absolute one or the other. I do think the church has made a big push for evangelism, and ignored discipleship, but that is a whole other can of worms.

He made a good point about the "pecking order". I don't think either is "superior", maybe just a different calling and gifting.

[Disciple]

The dictionary does not define what Jesus or God means, just what some have interpreted it as over the years. Doesn't mean they are right.

Apostle, in the original Greek, means simply "one sent". Often in usages of the time, it was close to "ambassador" or "emissary" in meaning. As there is passing mention of several apostles in scripture who do not meet the "12" definition, clearly it is not what is meant by God for apostle (see the ends of letters Paul wrote, like the one to the Romans, for mentions of other apostles).

Additionally, "go and make" is a mistranslation of the Greek. KJV and others have a more correct translation of the original Greek - which is actually less a sent verb as well. It is more "as you go". The instruction is actually to "teach". The Great Commission has NOTHING to do with results -- disciples, and EVERYTHING to do with process. In the original Greek, it is "teach the nations", not "make disciples of all nations". Results are God's, whoever is the target audience intended is responsible merely for involvment in the process.

If we are the target of the command, our role is to teach - we bear NO responsibility for the outcome in others of that teaching. Sadly, the mistranslations have caused all sorts of guilt, making us feel as failures if disciples are not the outcome, or worse, elevating others who make more disciples than others as being some how "superior".

[Absalom]

"Am I my brother's keeper?"
- Cain bar Adam

[Flsprtsgod]

I think this fella might miss the point himself if he thinks that only the 11 were present at the assumption. The end of Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus appeared to the 11 while the 2 from Emmaus were telling them and those they were eating with about their encounter and that He led "them" out to the mountain. Somehow I doubt that those other followers would have just stayed behind.

[Absalom]

The essential thing in this article, to me, is that God wants a community of love, in which the members die to themselves to serve one another. There is a Way of living that is all about love and service, and Jesus perfectly modeled that Way (He is the Way). If we follow the Way, the community will be such a representation and expression of the love of God that we won't need to "go out" or "be sent out," but our community will attract new members like honey attracts flies.

Instead of a community of love, we have often practiced a form of phariseeism that empowers community members to not love one another. Indeed, instead of loving one another, we have barriers to love that insulate and protect us from the inevitable pain that love brings. To overcome those barriers absolutely requires that we die to ourselves, and purpose to love "the unloveable," especially those who are of the household of faith.

We hate our brother, but won't admit it, so we dress up our hate with fancy language, completely disregarding the commandment of Jesus to forgive 70 X 7 times.

As long as we hate, we are not practicing the Way. And I have to wonder what Jesus thinks of that.