By
Joseph Kim
Christians
often put evangelism and discipleship into separate categories. The common
understanding is that evangelism consists of preaching the gospel to
non-Christians and discipleship consists of helping a Christian mature in
faith. While both of these ideas are true, I’m convinced this is not a complete
picture.
Consider 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” The Apostle Paul describes Christian conversion as a seed planted and watered by human endeavors. However, it is God alone who can bring about spiritual growth. The focal point of Christian conversion is not the unbeliever or the evangelist, but God Himself. The evangelist may plant and water the seed of the gospel, but the realm of spiritual growth belongs to God.
Paul specifically uses agrarian terms. Botanical growth is usually unnoticeable in the short term. One cannot see a seed being germinated in the initial stages. Likewise, spiritual growth typically cannot easily be seen in the short term. Christian spiritual growth, like botanical growth, has both events and processes.
Two Models
Consider
some stages involved in Christian conversion. In the common view, evangelism
ends at 3 and discipleship begins at 4.
MODEL A
1.
Initial Contact
2.
Interest
3.
Beliefs
—————————————-
4.
Commitment
5.
Mature Believer
While there are clear differences between evangelism and discipleship, I believe there can be an overlap between the two so that one can disciple a non-Christian or, put another way, evangelize through discipleship. More than mere semantics, one’s entire approach to evangelism and discipleship can be changed if a non-Christian can both be evangelized and discipled unto faith.
Consider now what it would look like if the discipleship process begins at stage 2 instead of 4:
MODEL B
1.
Initial Contact
—————————————-
2.
Interest
3.
Beliefs
4.
Commitment
5.
Mature Believer
Suppose a person comes to believe there is a God, but is unsure about whether Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Or suppose a person believes in the New Testament, but is unsure about the Old Testament. This person may not be a Christian yet, but God may be moving his heart and soul toward Christ. One of the keys to this, I believe, is spiritual movement. In Model B, discipleship can begin the moment someone starts showing interest and is moving toward Christian faith.
More than mere semantics, one’s entire approach to evangelism and discipleship can be changed if a non-Christian can both be evangelized and discipled unto faith.
Defining Discipleship
What exactly is discipleship? One definition is the process of becoming more like Jesus Christ with the help of someone who is further along in Christian maturity. The Apostle Paul alludes to this in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” By this definition, a non-Christian can be discipled as long as he is moving toward Christian maturity.[1] The discipler can both teach the truths of the Christian faith and also model the life of Jesus Christ through the discipler’s own Christian walk. In this model, the discipleship process can start at stage 2.
Consider an example. At what point in Luke 19 was Zacchaeus evangelized? When exactly did Zacchaeus make a commitment toward Christ?
Suppose Zacchaeus took months or years in between interest (climbing the tree to see Jesus) and repentance (giving half his possessions to the poor/paying back fourfold if he cheated anyone). Even before his acts of repentance, we see the seeds of faith sprouting in his life:
· Zacchaeus really
wanted to see Jesus.
· Zacchaeus climbed a
tree to see Jesus.
· Zacchaeus responded
to Jesus’ invitation to meet together.
All of these actions precede Zacchaeus’ repentance. When our focus is on the
conversion event, it is easy to ignore the (sometimes very slow) process by which God can bring about spiritual growth in the non-believer.
Once disciplers are convinced that it is possible to disciple a non-Christian, their approach can take on a different strategy.
Consider another example. All Nations Fellowship (ANF) is a bilingual English-Japanese church founded by Christ Bible Institute (CBI) of MTW Japan. ANF has several Japanese non-Christians who attend on a regular basis and participate in the worship service, give offerings, attend Bible studies, bring other non-Christian friends, and even serve as volunteers. Most of these non-Christians have not made a decision to become a Christian. It seems mistaken to group these spiritually growing non-Christians with other Japanese non-Christians who have never heard the gospel and are not growing spiritually.
The idea that one should consider discipling the non-Christian is not a theological point but a pragmatic one. Once disciplers are convinced that it is possible to disciple a non-Christian, their approach can take on a different strategy as they invite the interested non-Christian into their Christian lives. This does not mean one should ignore evangelizing the unreached or be unconcerned about the conversion event, but rather expand evangelism to include the discipling of non-Christians. Put another way, it is to create fertile conditions so we can plant and water the seeds of the gospel in the non-Christian even while recognizing that only God can bring about spiritual growth.
Moving Toward Maturity
Discipleship engages the whole person. The discipler can recognize the weaknesses and sins of the disciple—whether Christian or non-Christian—while pointing out their God-given strengths and gifts. As is the case with discipling a growing Christian unto maturity, the discipler can walk with the growing non-Christian, pointing him to Jesus Christ. This can happen through Bible studies, meals, prayer times, small groups, family time together, going through a book together, playing sports together, etc.The discipler must also be willing to consistently point out that it is God’s grace alone that can produce faith. Yes, the gospel must be preached, but it can be preached in a variety of ways.
As this process unfolds, we can celebrate the steps toward mature faith in a non-Christian in exactly the same way we would for a growing Christian. As God moves the person toward faith in Christ, every step is a step toward the full acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Finally, the discipler can acknowledge his or her own growth and struggles. Unlike
someone who has rejected Christian faith or those who have never heard the gospel, this particular type of non-Christian is in full contact with the discipler. The non-Christian can see the power of the grace of God shown in the life of the discipler, including God’s grace over the power of sin.
Using this form of evangelism through discipleship, a non-Christian can be shown how to join a new family—the family of God.
[1]This does not mean that someone cannot be saved quickly and go from 1 to 3 in a short period of time. Rather, I am trying to claim that discipleship can happen even before the person makes a commitment to the full tenets of Christianity.This article is an abridged version of a lecture given at the Church Planting Institute of Japan in 2009 entitled “Preaching the Gospel to Christians and Discipling the non-Christian.”
Joseph
Kim serves as the leader of the first MTW team to Osaka, Japan. He is the
president of Genesis International College, a new English language Christian
college that will be launched by the new MTW Genesis Osaka team. To learn more
about Genesis College please visit: www.genesiscollege.jp
Pasted from <http://invision.mtw.org/?p=373#more-373>
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