Acts 6:7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
LEARNING FROM OTHERS
“The first disciples in the gospels actually devoted themselves to the way of life taught by John the Baptist. The gospel of John depicts this time of discipleship as rather short- lived since John the Baptist understood his own work as in part a preparation for the coming of Jesus…In the book of Acts, the resurrection of Jesus adds a new dimension to discipleship. In a sense, the disciples also devoted themselves to a particular teaching about Jesus, that God raised Jesus from the dead, which in turn further substantiated devotion to Jesus’ teaching after his crucifixion. [Robert L. Foster]
The question arises: why is the word ‘disciple’ only found in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts? According to Alison Morgan: “The difference is that the emphasis is now not on the individual, responding to the call of Jesus, but on the group, learning to reshape their lives in the light of that call”. She concludes: “The plural of disciple is church. [Paul Beasley Murray]
“New Testament scholar Darrell Bock says: “At salvation, a believer becomes a disciple.” He goes on to say that “discipleship is a walk that lasts the rest of one’s life.” Bock lists some of the key aspects of this lifelong discipleship that are emphasized in Luke and Acts: total commitment; love for God and neighbor; prayer; perseverance in suffering; watchfulness, patience and boldness; faith and dependence; joy and praise; testimony and witness; stewardship of wealth and possessions; commitment to the lost.17 Embracing and maturing in each of these areas takes time and is challenging, but those who receive the grace of God and enter His kingdom are enabled to do so through the empowering presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit…With total commitment to orient us, the Word of God to instruct us, the Spirit of God to empower us, the people of God to support us and a gracious Lord to pardon us, we are able to live out faithful and fruitful discipleship leading to increasing Christlikeness. [CS Lewis Institute]
LEARNING FROM JESUS
“If ye abide in My word, then are ye truly My disciples ; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ” [Jesus]
Read and Ponder - Faith in Daily Life 