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NASB | John 8:31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 8:31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. |
Subject: Profile of A Disciple |
Bible Note: Let us talk about this. Whatever else he is, a disciple is one who follows (Matthew 16:24) and learns from (Luke 11:1) and becomes like the master (Matthew 10:25). Some disciples may be further along than others. One thing that must be common to all, and in this sense it will define what a disciple is, he must be in process. I am not so sure that all disciples would have achieved all of the things you listed, Doc, though some might be at those levels. A new disciple may have little to show except his direction, and the footsteps of his master. A disciple may have been called by the master, or the person may have approached him and asked for the privilege. In Luke 9, a certain man said unto him, “Lord, I will follow you”. And he said unto another, “Follow me“. And another also said, “Lord, I will follow you”. Some were called by him directly, some came at the invitation of others, and some were simply attracted by what they had seen (See all in John 1). With these various beginnings, they followed him. One might have assumed that all disciples would continue to follow the Lord. But John tells of a time when many of them went back, and walked no more with him (John 6:66). Jesus speaks of some who are disciples indeed (John 8:31). Some translations use words such as really, and truly, and some seem to think he is describing the ideal. But Jesus’ words here and elsewhere that some who had been following him were not really his disciples. They must have believed in order to follow at all, but John says there was an occasion (in John 2) when many believed in his name, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them. Likely, although others might refer to them as “his disciples”, Jesus would not have referred to them as “my disciples”. And after all, it is up to the master to accept them (as in John 15:16) and to lead them (as in John 10:4) and to teach them (as in Matthew 5 and Luke 6) and to show them (as he did in Matthew 17). He is the one who decides who can or cannot be a disciple. Among those who follow Jesus, then, he says there are some who are not his disciples. They cannot be. There went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). “Likewise, whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus set those criteria, and we must look at them and look at ourselves, to know whether or not we are his disciples. You seem to have found a disctinction between a saved person and a disciple, too, and it might be good to talk about that. |