Sum it Up

In one word, what are you doing with your life? Why do you exist? What is the end goal of your service to God? And what is the purpose of missions?

Is there really one word broad enough to answer all those questions – in just one word?

I think there is.

Lost in Translation

On October 13, 1960, in a famous international incident that might not have actually happened, Russian dictator Nikita Khrushchev banged his shoe on the table at the UN and demanded the world's attention. Did the same Russian administration which said, "We will bury you" also say, "We will have peace"?

Much of what happened in those days was so spun by the US intelligence community that to this day there's a debate on whether the shoe was removed or not, and if so, if it was ever pounded. But far more significant is the content of the demand. The Russian word for peace is мир (mir), as in the space station MIR. But мир also means "world," as in the name Vladimir. Vladet means "the one who possesses," and so Vladimir means "the one who possesses the world."

Was the Russian dictator saying he wanted peace or the world? That's a "small detail" of international politics that could easily get lost in translation, and I'll leave the interpretation with you!

I think there is indeed a single word broad enough to answer all our initial questions, but like мир, its meaning may be somewhat lost in translation. The word is mathēteuō.

mathēteuō

Mathēteuō is the Greek verb form of mathētēs, which means disciple, learner, or follower. The verb has something to do with discipleship. But the Greek verb refers both to being a disciple and to making disciples.

Here is where we tend to lose something in the translation. When we translate, we must choose which of these two meanings is in view. Not that it's hard! The word occurs only four times. When the verb is passive, such as in Matthew 13:52 and 27:52, mathēteuō refers to being a disciple. When the verb is active, as in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 14:21, it refers to making disciples. Those are all the references in the Bible. That was easy.

But here’s the problem: We tend to distinguish being disciples from making disciples. We separate them. Then we think it's possible to do first without doing the second. Obviously enough, we can't teach others to follow Jesus (make disciples) if we aren't following him ourselves (being a disciple). But that's not the only application.

Do you see another problem? Being a disciple requires making disciples. Jesus made disciples. Can we really claim we are following Him if we aren’t doing what He did—if we aren't seeking to make followers?

Option 2

If mathēteuō threw us for a loop, let me suggest another word that captures it all: Christlikeness. That's at least English! Let's see if that idea answers our initial questions.

You exist to bring glory to God by being His image bearer. That's Genesis 1, and that's Christlikeness. The end goal of your service to God is glorifying Him (Romans 11:36) by being like His Son (Romans 8:29). In salvation He takes the marred image and restores the likeness of Himself (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:24). The purpose of missions is to make sinners like unto God Himself, uniting them in local congregations of worshippers for His eternal glory (Ephesians 3:10–11, 21).

So if Christ was the great disciple-maker, can one be Christlike without making disciples?

YouTube is not enough

We were putting a tin roof on our church, and I didn't want to pay a welder to build the structure. So I watched "How to weld" tutorials on YouTube. I figured if a welder could do it, why couldn't I? After burning holes in the I-beam and showering sparks all over the floor for quite a while, I realized my online videos were not enough. I needed a tutor, not a tutorial. I called David, a welder friend, who came to help. We had only one welding mask, which David told me to wear. I held the electrode, and he held my hand. David began to weld with my hand – with his eyes closed!

That's discipleship. David is good enough to weld by sound, with his eyes closed, using another person's hand. And I needed a person, not an online class. I needed someone to hold my hand, or better yet, to take my hand and teach me how to weld.

Our family helps produce online resources for the Spanish-speaking world. These can be used to help people follow Jesus, but alone they are not enough. They will never substitute for personal involvement. Disciple-making is about lives impacting lives.

Disciple-making sums it up.

Disciple-making means being and making disciples. It is both who you are and what you do. It is spiritual reproduction.

In missions we often talk about two steps: evangelism and edification, and that's legitimate. But disciple-making covers both ideas. Making disciples is the essence of the Great Commission. It involves evangelism: "Go." It includes follow up: "Teach them to observe." And it demands effort. It presupposes church planting. It requires training national leadership. Everything in missions is about stamping the divine image on the human soul.

It is not optional, nor is it a second step. It is not something we do after reaching people with the Gospel. It's why we need the Gospel: we aren't like Christ. Unsaved people need to be followers of Jesus. Believers need to follow Jesus. Every activity a believer does is part of both being like Christ and being His instrument to make others like Him.

So be a disciple of Jesus. Follow Jesus. Do what Jesus did. Make disciples.