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Following Jesus Christ: The New Testament Message of Discipleship for Today
A Comprehensive Guide to Discipleship in the New Testament and Today's World
Although the concept of discipleship is an integral part of New Testament teaching, it has largely faded from discussion in both the academy and the local church. To revive and reclaim this teaching for believers in the twenty-first century, editors John Goodrich and Mark Strauss have assembled an expert team of scholars to uncover what every New Testament book teaches about discipleship, providing a comprehensive, biblical picture. In addition, other contributors explore discipleship in the context of the local church, spiritual formation, and the life of the mind. Together, these essays point the way forward for becoming more like Jesus Christ, and helping others do the same, in our personal and corporate lives.
"An impressive roster of scholars who have addressed a vital but often neglected topic in both the church and in the academy. . . . Rich with insight, Following Jesus Christ represents a major advance in this essential area of study." --Craig A. Evans, Houston Baptist University
"We are treated here to a survey of what discipleship means in the New Testament from experts in the field, and we also see some of the wider dimensions of discipleship in this important work. All those wanting to understand discipleship will find this to be a valuable resource." --Thomas R. Schreiner, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Although the concept of discipleship is an integral part of New Testament teaching, it has largely faded from discussion in both the academy and the local church. To revive and reclaim this teaching for believers in the twenty-first century, editors John Goodrich and Mark Strauss have assembled an expert team of scholars to uncover what every New Testament book teaches about discipleship, providing a comprehensive, biblical picture. In addition, other contributors explore discipleship in the context of the local church, spiritual formation, and the life of the mind. Together, these essays point the way forward for becoming more like Jesus Christ, and helping others do the same, in our personal and corporate lives.
"An impressive roster of scholars who have addressed a vital but often neglected topic in both the church and in the academy. . . . Rich with insight, Following Jesus Christ represents a major advance in this essential area of study." --Craig A. Evans, Houston Baptist University
"We are treated here to a survey of what discipleship means in the New Testament from experts in the field, and we also see some of the wider dimensions of discipleship in this important work. All those wanting to understand discipleship will find this to be a valuable resource." --Thomas R. Schreiner, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- GenresChristian
392 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 7, 2020
John K. Goodrich and Mark L. Strauss have edited a tremendous collection of essays together in Following Jesus Christ: The New Testament Message of Discipleship for Today. A Volume in Honor of Michael J. Wilkins.
In the opening chapter, the editors explain the value of Wilkins work on discipleship. Wilkins writes, “Discipleship and discipling mean living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ and growing in conformity to his image” (5).
Discipleship and discipling are words that I have found to be vague in Christian-speak, so seeing what the text of the New Testament says about the words/concept was exciting.
The largest section of the book – Part One – enlists eighteen authors to explained what each of the books of the New Testament says – and so, some chapters cover more than one book.
The first chapter is on Matthew, and the author explains that in Matthew, discipleship means “faith and obedience” (9).
In looking at I Corinthians, the author finds discipleship to mean “fellowship with Christ,” entering “the mind of Christ,” and bodily bearing the “image of Christ.”
And so on and so forth.
One interesting fact is that while the word “disciple” and its Greek variants are used 261 times in the Gospel and Acts, they are used zero times in the rest of the New Testament. One must turn to other words that convey the same meaning (241).
In the second part of the book, three essays are presented to consider “discipleship today.”
The first essay looks at what it means to be like Christ in the mind.
The second looks at the issue of “soul care “and how it fits into the discussion.
The final essay brings the whole human being out embodying Christ in the community.
The volume ends with a Scripture index and a person index.
For someone interested in the idea discipleship in the New Testament, this is an excellent resource. As I read through I, I thought, I never realized that – I never saw that, and this would be great for a sermon series of a seminar. There is much useful information to be gathered for the teacher, seminarian, and preacher – this is probably above the average congregant.
There were times when I turned my head askance. For example: the author of the essay on Romans and Galatians argues that Romans must be read backwards to make sense and not be doctrinally overwhelming (94), and the author of the essay on Revelation says we must take the number 144,000 as the actual number of Jews that will be saved (288).
Overall, I would encourage you to pick up this very useful collection. I ma glad to have it on my shelves and look forward to using it more.
[I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com.]
In the opening chapter, the editors explain the value of Wilkins work on discipleship. Wilkins writes, “Discipleship and discipling mean living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ and growing in conformity to his image” (5).
Discipleship and discipling are words that I have found to be vague in Christian-speak, so seeing what the text of the New Testament says about the words/concept was exciting.
The largest section of the book – Part One – enlists eighteen authors to explained what each of the books of the New Testament says – and so, some chapters cover more than one book.
The first chapter is on Matthew, and the author explains that in Matthew, discipleship means “faith and obedience” (9).
In looking at I Corinthians, the author finds discipleship to mean “fellowship with Christ,” entering “the mind of Christ,” and bodily bearing the “image of Christ.”
And so on and so forth.
One interesting fact is that while the word “disciple” and its Greek variants are used 261 times in the Gospel and Acts, they are used zero times in the rest of the New Testament. One must turn to other words that convey the same meaning (241).
In the second part of the book, three essays are presented to consider “discipleship today.”
The first essay looks at what it means to be like Christ in the mind.
The second looks at the issue of “soul care “and how it fits into the discussion.
The final essay brings the whole human being out embodying Christ in the community.
The volume ends with a Scripture index and a person index.
For someone interested in the idea discipleship in the New Testament, this is an excellent resource. As I read through I, I thought, I never realized that – I never saw that, and this would be great for a sermon series of a seminar. There is much useful information to be gathered for the teacher, seminarian, and preacher – this is probably above the average congregant.
There were times when I turned my head askance. For example: the author of the essay on Romans and Galatians argues that Romans must be read backwards to make sense and not be doctrinally overwhelming (94), and the author of the essay on Revelation says we must take the number 144,000 as the actual number of Jews that will be saved (288).
Overall, I would encourage you to pick up this very useful collection. I ma glad to have it on my shelves and look forward to using it more.
[I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com.]
August 22, 2024
Like any collection of essays, this is one is hit or miss--still recommended.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews