How the Bible Defines Discipleship: 12 Core Elements

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he gave one final command: Make disciples.

From Abraham who was called to leave his country for an unknown land (Gen 12:1–3) to the Great Commission (Matt 28:18–20), the Lord’s command to all believers is to follow him in humble faith and obedience. It’s a charge that most Christians recognize and affirm as their own.

Yet in our modern world, the language of discipleship has waned—along with a clear grasp of what it truly means. The very image can feel distant and antiquated to us: a band of rugged fishermen trailing behind a rabbi. The image does not translate easily into contemporary life.

While the language feels foreign in today’s world, the concept of discipleship remains relevant and integral to modern Christian life. And for those of us in ministry, understanding the Bible’s description of discipleship is vital if we are to disciple others.

To walk this path faithfully, let’s first consider what Scripture means by the word “disciple.”

What is a “disciple”?

The English word disciple traces back to the Latin discipulus and the Greek μαθητής. Both derive from verbs meaning “to learn.” By the time of the New Testament, the term had deepened.¹ Learning remained central, but true discipleship required conformity to the master’s whole way of life, as well.

In the Gospels, disciple is the primary term used to describe a follower of Jesus. Likewise, Luke informs us that in the early church the word also meant believer. Luke uses the two words interchangeably (Acts 4:32; 5:14; 6:1–2, 7; 9:25–26; 10:45; 14:21–22). Acts 11:26 shows us the terms Christian and disciple were also synonymous.²

This language of discipleship then conveys both learning from Christ and imitating his life. But this leads us to another important question: What does discipleship actually look like in practice, according to the Bible?

What does discipleship look like in practice?

To this end, let’s consider twelve core traits of discipleship as presented in Scripture.

1. Discipleship begins with a call

The picture of discipleship painted in the Gospels is remarkably simple, yet strikingly demanding. Jesus calls individuals to follow him. They drop everything and obey (e.g., Matt 4:18–22; Luke 5:27–28).

Such immediate obedience has only one explanation: the absolute authority of Jesus. As Bonhoeffer observes, “It is Jesus who calls, and because it is Jesus, Levi follows at once. This encounter is a testimony to the absolute, direct, and unaccountable authority of Jesus.”³

The call to follow Christ is now proclaimed through the apostles—and this call still resounds today.

This same authority continues after Jesus’s ascension, as the apostles become his appointed witnesses and mouthpieces. The call to follow Christ is now proclaimed through the apostles—and it still resounds today. It is a call we are invited not only to answer but also to proclaim (Rom 10:14–17).

2. Discipleship is rooted in grace

The call and response of discipleship are rooted in God’s grace. God’s saving grace is not only the starting point but also that which sustains and enables us at every stage of discipleship. He not only forgives us of our sins but grants us further grace to overcome the flesh and grow spiritually.

This grace was costly: “You were bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20). Bonhoeffer warned us against cheap grace—this idea of “grace” without discipleship.⁴ Thus we depend on that grace, knowing that apart from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

3. Discipleship exists by faith

Discipleship does not follow conversion, as if it were a second stage in the Christian life. Conversion initiates discipleship and is synonymous with the Christian life. All true believers are disciples. We follow Jesus at each step in our journey of faith.

True faith is not passive: It is active, responsive, and enduring.

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4. Discipleship ignites spiritual growth

Discipleship entails an inside-out transformation inspired by the indwelling, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15–17; Gal 5:22–23). The Spirit produces growth, shaping both character and conduct.

As we abide in him, Jesus promises, “you will bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). Growth is not self-generated. It is Spirit-empowered and Christ-centered.

5. Discipleship informs our ethical life

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus depicts this obedience in a significantly deeper way than the Jewish leaders of his day were espousing: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). External obedience is not enough. Jesus took the law further, to its implications. Thoughts and motives are as important as actions (Matt 5:21–28). Love is to be the primary theme of a disciple’s life (Matt 5:43–45).

Responding to Jesus’s call requires obedience. His disciples are known by their good fruit and will be accountable before the Lord (Matt 7:15–20, 21–23).

6. Discipleship immerses us into community

Central to the early church’s discipleship was integration into its community (e.g., Acts 2:41–47). The basis of this fellowship was a shared union with Christ. Luke employs the term ὁμοθυμαδόν (“one accord” or “together”) to emphasize the unity of the early church (e.g., Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25).

Shared life is not incidental to discipleship. It is essential. Following Christ was never meant to be an individual pursuit. To be united to Christ is to be united to his people. Through daily habits of reading and teaching Scripture, offering prayer, and gathering for table fellowship, early believers were progressively formed as disciples of Jesus.

7. Discipleship pursues truth

The apostles’ teaching anchored the community of believers in truth (“they were devoted to the apostles teaching”; Acts 2:42). As eyewitnesses to Jesus’s life and ministry, the apostles provided doctrinal clarity and practical instruction.

Yet discipleship was not just about gaining knowledge but also about transformed living. True belief and righteous living are inseparable (see Titus 1:1).

8. Discipleship depends on prayer

Prayer was central to the life of the early church, indicating their dependence on the Holy Spirit. Growth in discipleship cannot be a self-reliant effort. The early disciples’ daily presence in the temple reflected this devotion (Acts 2:46), following the pattern of Jesus himself (Luke 19:47; 21:37; 22:52–53).

As believers in the early church gathered in unity, their prayers aligned their hearts with God’s will and empowered their witness (Acts 4:23–31).

9. Discipleship multiplies

Discipleship is never meant to stop with us. Followers of Jesus are called to bear witness and invite others into the same journey of following him.

The Great Commission (Matt 28:18–20; see also Acts 1:8) makes this call abundantly clear. Our witness is empowered by the Holy Spirit and extends outward to neighbors and to the nations.

10. Discipleship comes at a cost

At times, the Gospels present us with a shocking picture of what Jesus requires of those who wish to follow him. A disciple must “count the cost” (Luke 14:28). “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

Scripture is clear: Discipleship is not merely about belief—it is about participation.

This may be a far cry from what many consider it must mean to be a Christian. But Scripture is clear: Discipleship is not merely about belief—it is about participation. To belong to Christ is to be united with him in his death. Paul boldly asserts that we have “been crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20).

Yet, death is not the end—it is the pathway to life (see Rom 6:4). The cost of discipleship is indeed great, but the reward is infinitely greater.

11. Discipleship endures suffering

As Jesus’s mission becomes clearer—that he did not come to establish an earthly kingdom—the crowds eventually call for his crucifixion. Even his closest followers struggle to understand. Their faith is tested. Chapters earlier, when Jesus began teaching his disciples that he would suffer, Peter rebuked him (Matt 16:22–23). Why? As Bonhoeffer observes, the idea of a suffering Messiah “was a scandal.”⁵

Yet those who follow a suffering savior should expect to experience suffering as well. As Jesus explains, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake,” for “a disciple is not above his teacher” (Matt 10:16–25).

The feeding of the five thousand marks a turning point in Jesus’s ministry. After the crowds turn away from Jesus (John 6:60, 66; cf. John 6:22–59), Jesus asks the twelve if they, too, will leave. Peter replies: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68–69). This kind of absolute trust and abandonment to Christ marks true discipleship.

12. Discipleship is marked by love

Love is the greatest command. We are called to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37–40).

These words are familiar and easily recited but far more difficult to embody. The brokenness around us testifies to this. We must fervently pray and encourage one another to live out of the self-giving love of Christ, so that, as Jesus indicated, all people will know that we are his disciples (John 13:34–35).

Conclusion

These elements are not exhaustive, but they provide a framework to help us understand and faithfully live out discipleship today. Discipleship is not a program or system but a dynamic and relational way of life.

As we walk in faithful dependence on our Master, may the Holy Spirit transform us into his very image (2 Cor 3:18).

Share your thoughts

How would you define discipleship? Join us in the Word by Word group to share your thoughts.

Jeanette Pifer’s recommended resources on discipleship

• Goodrich, John K., and Mark L. Strauss, eds. Following Jesus Christ: The New Testament Message of Discipleship for Today. Kregel Academic, 2019.

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• How the Great Commission Echoes the Old Testament

1. The Greek word μαθητής was used in Greek literature to refer to “one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views.” William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, 2000), 609.
2. In addition to using disciples interchangeably with believers, Acts also uses the word disciple interchangeably with brother/sister (Acts 6:3) and saints (Acts 9:13, 32, 41; 26:10). These latter terms are used elsewhere across the New Testament (e.g., believers, Rom 1:16; 1 Tim 6:2; brothers/sisters, Jas 2:15; saints, Heb 6:10). Thus, disciples can be understood as a title throughout the book of Acts for those who are converts and faith-filled followers of Jesus. Yet, interestingly, the term disciple seems to disappear in the Epistles. In fact, Acts is the only book after the Gospels in which the specific terms for disciple/discipleship are used.
3. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, trans. Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss (Touchstone, 1995), 57.
4. Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship, 43–45.
5. Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship, 87.