I was recently faced with what should have been a “simple” plumbing repair. Those who have attempted such a repair know this statement is laughable since there is never anything “simple” about “plumbing.” Those are two words that should never be put together. No matter how hard I pushed and pulled, the pipe assembly needing replacement would not come apart. After looking up my problem on YouTube (which is what every good weekend warrior does when faced with a snag), I found that my problem could be solved with a small plastic tool costing about $1.50. After my fifth trip to the hardware store that day, my problem was solved in five seconds flat. Without that tool, a self-inflicted flood was right around the corner, but armed with the tool, the job proved incredibly simple.
That principle – get the right tool for the job! – is transferrable into the church. In Titus 1, Paul gave Titus what seems to be a relatively simple job: Help the church in Crete get deep (1:5). Help them grow in godliness that’s grounded in the truth (1:1). But as chapter 1 continues to unfold, it becomes clear that this “simple job” was going to be harder than it looked because there would be “many” (1:10) who seek to derail that growth. So how could Titus – and by extension, how can we – develop depth in the life of the church? What tool has God given us to accomplish our task?
Enter Titus 2 and the God-given tool for developing depth in the church’s life: biblical discipleship. In Titus 2, Paul gives a master class on how discipleship is meant to be properly leveraged in the church’s life to enable its spiritual growth. While much could be said here (discipleship does occupy this whole chapter after all), we’ve got to understand the definition of this tool before we can effectively use it.
Many get trapped into thinking of discipleship as being overly structured (“It’s got to be a structured curriculum”). Sometimes, we consider it only in a programmatic way (“My church needs a better discipleship program”). Sometimes, we consider it in terms of an exclusive relationship (“I’m his/her discipler”). And while these ideas can be beneficial in discipleship, it’d be a mistake to think they are the totality of Biblical discipleship. Biblical discipleship is so much more! According to Titus 2:1, discipleship is comprehensive and constant.
First, biblical discipleship is comprehensive. Being a disciple means being a follower (Matt 16:24). As Christ commanded, if we follow Him we must do what he did – and that means making disciples (Matt. 28:19-20)! While this command certainly has an evangelistic component, the discipleship emphasis in Matt. 28:20 is on the post-conversion work of “teaching them to observe all of [Christ’s] commands.” So, discipleship isn’t just for the lost, and it’s not just for one or two unique people in our lives. Every relationship is a discipleship relationship! We should always concern ourselves with making disciples in every relational dimension (saved or unsaved) because all our neighbors, kids, coworkers, friends, and fellow church members need to be encouraged to pursue Jesus Christ. If we follow Him, we must help them follow Him too! That’s discipleship at the broadest level, and it isn’t reserved for or restricted to a special class of super Christians who have arrived in the endzone of maturity. As Paul makes clear in Titus 2:1-10, discipleship is something that everyone (men and women, young and old, slave and free) must do in the context of every relationship. In short, if you’re a believer, you’ve been called to be a comprehensive disciple-maker!
Second, biblical discipleship is constant. In Titus 2:1, Paul tells Titus to “teach that which befits sound doctrine.” That’s where his instructions on discipleship begin, and there are a couple of features in that statement that are important to observe. It’s worth noting here that the command to “teach” is in the present tense. Paul’s expectation is that Titus “be teaching” in every moment. Whatever moment you’re in (present tense), “be teaching!” At first, we may say, “Well, of course, when Titus stood up to teach, it should have been grounded in the truth.” Paul’s command here cuts a lot deeper though. When he tells Titus to “teach,” he uses the Greek term “laleo” which means “to speak.” The implications for discipleship in this word are profound. How was Titus to do discipleship? Any time Titus opened his mouth – whether in a formal teaching context or a simple conversation – what came out had to be consistent with the “sound doctrine” of Biblical truth.
The context of Titus 2 relates to discipleship within the church specifically. In short, in all his conversations and relational engagements, Titus was responsible for modeling biblical discipleship to every other group in the church by always speaking what befits sound doctrine (or the truth about the life and law of Christ as found in the word of God). That is Paul’s introductory crash course on how to define biblical discipleship. Discipleship, therefore, can be defined as always using your knowledge of Christ to help others know Christ.
As followers of Christ, this should be our purpose every day, in every way, and through whatever we say. Our lives should constantly reflect Christ’s life so that others might be compelled to know, love, and serve Him too. So, how do we disciple and contribute to the development of depth within our local churches? Titus 2:1: “As for you, Christian, be speaking (constantly at all times and comprehensively with all people) what accords with sound doctrine.”