The Radical Disciple

For Bible scholars and many laypeople, it comes as a great surprise to discover that followers of Christ are called "Christians" only three times in the New Testament. Of course, we know that both the words "Christian" and "disciple" imply a deeper relationship with Jesus. But why is this book titled "Radical Disciple"? For the author, John Stott, the answer is obvious: "There are different levels of commitment in the Christian community. Jesus illustrates this by explaining what happened to the seeds in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23). The difference lies in the type of soil they received.

During Jesus' three years of public ministry, the Twelve were disciples before they were apostles, and as disciples they were under the instruction of their teacher and lord. The term 'disciple' implies a relationship between student and teacher. If the use of the word 'disciple' had continued throughout the centuries, we Christians would be more aware of our standing before Jesus and the responsibility it entails.