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HistoricalApproach toDiscipleship
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A brief history
Relational: first century.
Experiential: third century through middleages
Academic: Enlightenment, Reformation
Individual and Personal: !"th and #$th%
Incarnational: #$th and #!st%
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Robert E. &ebber'Although the () does not set forth a
systematic and linear se*uence of stages in+hristian formation in any great detail e
do hoever catch snapshots here and theree see hints of early practices. Acts #contains several of these. -ost obvious isthe conversion process in Repent and be
bapti/ed, everyone of you, in the name of0esus +hrist for the forgiveness of yoursins. And you shall receive the gift of the1oly 2pirit3 Acts #:45%.6
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)he 7olloing Elements of a
Process Emerge from Acts 1earing the 8ospel
Instruction to flee the corrupt orld
Reception of the 8ospel
Repentance 9aptism a passage rite%
Reception of the 1oly 2pirit
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Phillip +arrington, bishop of uebec
7ound a pattern in Ephesians, +olossians,
0ames, ! Peter that stressed four points for
all ne +hristians to observe
!. &herefore putting off evil
#. 2ubmit yourselves
4. &atch and pray
;. Resist the
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Another example of se*uential and
holistic discipleship!=)hen the eleven disciples ent to 8alilee, to the mountain
here 0esus had told them to go. !>&hen they sa him, theyorshiped him? but some doubted. !5)hen 0esus came tothem and said, @All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. !")herefore go and mae disciples of allnations, bapti/ing them in the name of the 7ather and of the2on and of the 1oly 2pirit, #$and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am ithyou alays, to the very end of the age.@
BB-atthe #5
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A picture of hat discipleship loos
lie ;#)hese remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the
brotherhood, to the breaing of bread and to the prayers. ;4Andeveryone as filled ith ae? the apostles ored many signs and
miracles. ;;And all ho shared the faith oned everything in common?;Cthey sold their goods and possessions and distributed the proceedsamong themselves according to hat each one needed. ;=Each day, itone heart, they regularly ent to the )emple but met in their houses forthe breaing of bread? they shared their food gladly and generously?;>they praised 8od and ere looed up to by everyone.
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9elieve . . . 9ehave . . . 9elong
'As I see it, in +hristianity3s early centuries
conversion involved changes in belief,
belonging, and behavior in the context ofthe experience of 8od.6 BBAlan Freider
2ee 0ustin A< !4$%
0ustin3s &ritings reveal a cycle of believing,belonging and behaving that exhibits the
maing of disciples in the second century
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1yppolytus 4rd+entury%
The Process
2tage !Gthe seeer
The rite of welcome
2tage #Gthe hearer
The rite of enrollment
2tage 4Gthe neeler
The rite of baptism
2tage ;Gthe faithful
The Result
+hristian In*uiry
Conversion
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)he -aing of a
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)he
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)he
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)he
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)he Reformation Era
Catechetical Innovation. Duther introduced the catechism
'instruct6 because of the invention of
print. Its purpose, 'It is necessary tomae the pupils and the people to learn
by heart the formulas chosen to be
included in the catechism, ithout
changing a single syllable. As for those
ho refuse to learn tell them they are
denying +hrist.
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)he Reformation Era
Catechetical Innovation. Its positive features: taught the
+hristian 7aith. And its negative aspect:children became subect to intellectual
faith.
')he negative impact of the catechismhas reverberated don through the
history in the Protestant tradition. )hespirituality of the medieval mystics asno supplanted by intellectualnoledge.
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)he Anabaptists Era
Sought to recover the first three centuries And in turn cut a path into the free church
tradition as opposed to state church%.
THE CHICE THE CMMITME!T2tep !Gadult baptism Evangelism out of choice
2tep #G
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)he Enlightenment: shift to reason
and experience Enlightenment: supremacy of reason and separation ofall aspects of life into distinct disciplines.
Enlightenment: revolution against mindBoriented
+hristianity initiated by heartBoriented pietisms of the
!>thcentury 0ohn &esley, Evangelical Aaenings in
England and America%
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&esley3s -odel bears close resemblance to
the 4rdcentury model
)1E PRJ+E22
2tep ! PreachingGentire
congregation
2tep # 2ocietiesGpastoralcare classes
2tep 4 2ociety bandsG
smaller groups fordiscipleship
)1E RE2KD)
Evangelism,
repentance and faith
Embodying the ay ofsalvation
Pursuit of +hristianperfection
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')he rise of a secular and pagan society, the
emergence of the (e Age -ovement of
spirituality, postmodern pluralism andrelativism have created a ne cultural
situation in hich the church speas the
faith.6
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C$B!"C$%&esleyan Evangelism !>C$B
!"$$%
#$th+entury Evangelicalism
#!st
+entury Evangelism
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)ranslating the ancient process for today