Having looked at the Latin origins of the English word disciple, we would do well also to examine the Old Testament roots of the concept. Do we have any examples of discipleship in the Old Testament? We do, but they are rather sparse and provide only a little insight into what being a disciple means. I have searched pretty thoroughly and can only find four Old Testament passages that would seem to have any relevance for our attempt to define “disciple.”
Three of these passages are found in the Book of Isaiah, and two of the passages use one Hebrew adjective in an absolute construction (that means the adjective is used alone without reference to an associated noun and thus takes on some of the force of a noun). The Hebrew adjective is limmud, which is derived from the Hebrew verb lamad, which means to learn, to be trained, or to teach. The adjective is used in the plural form twice in Isaiah 50:4. At the beginning of the verse, translators are all over the board in their rendering the concept in English. Most have added “me” after “the Lord God has given” to apply the verse either to Isaiah or to the Messiah. What the Lord has given is interpreted as “the tongue of a teacher” (NRSV), “an instructed tongue” (NIV), “the tongue of disciples” (NASB), or “the tongue of the learned” (KJV). “My” is added again at the end of the verse; and limmud is rendered “those who are taught,” (NRSV), “one being taught” (NIV), “a disciple” (NASB), or “the learned” (KJV). My attempt to translate the verse literally, using “instructed” for limmud, is, “The Lord God has given an awakening word to a tongue instructed to know, to sustain a weary one. In the morning, in the morning, he awakened the ear to hear as the instructed.” I would have omitted this verse altogether except for the fact that the NASB used the words “disciples” and “disciple” to translate limmud in this verse. Since the word is a plural adjective in an absolute construction, none of the attempts at translation are very good renderings, including my own. At the most, this verse says that both those who speak and those who listen need an attitude of disciplined attention to God’s voice.
Isaiah 8:16 also employs the word limmud, but in this case the possessive pronoun “my” is attached to the absolute adjective construction. All four translations we looked at previously use “my disciples” in this context. Here the disciples (those who are learned, instructed, or trained) appear to be disciples of the prophet Isaiah, and their charge (indicated by Hebrew imperatives) is twofold: “bind up the testimony” (that is, preserve the prophetic teaching) and “seal the teaching” (literally “seal the Torah,” that is, affix an attesting seal upon the divine instruction given to the people of God). This is an initial idea that finds full expression later among the rabbis, where the disciple’s primary role is to preserve and pass on the teachings of the rabbi.
The foundational elements found in limmud, therefore, emphasize disciplined attention to the voice of the teacher and a charge to preserve diligently the teacher’s instruction. We hear echoes of these ideas in John 10, where Jesus is “the good shepherd” whose sheep know him, listen to his voice (cf. “wakens my ear to listen like one being taught,” Isaiah 50:4), and follow him.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Et tu, Brute?
Ok, I admit it. I’ve discovered that catchy titles to my blog posts bring in more readers. So instead of the staid “Defining ‘Disciple’ #2: The Latin Roots,” I went for something more appealing. The more immediate question is, “Why are you concerned about ‘Latin roots’ in the first place?” After all, the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. Jesus and his disciples likely spoke Aramaic. Why a concern for Latin?
The reason is that the English word disciple derives from the Latin root discipulus. Since we used that Latin-base word in our translations, we need to establish the essence of what we are saying in English so that we can compare our interpretative translation against the Greek standard. Have you ever wonder if “disciple” is a good translation of what Jesus was saying? If not, here’s an opportunity to probe behind our English translations and try to recover what discipleship meant to Jesus and his followers.
“Disciple” basically means “a learner.” That same Latin word also provides the basis for the Latin word disciplina, from which the English word discipline is derived. These two Latin words provide a foundation for our beginning attempts to define and understand discipleship. While we can learn in many ways, the Latin roots for disciple imply that the source of learning is a teacher. Though much learning, instruction, and disciplining take place in the home under parental guidance, disciple steps beyond the parent-child instruction into the intentional instruction of a teacher. The learner or “disciple,” therefore, is associated with the teacher as a pupil and, by extension, is a recipient of the teacher’s instruction.
Because of our current educational system, we probably need to acknowledge that the Latin origins have more similarity to the one-room schoolhouse than to contemporary educational practices that involve an academy with many teachers and numerous specialties. Even with that focus, however, the image of a schoolhouse or a designated building devoted to instruction would be misleading. Many teachers or rabbis taught in open forums and public places, the colonnade (often interpreted as “courts” in contemporary translations) of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem being one of the more familiar locations (cf. Luke 2:46; Matt. 21:23; 26:55; Mark 12:35; Luke 20:1; 21:37; John 7:28; 18:20). The last reference in John 18:20 reminds us that another central location of teaching in Jesus’ day was the synagogue. Of course, we also see the role of public forums in marketplaces in Paul’s missionary work.
If you check an English dictionary for the meaning of “disciple,” you will find that our English understanding actually has been expanded for the original derivation of the word. The initial focus was on teaching, but the meaning has been expanded in two directions. The first is the addition of the idea of being a follower of a teacher, and that is extended to include the idea of being an adherent to a school of thought initiated by a teacher. The “following” idea certainly is a reflection of Jesus’ call, and that has been added to the meaning of “disciple” as a by-product of the influence of the use of the word disciple in the English Bible. What this means is that we have altered the original meaning of “disciple” to accommodate the biblical terminology, and the original word “disciple” by itself was too centered on the idea of instruction to represent the best understanding of Christian discipleship.
The Great Commission’s emphasis on “make disciples” certainly goes way beyond making students or learners. We must go deeper to find a well-rounded understanding of what discipleship means.
The reason is that the English word disciple derives from the Latin root discipulus. Since we used that Latin-base word in our translations, we need to establish the essence of what we are saying in English so that we can compare our interpretative translation against the Greek standard. Have you ever wonder if “disciple” is a good translation of what Jesus was saying? If not, here’s an opportunity to probe behind our English translations and try to recover what discipleship meant to Jesus and his followers.
“Disciple” basically means “a learner.” That same Latin word also provides the basis for the Latin word disciplina, from which the English word discipline is derived. These two Latin words provide a foundation for our beginning attempts to define and understand discipleship. While we can learn in many ways, the Latin roots for disciple imply that the source of learning is a teacher. Though much learning, instruction, and disciplining take place in the home under parental guidance, disciple steps beyond the parent-child instruction into the intentional instruction of a teacher. The learner or “disciple,” therefore, is associated with the teacher as a pupil and, by extension, is a recipient of the teacher’s instruction.
Because of our current educational system, we probably need to acknowledge that the Latin origins have more similarity to the one-room schoolhouse than to contemporary educational practices that involve an academy with many teachers and numerous specialties. Even with that focus, however, the image of a schoolhouse or a designated building devoted to instruction would be misleading. Many teachers or rabbis taught in open forums and public places, the colonnade (often interpreted as “courts” in contemporary translations) of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem being one of the more familiar locations (cf. Luke 2:46; Matt. 21:23; 26:55; Mark 12:35; Luke 20:1; 21:37; John 7:28; 18:20). The last reference in John 18:20 reminds us that another central location of teaching in Jesus’ day was the synagogue. Of course, we also see the role of public forums in marketplaces in Paul’s missionary work.
If you check an English dictionary for the meaning of “disciple,” you will find that our English understanding actually has been expanded for the original derivation of the word. The initial focus was on teaching, but the meaning has been expanded in two directions. The first is the addition of the idea of being a follower of a teacher, and that is extended to include the idea of being an adherent to a school of thought initiated by a teacher. The “following” idea certainly is a reflection of Jesus’ call, and that has been added to the meaning of “disciple” as a by-product of the influence of the use of the word disciple in the English Bible. What this means is that we have altered the original meaning of “disciple” to accommodate the biblical terminology, and the original word “disciple” by itself was too centered on the idea of instruction to represent the best understanding of Christian discipleship.
The Great Commission’s emphasis on “make disciples” certainly goes way beyond making students or learners. We must go deeper to find a well-rounded understanding of what discipleship means.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Defining “Disciple” #1: Our Task
When defining biblical terms, I usually combine two approaches. I examine the meaning of the English term and its derivation so that I can understand the nuances in the contemporary usage and in the proper definitions of the word. I also probe the meaning of the word from its Hebrew or Greek origins, examining both the lexical and the contextual aspects of the word’s meaning. Most exegetes and theologians seem to think that we should begin with the biblical language and move toward the contemporary expression of the biblical term. Occasionally, however, I find it appropriate to begin with our English word and to “correct” its meaning in the specific biblical context. In reality, words whether in English or in a biblical language have a range of meanings that only can be deciphered in their specific contexts.
In defining “disciple,” however, we run into a not uncommon problem. Our English word derives from a Latin root and has no connection with the original biblical languages. This generally means that we have to build an interpretative bridge that focuses on the distinguishing nuances between the languages. In such cases our English word can also have both continuity with and disjunction from its original root in its derivation. These issues open up a gold mine for biblical exegetes, but they often become onerous for the layperson who just wants to know “what it means.”
At the risk of becoming onerous, I think it is appropriate to explore the meaning of “disciple” thoroughly, especially since I have posed “making disciples” as the central and defining task of the church. In addition, the “Making Disciples” Chart has “disciple” in the center of the five stages through which we pass in developing the integrity of our faith. It is the central expression of how we respond to God’s grace. My next few posts will tackle the task of defining “disciple” and will seek to gain an understanding of what discipleship means for us as individuals, for the church, and for our personal relationship with God.
In defining “disciple,” however, we run into a not uncommon problem. Our English word derives from a Latin root and has no connection with the original biblical languages. This generally means that we have to build an interpretative bridge that focuses on the distinguishing nuances between the languages. In such cases our English word can also have both continuity with and disjunction from its original root in its derivation. These issues open up a gold mine for biblical exegetes, but they often become onerous for the layperson who just wants to know “what it means.”
At the risk of becoming onerous, I think it is appropriate to explore the meaning of “disciple” thoroughly, especially since I have posed “making disciples” as the central and defining task of the church. In addition, the “Making Disciples” Chart has “disciple” in the center of the five stages through which we pass in developing the integrity of our faith. It is the central expression of how we respond to God’s grace. My next few posts will tackle the task of defining “disciple” and will seek to gain an understanding of what discipleship means for us as individuals, for the church, and for our personal relationship with God.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
“Come and follow me.” Jesus
God’s initiative of grace introduces us to a kind of self-discovery. First, God’s grace brings us into a community of faith, which I have called “the family of God.” Within that family, we discover that we have the opportunity to enter into a personal and intimate relationship with God that gives us a standing similar to that of adopted children. All that Jesus enjoyed as the unique Son of God becomes ours as we are adopted and become joint heirs with Christ. These divine initiatives remind us that grace is the central element both in our relationship with God and in our understanding of ourselves as God’s children.
The nature of grace is such that, once it is offered, it still must be accepted. Grace is not forced on us. God can offer us the support and blessing of a community of the faithful, but we must choose to embrace the community that offers to embrace us. God can offer us the privileges and intimacies of being a child of God, and the grace and love of that offer can transform the way each of us view ourselves; but that offer of a new relationship and a new status must be accepted.
The beckoning of God to us takes the form of an invitation to respond to grace. Words like “come” and “follow me” set the response to grace in the context of becoming a disciple of Jesus. We do not choose so much as we are chosen; but God’s choosing is an invitation to live, to learn, and to walk each day in the footsteps of the Son. Jesus becomes our teacher, our guide, our coach, our “big brother.” We become his students, his followers, his team members, his disciples. All of this is our response to grace. It is our RSVP to God’s invitation. It is our acceptance of Jesus’ call to “come and follow me.”
Ultimately discipleship is a response to Jesus’ invitation to “come and be like me” (Christlikeness). That ultimate goal begins in our repentance and acceptance of grace. In the days ahead we will explore discipleship’s beginnings (column 4 in the “Making Disciples” Chart) as answers to our fundamental needs (column 1) for discovering the full and abundant life that Christ offers those who follow him.
The nature of grace is such that, once it is offered, it still must be accepted. Grace is not forced on us. God can offer us the support and blessing of a community of the faithful, but we must choose to embrace the community that offers to embrace us. God can offer us the privileges and intimacies of being a child of God, and the grace and love of that offer can transform the way each of us view ourselves; but that offer of a new relationship and a new status must be accepted.
The beckoning of God to us takes the form of an invitation to respond to grace. Words like “come” and “follow me” set the response to grace in the context of becoming a disciple of Jesus. We do not choose so much as we are chosen; but God’s choosing is an invitation to live, to learn, and to walk each day in the footsteps of the Son. Jesus becomes our teacher, our guide, our coach, our “big brother.” We become his students, his followers, his team members, his disciples. All of this is our response to grace. It is our RSVP to God’s invitation. It is our acceptance of Jesus’ call to “come and follow me.”
Ultimately discipleship is a response to Jesus’ invitation to “come and be like me” (Christlikeness). That ultimate goal begins in our repentance and acceptance of grace. In the days ahead we will explore discipleship’s beginnings (column 4 in the “Making Disciples” Chart) as answers to our fundamental needs (column 1) for discovering the full and abundant life that Christ offers those who follow him.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Grace and Its Obligations
Once we have experienced grace in the embrace of the family of God and have discovered through grace that we are children of God, we encounter another truth. Relationships cannot be one-sided. You cannot be the member of a family and always be on the taking end of the family experience. At some point you must become a contributing member of the family. The gracious gifts you receive must be reciprocated or returned, not merely out of obligation, but out of love. Being family is not all about me; it is all about “we.” A child in the family, whether in the family by birth or adoption, cannot always be a “dependent.” At some point the child must become a contributing member of the family.
Many have spoken of the gospel as both gift and demand. Grace creates obligation, and that obligation becomes a burden only when the recipients think that grace is the obligation owed to them rather than a love-gift that is undeserved and unmerited. The selfish and self-centered child who receives but never gives, who wants but never contributes, who demands but never volunteers, becomes a tyrant in the family. The tyrant will try to control and manipulate the rest of the family to get his or her own way. The parents in the family and the King in the family of God will become the servant of the child’s whims and ambitions. The first thing we must learn as recipients of grace is that, although grace is freely given and unmerited, grace carries with it expectations. Grace that doesn’t transform us into people of grace will leave us as demanding, self-centered tyrants, always receiving and never giving.
This is the reason that the first step in becoming a disciple is repentance (column 4, row 2 in the “Making Disciples” Chart). Grace is the first experience, but repentance is the first response to grace. Repentance is the change of mind and heart that acknowledges that the self-centered “I” is actually a rejection of grace rather than an acceptance of grace. It acknowledges that grace has embraced us but we have not embraced grace. It recognizes that the grace that was freely given was undergirded with sacrifice. It discovers that all the blessings and gifts we have received were not deserved or earned. It reminds us that the family embraced us when we were mere “nothings” and that a gracious God called each of us “my child” when we were strangers to the Almighty’s purposes and will. Repentance is the first step in becoming teachable. It is turning from the path of self-centeredness and selfish ambition to new way called discipleship. It is opening ourselves to the instruction of God, to the transformation that God expects, and to the invitation to walk in the path of the “perfect Child” who showed us by his life and death what being a disciple really means. Repentance is recognizing a grace whose love is so amazing, so divine, that it demands my soul, my life, my all.
Many have spoken of the gospel as both gift and demand. Grace creates obligation, and that obligation becomes a burden only when the recipients think that grace is the obligation owed to them rather than a love-gift that is undeserved and unmerited. The selfish and self-centered child who receives but never gives, who wants but never contributes, who demands but never volunteers, becomes a tyrant in the family. The tyrant will try to control and manipulate the rest of the family to get his or her own way. The parents in the family and the King in the family of God will become the servant of the child’s whims and ambitions. The first thing we must learn as recipients of grace is that, although grace is freely given and unmerited, grace carries with it expectations. Grace that doesn’t transform us into people of grace will leave us as demanding, self-centered tyrants, always receiving and never giving.
This is the reason that the first step in becoming a disciple is repentance (column 4, row 2 in the “Making Disciples” Chart). Grace is the first experience, but repentance is the first response to grace. Repentance is the change of mind and heart that acknowledges that the self-centered “I” is actually a rejection of grace rather than an acceptance of grace. It acknowledges that grace has embraced us but we have not embraced grace. It recognizes that the grace that was freely given was undergirded with sacrifice. It discovers that all the blessings and gifts we have received were not deserved or earned. It reminds us that the family embraced us when we were mere “nothings” and that a gracious God called each of us “my child” when we were strangers to the Almighty’s purposes and will. Repentance is the first step in becoming teachable. It is turning from the path of self-centeredness and selfish ambition to new way called discipleship. It is opening ourselves to the instruction of God, to the transformation that God expects, and to the invitation to walk in the path of the “perfect Child” who showed us by his life and death what being a disciple really means. Repentance is recognizing a grace whose love is so amazing, so divine, that it demands my soul, my life, my all.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Grace and Spiritual Gifts
One of the things we discover about ourselves through our encounter with God’s grace and through our discovery that we are children of God is that God has gifted each of us in a unique and intentional way. I have called this “the bestowal of spiritual gifts” in the “Making Disciples” Chart. I view the purpose of these gifts as equipping and enabling us as children of God to serve God, the church, and the world. As part of the family of God, each of us is a child of God who has been specially endowed and equipped to serve within the family or, as Paul designates it, within “the body of Christ.”
We use a number of terms to describe this endowment—gift, talent, function, and calling among others; but we do face some confusion about this giftedness because the Scriptures contain several strains in its focus on God’s investment in us and our endowment with gifts and abilities. Beyond that, we also face questions about whether these are (1) special gifts given after our “conversion” and incorporation into the family of God, (2) are innate gifts with which we were endowed at birth, or (3) are abilities developed along the way through training and experience.
I place spiritual gifts within the scope of God’s initiative of grace focused on both the family of faith and the individual child of God who is part of that family. As we individually discover that each of us is a child of God, we discover both our uniqueness and our connectedness. The uniqueness is the recognition that we are individuals distinctly created by God, not copies stamped out of some master mold. While it is true that we have some genetic heritage from our parents, we still are unique individuals—even if we have an identical twin. God makes us special, and in our uniqueness are imprinted clues to God’s purposes and intentions for us.
I think we can make a Scriptural case for at least three aspects of spiritual gifts. The first is the innate abilities with which we are endowed at birth. This is a unique endowment drawn from the mystery of our conception, our genes, and our birth. God makes us special, and in our specialness is a stewardship that we owe to God to be all that we were made to be.
The second is what I would call “Kingdom assets.” I have drawn this category from the teachings of Jesus, where the king, the landowner, or the master makes some special investment in those under his authority. These “investments” are to be used and multiplied for the benefit of the king. Neglect, misuse, and the selfish waste of these gifts are the dangers associated with our accountability.
The third aspect draws from Paul’s focus on the distinct role or functions of the parts of the body. Though the parts may all come from the same stem cells, they each have distinct roles and functions that work together when the body flourishes. When the parts fail to fulfill their functions or fight against each other, the body is diseased and dysfunctional.
In our discovery that each of us is a child of God, we discover that God has given, invested, and entrusted something unique and special in each of us. The family has no other member exactly like me. The body has no other part just like me. God has graciously gifted me with the opportunity to be a unique child in God’s family, but the family and God’s purposes will suffer if I fail to respond to God’s grace—which is where we are heading as we move to column 4 in the “Making Disciples” Chart.
Allen Pote penned these lyrics, which I think underscores today’s post: “Many gifts, one Spirit; many songs, one voice; many reasons, one promise; many questions, one choice. . . . Take our many ways of working, blend the colors of each soul into the beauty of a rainbow. Give us life, Lord; make us whole.”
We use a number of terms to describe this endowment—gift, talent, function, and calling among others; but we do face some confusion about this giftedness because the Scriptures contain several strains in its focus on God’s investment in us and our endowment with gifts and abilities. Beyond that, we also face questions about whether these are (1) special gifts given after our “conversion” and incorporation into the family of God, (2) are innate gifts with which we were endowed at birth, or (3) are abilities developed along the way through training and experience.
I place spiritual gifts within the scope of God’s initiative of grace focused on both the family of faith and the individual child of God who is part of that family. As we individually discover that each of us is a child of God, we discover both our uniqueness and our connectedness. The uniqueness is the recognition that we are individuals distinctly created by God, not copies stamped out of some master mold. While it is true that we have some genetic heritage from our parents, we still are unique individuals—even if we have an identical twin. God makes us special, and in our uniqueness are imprinted clues to God’s purposes and intentions for us.
I think we can make a Scriptural case for at least three aspects of spiritual gifts. The first is the innate abilities with which we are endowed at birth. This is a unique endowment drawn from the mystery of our conception, our genes, and our birth. God makes us special, and in our specialness is a stewardship that we owe to God to be all that we were made to be.
The second is what I would call “Kingdom assets.” I have drawn this category from the teachings of Jesus, where the king, the landowner, or the master makes some special investment in those under his authority. These “investments” are to be used and multiplied for the benefit of the king. Neglect, misuse, and the selfish waste of these gifts are the dangers associated with our accountability.
The third aspect draws from Paul’s focus on the distinct role or functions of the parts of the body. Though the parts may all come from the same stem cells, they each have distinct roles and functions that work together when the body flourishes. When the parts fail to fulfill their functions or fight against each other, the body is diseased and dysfunctional.
In our discovery that each of us is a child of God, we discover that God has given, invested, and entrusted something unique and special in each of us. The family has no other member exactly like me. The body has no other part just like me. God has graciously gifted me with the opportunity to be a unique child in God’s family, but the family and God’s purposes will suffer if I fail to respond to God’s grace—which is where we are heading as we move to column 4 in the “Making Disciples” Chart.
Allen Pote penned these lyrics, which I think underscores today’s post: “Many gifts, one Spirit; many songs, one voice; many reasons, one promise; many questions, one choice. . . . Take our many ways of working, blend the colors of each soul into the beauty of a rainbow. Give us life, Lord; make us whole.”
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Before we begin to probe more deeply our response to God’s grace as disciples, I want to touch on two other aspects of God’s grace that relate to our identity as children of God: the gift of the Holy Spirit and the bestowal of spiritual gifts. In some ways these gifts are integral to the discovery of our new identity as children of God, and in other ways they are connected to the response we begin to make to God’s grace as disciples. Let’s focus today on God’s giving to us the Holy Spirit (in essence the gift of God’s very presence with us).
In the “Making Disciples” Chart I have called the Holy Spirit the Paraclete. The English word “Paraclete” is derived from a compound Greek word that literally means “one who is called along side another” for the particular purpose of providing aid. Interestingly, the word has two applications, one focused on the person needing aid (where the emphasis is on inviting, summoning, calling for, requesting, imploring, or appealing for aid) and the other focused on the agent who provides aid (who urges, exhorts, encourages, comforts, cheers up, or consoles). Since I have placed the Paraclete under God’s initiative of grace, I am emphasizing the giving of aid at this point; but obviously one fundamental aspect of our human needs (column 1 in the chart) is a recognition that we need aid and assistance from beyond ourselves.
A major portion of evangelical Christianity puts the primary focus on the Holy Spirit’s role in convicting us of sin. For some reason, many Christians seem to feel that we must convince people that they are lost sinners before we can invite them to grace. The Holy Spirit’s initial role is to get inside us and show us what dirty, rotten scoundrels we really are. The Holy Spirit is an external “Convicter” rather than an internal Conscience.
I have been giving a different take on this issue. I believe we all begin with uncertainty about who we are. I believe we all have deep uncertainties about whether we are lovable in any way. We have deep longings to be loved and accepted, and much of the angst we feel (particularly in adolescence) is focused on a low level of self-esteem and a high level of despair that we really may not be lovable at all. I don’t think people need to be convinced of the bad news that they are out of sorts with life. I think they need to hear that they are unique individuals created in the image of God, called by God into the family of faith, and loved so deeply by a gracious God that they can be God’s children. Salvation is more a sense of being flooded with the overwhelming awareness of a gracious love than being convinced that I am a poor, unworthy sinner desperately in need of some Greater Power in my life.
God’s very presence with us is the ultimate expression of grace. The very presence actually became flesh in Jesus, but the very presence is still available to us in the form of the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Comforter is God’s present Gift that reminds us of and keeps us connected to the Ultimate Gift in the incarnation. The Paraclete is the evidence that God’s love and grace are present with us and that we not only are part of a family of beloved ones, each of us is a son or daughter of a gracious and loving God.
God’s initiative toward us comes through grace, love, and presence. Judgment comes, not because of who or what we are, but because of the grace, love, and presence we refuse to accept. The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, is the gift of grace in this very moment and in each moment of each day of each year of our lives. The Paraclete is the constant reminder that I am a beloved child of God, a joint-heir with Christ, and a recipient of a grace that compels a response.
In the “Making Disciples” Chart I have called the Holy Spirit the Paraclete. The English word “Paraclete” is derived from a compound Greek word that literally means “one who is called along side another” for the particular purpose of providing aid. Interestingly, the word has two applications, one focused on the person needing aid (where the emphasis is on inviting, summoning, calling for, requesting, imploring, or appealing for aid) and the other focused on the agent who provides aid (who urges, exhorts, encourages, comforts, cheers up, or consoles). Since I have placed the Paraclete under God’s initiative of grace, I am emphasizing the giving of aid at this point; but obviously one fundamental aspect of our human needs (column 1 in the chart) is a recognition that we need aid and assistance from beyond ourselves.
A major portion of evangelical Christianity puts the primary focus on the Holy Spirit’s role in convicting us of sin. For some reason, many Christians seem to feel that we must convince people that they are lost sinners before we can invite them to grace. The Holy Spirit’s initial role is to get inside us and show us what dirty, rotten scoundrels we really are. The Holy Spirit is an external “Convicter” rather than an internal Conscience.
I have been giving a different take on this issue. I believe we all begin with uncertainty about who we are. I believe we all have deep uncertainties about whether we are lovable in any way. We have deep longings to be loved and accepted, and much of the angst we feel (particularly in adolescence) is focused on a low level of self-esteem and a high level of despair that we really may not be lovable at all. I don’t think people need to be convinced of the bad news that they are out of sorts with life. I think they need to hear that they are unique individuals created in the image of God, called by God into the family of faith, and loved so deeply by a gracious God that they can be God’s children. Salvation is more a sense of being flooded with the overwhelming awareness of a gracious love than being convinced that I am a poor, unworthy sinner desperately in need of some Greater Power in my life.
God’s very presence with us is the ultimate expression of grace. The very presence actually became flesh in Jesus, but the very presence is still available to us in the form of the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Comforter is God’s present Gift that reminds us of and keeps us connected to the Ultimate Gift in the incarnation. The Paraclete is the evidence that God’s love and grace are present with us and that we not only are part of a family of beloved ones, each of us is a son or daughter of a gracious and loving God.
God’s initiative toward us comes through grace, love, and presence. Judgment comes, not because of who or what we are, but because of the grace, love, and presence we refuse to accept. The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, is the gift of grace in this very moment and in each moment of each day of each year of our lives. The Paraclete is the constant reminder that I am a beloved child of God, a joint-heir with Christ, and a recipient of a grace that compels a response.
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