Why Discipleship Isn’t Just the Pastor’s Job
One of the biggest lies plaguing the modern church is the belief that discipleship – teaching others about Jesus and the Bible – is solely the pastor’s responsibility. This misconception has created a dangerous cycle where congregations passively consume sermons on Sunday mornings, then go home and forget what they heard, expecting the pastor to handle all the spiritual heavy lifting until the following week.
But this isn’t how God designed His church to function.
God’s Design for the Church
God never intended for one person to do all the work while everyone else sits in the pews. Instead, He designed the church where everybody disciples somebody, where everyone teaches what they know, and where everyone takes someone under their wing. Pastors and teachers are meant to help when you get stuck, not to do all the teaching themselves.
Imagine if every person in every church took just one person under their wing and said, “Let me show you what I know about Jesus. Let me walk with you as we both experience God’s love and grace.” The church wouldn’t just grow – it would explode. We wouldn’t need bigger buildings; we’d need bigger cities.
The Example of Aquila and Priscilla
Who Were They?
In Acts 18:18, we find Paul leaving Corinth with two companions: Aquila and Priscilla. These weren’t preachers, apostles, or teachers. They were tent makers – ordinary, everyday people who simply loved Jesus. Paul saw the fruit in their lives and brought them along on his journey.
Left Behind for a Purpose
When Paul’s ship made a layover in Ephesus, he left Aquila and Priscilla there while continuing to Jerusalem. This wasn’t abandonment – it was divine placement. God had positioned these two ordinary believers in a vital place at a specific time to change the course of history.
When God Uses Regular People
Enter Apollos
While Paul was away, a man named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was from Alexandria, the intellectual capital of the ancient world – essentially the Silicon Valley of his day. Apollos was eloquent, mighty in the Scriptures, and passionate about God. He was a natural preacher who knew the Old Testament by heart.
But there was a problem: “though he knew only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25). Apollos was preaching with passion and conviction, but he only had part of the story. He hadn’t heard about Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
The Moment of Truth
When Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos teaching in the synagogue, they faced a choice. They could have:
- Waited for Paul to return and handle it
- Corrected him publicly and embarrassed him
- Done nothing at all
Instead, “they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).
What Real Learning Looks Like
Beyond Seminary Degrees
Two tent makers discipled one of the most gifted preachers in the early church – not because they had seminary degrees, but because they knew the truth and were willing to teach it. Real learning and growth aren’t found only in classrooms or pews; they’re found when you’re alone with God.
The Importance of Personal Study
Your relationship with God is the toolbox that holds all the spiritual tools you need. Being alone in His Word, praying, studying, asking questions, and letting the Holy Spirit teach you – that’s how you learn and grow.
Sometimes time spent in the Word isn’t about learning new things; it’s simply about spending time with your Father. Show Him that He’s more important than your entertainment, your hobbies, or even your busy schedule.
The Ripple Effect of Discipleship
Apollos Goes to Corinth
After being discipled by Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos went to Corinth, where he “greatly helped those who had believed through grace” (Acts 18:27). He was no longer preaching just the baptism of John – he was preaching Jesus, the grace of God.
Paul later wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Paul planted the church in Corinth, but God brought Apollos to water what Paul had planted. This wouldn’t have been possible if two regular people hadn’t stepped up to teach what they knew.
The Chain Continues
When Paul returned to Ephesus, he found twelve disciples who, like Apollos, only knew John’s baptism. They had never even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul filled in the gaps, teaching them the complete gospel.
This reveals a pattern: Paul taught Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos. Paul taught the twelve disciples. Everyone was discipling somebody.
The Biblical Command to Make Disciples
It’s Not Optional
Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
This isn’t a suggestion – it’s a command for every believer.
The Four-Generation Chain
Paul wrote to Timothy: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
This verse shows four generations of discipleship:
- Paul taught Timothy
- Timothy should teach faithful men
- Those faithful men should teach others
- Those others continue the chain
The Broken Chain
Where We Went Wrong
Several generations ago, the church broke this chain. Instead of everyone discipling someone, we decided that pastors should teach everyone while congregations just sit and listen. The chain stopped, and the gospel stopped spreading as it was designed to.
Time to Be Teachers
Hebrews 5:12 says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God.”
How long have you been saved? Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? By this time, you ought to be teaching somebody.
Who Is Your Apollos?
Look Around You
Who has God put in your path that needs to know what you know? It might be:
- A new Christian who needs guidance
- Your children who seem resistant to faith
- A curious coworker who sees something different in your life
- A classmate who has never heard the name of Jesus
- Someone who’s been in church for years but hasn’t grasped God’s mercy
Don’t Wait for the Pastor
Don’t say “that’s not my job” because it is. Jesus commanded you to go and make disciples. Teach them, love them, walk with them. The entire Bible can be summed up in this: Love God and love others.
Life Application
This week, identify one person God has placed in your life who needs discipleship. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel qualified – Aquila and Priscilla were just tent makers, but they changed history by teaching what they knew.
Start by spending consistent time with God in His Word and prayer. You can’t give what you don’t have. Then, step out of your comfort zone and begin investing in someone else’s spiritual growth.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I spending enough time with God to have something to give others?
- Who has God placed in my life that I could disciple?
- What’s holding me back from obeying Jesus’ command to make disciples?
- How can I break the cycle of passive Christianity and become an active disciple-maker?
Remember, when we follow God’s design – loving Him and loving others through discipleship – the gospel spreads, the church grows, and God gets the glory. Don’t let the chain stop with you.