Introduction
Discipleship
“Let thy house be a meeting-place for the wise; powder thyself in the dust of their feet, and drink their words with eagerness.
Yose ben Yoezer
"A talmid [disciple] is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."
Yeshua (Luke 6:40)
"And Yeshua came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make talmidim of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Ruach HaKodesh, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."
Matthew 28:18-21
Introduction
- Some of the reasons why the Gospels were written were:
- To provide a body of quotes by Yeshua and teaching for Yeshua’s disciples.
- To affirm that there was continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures and beliefs of early believers in Yeshua.
- Our study of the Gospel of Matthew is going to be an excursion into 1st Century life, religion, and history. Our purpose is to see and hear Yeshua –to know Him better, and to follow Him more closely. We want to learn what it is to be a talmid [disciple] of Messiah.
First Century Context
- The Apostolic Scriptures are often read through 1,800 years of biased interpretation. The heretic Marcion, in the early 2nd Century twisted Paul’s words in such a way so that almost universally, it is accepted even today that Paul, if not Yeshua Himself started the “religion of Christianity.”
- Example: Luke 18:25: (“camel” and “eye of a needle”) some read and assume they know the context – it was there all along, but ignored. The context is Jewish – and thus has often been rejected. The words of Yeshua in the Gospels are replete with Hebrew idioms, that are often twisted to make sense to the western mind – distorting what He said in Hebrew.
- When following Yeshua, and teaching His message, we must attempt to see and hear Him as the 1st Century disciples did. Are we making “disciples” for ourselves – or for Yeshua? If we are to raise up disciples for Yeshua, we must understand what the 1st Century understanding of disciples.
Apostolic Judaism
- Often, the tenets of Judaism are misrepresented - specifically, the Judaisms of the Second Temple period. In doing so, we often not only miss what Yeshua's words mean – we repeat the same errors of long-bankrupt religious systems. Incorrectly casting the “Gospel message” as “faith vs. works” turns the actual words of Yeshua on their head.
- Of the 3 main Judaisms of the 1st Century, Yeshua's theology is most closely aligned with that of the Pharisees – and yet they are the ones we wrongly assume were His greatest enemies (Luke 13:31, 7:36, 11:37, 14:1).
- Acts 3:18-25: Something profound happened to “Judaism” when Yeshua came – but it was not an end to an “old religion” and the “introduction to a new one” – such false teaching declares that G-d does not keep His word (Rom 11).
- Acts 21:20-24: Following Yeshua's example, the earliest believers did not abandon the faith of their fathers (Paul included) – they repented and acted upon the fact that Yeshua revealed that it was not about “religion” – it was about discipleship and relationship.
Discipleship
- When “discipleship” is cast in the Greek Hellenist model (as modern teaching tries to do), it is easy to understand how so many have not understood the responsibilities of a disciple.
- Discipleship was something that in 1st Century Judaism, had been practiced for hundreds of years. It was commonplace. We cannot use a modern understanding to pattern our lives as a disciple should… after his/her Master.
- Luke 14:26-33: If the average person who calls themselves a believer today were to know the responsibilities of a disciple, they might reject the call of discipleship.
- We study, because it was talmidim [disciples] do. We study to know His every word, his every deed. We study, to pattern our lives after Him… He is our Master. We can have no other.
Summary
- Like us, the 1st Century hearers of Yeshua assumed that they knew what pleased G-d. They studied the Scriptures, and they thought that they worshipped G-d as He had commanded. Yeshua came and called them to what they had missed in all the “doing” – a holy relationship. He showed them that the “doing” was always about holy relationship.
- People often approach Scripture anachronistically – assuming that the culture and times are like ours (or simply making it up) – our assumptions have often blinded us to the truth – that “doing” is about a relationship with Almighty G-d. Like the “religious” people of times past, they have opted for experience over relationship.
- It is time for G-d’s people everywhere to hear the message of His Word: “Repent, the Kingdom of G-d is at hand!”
- What will it be: religion, or relationship – membership, or discipleship?