Make Disciples

MAKE DISCIPLES

a prayer to open

Holy Spirit, come. Center my heart.

Fill my mind. Guide my steps.

Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.

After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.

Among Jesus’ last words to his disciples were “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV). Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila were among those in the early church to act in obedience to this command. Paul returned to the churches he had planted to help the disciples there grow in their knowledge and love of God and people. Meanwhile, Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos—the devoted, knowledgeable, and passionate preacher—into their home for further teaching. We see the fruit of this discipleship later: Paul’s churches thrived and outlasted him, and Apollos’s ability to teach the gospel and disciple others grew to be on par with Paul’s (see 1 Corinthians 1:10-12).

• Read this passage again. What word or phrase stands out to you? Sit quietly, reminding yourself that you are in God’s loving presence, and ask him to show you how that word or phrase connects to your life.
• Who are you helping grow in their knowledge and understanding of Jesus’ love and commands? What prevents you from helping others in this way (feeling inadequate, inexperience, lack of knowledge, fear, lack of clarity, not knowing how to begin, busyness)? Given the knowledge and experience you do have, who could you help grow? What is one thing you could do to help them (share passages of Scripture, give them books to read, suggest a class or workshop, lead a small group, study God’s Word with a small group)?
• Who is helping you grow in your knowledge and understanding of Jesus and his ways? Who could help you? What next step do you sense God asking you to take?

Father, thank you for the body of Christ and that there are believers ahead of me and behind me when it comes to knowledge and maturity of faith. Thank you that I can learn from both types of believers and that you’ve given me the ability and command to help others grow. Give me the courage to point someone else to a resource or person for additional growth, and open my eyes to someone who can help me grow. I want to know you more and follow you more closely. May it be so.