Jesus‘ parting words to his followers were for them to ‚Go therefore and make disciples of all nations‘ (Matt 28:19). This being the case, shouldn’t we be concerned with gaining a full understanding of discipleship from the entire New Testament corpus? Many scholars recognize that the theme of discipleship is found throughout the New Testament, even in Revelation, with all of its symbolism and bizarre imagery. But how does it do this? The focus of this study, through the use of content analysis methodology, is to demonstrate that the theme of discipleship is not only found in the Apocalypse, but is also exceedingly relevant for Christians today. In many parts of the world Jesus‘ disciples are facing opposition and persecution for their testimony to Jesus Christ. It would do Christians well to read the book of Revelation once again. As they read it this time through the eyes of the oppressed, the content of the book will prove extremely valuable to aid disciples of Jesus in their efforts to ‚follow the Lamb wherever he goes‘ (Rev 14:4), no matter what the cost.
Über den Autor
David Beck is pastor of Sanctuary Covenant Church in Sacramento, CA. He earned an MA in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Ph D in systematic theology from Southern Methodist University. He is the author of The Holy Spirit and the Renewal of All Things (2007) and Luminous: Living the Presence and Power of Jesus (2013). He also serves on the board of directors for Child Hope International, an orphanage-based mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.