Bible verses about "discipleship" | AUV

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to be my follower, he should deny self [i.e., of always having its own way] and lift up his cross [of responsibility] and [then he can] become my follower. ²⁵ For whoever would [try to] save his life [i.e., by neglecting spiritual things] will lose it [i.e., miss out on the blessings of God]. But whoever [is willing to] lose his life [i.e., in commitment to God’s service] for my sake will find it [i.e., obtain both temporal and spiritual blessings].

⁴⁰ The disciple is not more important than his teacher, but when every person becomes complete, [then] he will be like his teacher.

²⁶ “If anyone comes to me [i.e., to be my disciple], and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters and, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

³³ So therefore, every one of you who does not say ‘goodbye’ to everything he owns, cannot be my disciple.

³⁴ I am giving you a new commandment: love one another. Also you should love one another in the same way that I have loved you. ³⁵ If you love one another, then everyone will know by [observing] this that you are my disciples.”

¹ [Jesus continued], “I am the real vine, and my Father is the owner of the vineyard. ² He will cut off [See verse 6] every branch [i.e., follower of Christ] who is in [fellowship with] me that does not bear fruit. And He will prune every branch that does bear fruit, so it will bear more fruit. ³ You people are already ‘clean’ [i.e., have been pruned of undesirable traits] because of [obedience to] the teaching I have given you. ⁴ Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine, so neither can you people [bear fruit] unless you remain united to me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you people are the branches. The person who remains united to me, and I to him, will bear much fruit. For you cannot do anything if [you are] separated from me. ⁶ If a person does not remain united to me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch and dried up. People gather up such branches and throw them into the fire to be burned [as fuel ?]. ⁷ If you remain in [fellowship with] me and my teaching remains in your hearts, [you can] ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples. ⁹ “Just as the Father has loved me, [so] I have also loved you. You should continue to receive [or, respond to] my love. [Note: The next verse tells how this can be done]. ¹⁰ If you obey my commandments, [then] you will continue receiving my love; just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and [so] continue receiving His love. ¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in your hearts, and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My commandment [to you] is this: You should love one another just as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has [any] greater love than to give up his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You people are my friends if you do what I command you to. ¹⁵ I do not call you slaves anymore, for a slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You [apostles] did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear much fruit [i.e., through their evangelizing], and that your fruit should last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name [i.e. by my authority]. ¹⁷ I command you to do these things so that you will [demonstrate your] love for one another. [Note: Or this may mean that His command was to love one another, as in verse 12].

¹ You people should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

¹ But you should speak those things which agree with sound teaching: ² Older men should be sober-minded [See note at I Tim. 3:2], dignified [i.e., respectable], sensible, sound in the faith [or, “in their faith”], in their love and in their perseverance. ³ Older women, likewise, should be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine, teachers of what is good. ⁴ Then they can train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, [morally] pure, [good] homemakers, kind [and] in subjection to their own husbands, so that God’s message will not be spoken against. ⁶ In the same way, you should exhort the younger men to be sensible. ⁷ In everything [you do], you should show that you are a [proper] example of doing good deeds. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that the person who opposes [us] will have to be ashamed for not having anything bad to say about us.

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed [in Him], “If you people continue [obeying] my message, then you are truly my disciples. ³² And you will know what the truth is and the truth will set you free [i.e. from bondage to sin].”

²³ Then He said to everyone, “If anyone wants to be my follower, he should deny self [i.e., of always having its own way] and accept his cross [i.e., his responsibilities, with all their difficulties] everyday, and [then he can] become my follower.

⁴² And these [new converts] continued regularly [to listen] to the teaching of the apostles and to share with them; they broke bread [in memory of Jesus] and continued praying.

² And the things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, you should pass on to trustworthy men who will be able to teach other people also.

¹¹ And He gave some people [the gift of being] apostles; and some people prophets; and some people evangelists; and some people pastors [i.e., elders] and teachers, ¹² for the purpose of equipping the saints [i.e., God’s holy people] for the work of serving [others], in order to build up the [spiritual] body of Christ [i.e., the church]. ¹³ [This is to be done] until we all [eventually] arrive at unity of the faith and full knowledge of the Son of God; at complete [spiritual] maturity; at the [full] height of Christ’s [spiritual] stature. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be [spiritual] babies, tossed back and forth [by waves], and blown around by every wind of [false] teaching, [deceived] by the clever trickery of people using deceptive schemes. ¹⁵ But [instead], we should speak [and practice] truth in a loving way, so that we can, in all respects, grow up [spiritually] into [union with] Christ, who is the head [i.e., of His body, the church]. ¹⁶ From Him all [members of] the body are properly joined together by every supporting ligament, as each part contributes to the growth of the body and builds itself up through [mutual] love. ¹⁷ So, I tell you this, and insist [on it] by [the authority of] the Lord: Do not continue to live with worthless thoughts as [unconverted] Gentiles do.

¹⁴ You people are [like] light in the world. A city built on a hill will not go unnoticed. ¹⁵ Neither does a person light an [olive oil] lamp and place it under a bushel-sized container, but on a stand where it can illuminate everything in the house. ¹⁶ In that same way, you should allow your light [i.e., influence] to shine in front of people, so that they will see your good deeds and [be led to] honor your Father in heaven.

²⁷ [And] whoever does not carry his own cross [i.e., his responsibilities with all their difficulties] and follow me cannot be my disciple.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ So, as you go, make disciples out of people from all the nations, then immerse believers [See Mark 16:15-16] into the name of [i.e., to enter a relationship with] the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ [Then] go on teaching them [i.e., these new converts] to obey everything I have commanded you and my presence will be with you always, even to the end of the age.