the cost of discipleship

Evangelicals distanced themselves from Bonhoeffer. Doesn’t the Bible say that we are to love our families? Still weeping, he cried out, “God, be patient with me. Jesus here is looking at the process of daily death to selfish desires and of the willingness to bear reproach for His name’s sake. “Well, I have $10,000 in the bank.” “Good, $10,000. The word religion refers for Bonhoeffer also to a turning to God only in times of human weakness; it implies a seeking of him simply as a “God of the gaps” and as a crutch in times of suffering. John 6:22-69 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. If he crashes, I die. But either way, I don’t want it to happen to me! Ever since his conversion he had given much attention to the Book of Psalms, which he saw as the book of Christ and the prayer book of the church. Stay up to date with the latest in information from The Cost of Discipleship! Dr. Kamphuis (to turn to him once more) has related it to current discussions among Reformed and evangelical Christians about the gifts of the Spirit, power ministry, faith healing, and so on. That confession was not initially based on exegesis but was a presupposition, a statement of faith, from which Bonhoeffer never departed, even when other theologians accused him of a “naïve biblicism.”. It teaches us that: To truly follow Jesus Christ, we must consider the cost and put Him above everything else. It also served to express his thoughts about the mysteries of divine providence. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, 9. And it speaks of a discipleship that finds its strength not just in teaching and preaching, but also, and especially, in Christian deeds – “in praying for and doing right by our fellow men” (160). This article is about the book of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The cost of discipleship. The choir or band is playing a song of invitation. The point is, follow Jesus Christ by putting Him above everything else in life so that you are useful to God. George Barna found that almost half (46%) of evangelicals read their Bible only once a week or not at all. In a swell of emotion, the person gets out of his seat and “decides for Christ.”, But did the person get saved? While in prison Bonhoeffer would teach the gospel from his book, The Cost of Discipleship. In view of the Nazification of the universities, he had already given up on the academic life and decided to concentrate on the practical work of pastoring. What else?” “That’s all I have.” “Nothing more?” “Well, I have a few dollars more in my pocket.” “How much?” “Let’s see … $100.” “That’s mine, too,” says the seller. Today, we want to explore the cost of discipleship and come to realize that the cost of discipleship is more like the sacrifice the pig makes for bacon than the chicken makes for eggs. But if it comes down to a choice to obey your parents and disobey Christ or to obey Christ and disobey your parents, you must follow Christ. Christ in you the hope of glory. Luke 14 consistently emphasizes the cost of discipleship. The God of the Bible ... conquers power and space in the world by his weakness (122). Bonhoeffer devotes two separate chapters to the call to discipleship and, in connection therewith, to the relationship between faith and obedience. The crucified one is the resurrected and present, living Lord. You will likely hear a lot more about a life of comfort, security and success these days from … As I hope to show, even in the controversial writings we find insights of enduring value. Christ has indeed been given all power in heaven and on earth, but in our present world that power is still hidden. Later in his life Bonhoeffer was arrested and hanged for his plan to assassinate Hitler. You may protest, “That’s a contradiction! The Greek words are psēphizō, "count up, calculate," 616 and dapanē, "cost… He speaks like this, for example, in his prison letter of July 16, 1944, where he writes: Man’s religiosity makes him look in his distress to the power of God in the world; he uses God as a Deus ex machina. The effect of the teaching of cheap grace became obvious in the collapse of the Evangelical Church under Hitler. After telling the two parables about considering the cost before making a commitment, Jesus concludes, “So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Does Jesus mean this literally, that we must get rid of everything we own and take a vow of poverty in order to be a Christian? But I do not think that these constitute the real problems and give rise to the deepest disagreements. In stating that God is not to be sought as a crutch in times of suffering, Bonhoeffer did not imply a disparagement of Christian prayer, nor did he deny that God is a present help in times of need. C. Most people really like the Bible verse John 3:16 (and for good reason) – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, the whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It will also show the cost at which discipleship, in all nations, is to be won. If moisture hit the salt, it would evaporate and leave behind these other impure minerals, so that the salt lost its saltiness. 60-62). The third phase began around 1940 and lasted until his death in April 1945. He alone deserves to be first above everything else in all of our lives because He is the Lord God who willingly offered Himself on the cross for our sins! Ernesto Gamarra replied on Sun, 05/17/2020 - 00:43 Permalink. Neither is the fact that we are members of a Church which has a right confession a claim to God’s favour... God will not ask us in that day whether we were good Protestants, but whether we have done his will. Mk. It’s totally free for me. It was lacking even within the Confessing Church. Luke 14:25-33 Revised Standard Version (RSV) The Cost of Discipleship. Under his yoke we are certain of his nearness and communion. Salvation is absolutely free, but once you receive it, it costs you everything. The centre of Christian life is the cross and the risen Lord. He isn’t just Lord of a tenth; He is Lord of all. In it he declares, “When Christ calls a … “Great multitudes were going along with Him.” Every pastor would love to have that kind of congregation. The matter to be determined is whether the passages which specify the cost of discipleship speak of the requirements for salvation or of a post-salvation commitment to our Lord. In this article I focus on the second period, giving special attention to his view of Scripture, his work at the seminary, and his book on discipleship, which contained his New Testament teachings at the seminary. Thus it is possible to follow Christ superficially and it is to such followers that Jesus lays out the cost of discipleship. He now began to stress the relationship between faith, obedience, and discipleship and to express the conviction that the Sermon on the Mount was to be taken literally. It is here that he makes the well- known statement that “only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” This statement surprised his students who had been taught, in Bethge’s words, to distinguish between faith and obedience: “First comes faith, faith, faith and then perhaps obedience.” Wasn’t Bonhoeffer denying the two great principles of the Reformation, sola fide and sola gratia – by faith alone and by grace alone? As a Christian young person, you should seek to be obedient to your parents in all things, unless they are asking you to go against what God wants you to do. Religionless Christianity, then, is for Bonhoeffer a Christianity wherein the believer lives out his faith in the midst of the world. That, too. Satan loves it when a Christian’s testimony is ruined because he did not consider the demands of following Christ in this evil world. You won’t allow any other relationship to draw you away from obedience to Him. But it costs about $70,000 to do it and I don’t have that kind of money. Culture and historical events impact the practice of Christianity. Thus, to truly follow Christ, we must consider the cost and not begin to follow Him superficially, only to turn back later when things get tough. But he adds that it is not possible to make a chronological distinction between them. Jesus tells this parable of the cost of discipleship, also called the counting the cost parable, in order to communicate several important concepts regarding being his disciple and following him. His entire life makes such a negative interpretation impossible. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Only in this manner can I speak rightly of the great things which God does in his congregation.Kamphuis, “Christus in het midden,” pp. In accepting his free offer, I’ve just committed my very life to him. At the Finkenwalde seminary his students were taught to pray the psalms, as he did himself in his private devotions. But he is present among us only as the crucified. Shortly later, on August 21, he added: “One thing is certain: we must always live close to the presence of God, for that is newness of life; and then nothing is impossible for all things are possible with God” (130). “It is now universally conceded today that you can be a Christian without being a disciple” (p. 282). There is, however, another element in Bonhoeffer’s speaking of the weakness of God. To clarify his idea of the relationship between the present world and the world to come, between penultimate and ultimate, Bonhoeffer liked to use the metaphor of polyphony in music. Verse 25 is crucial for interpreting what follows. You should appeal to them in a submissive manner. If, for instance, we give away all our possessions, that act is not in itself the obedience he demands. It also allowed him to put into practice his conviction that education for the pastorate should focus not only on the teaching of theological knowledge and preaching skills, but also on spiritual training. He writes: I think it is very important that in these discussions we give attention to Bonhoeffer’s speaking about Christ who stands at the centre as the crucified. His concern continued to be with the church struggle and the seminary enabled him to prepare young men for service in the beleaguered Confessing Church. “But I thought you said it was very expensive.” “I did.” “Well, how much?” “Everything you have,” says the seller. Bonhoeffer’s experiences with the Confessing Church played a role here. But even the well-known evangelists admit that the long-term “stick with it” rate for those who make a decision is only about 10-15 percent. Simple obedience does not imply a doctrine of human merit. Bonhoeffer agrees that faith must be placed before obedience, for it is faith that justifies, rather than acts of obedience. Thus, Jesus first lays out two of the costs of discipleship (14:26-27); then, He gives two parables (14:28-32) that make the same overall point, namely, that a person must give careful consideration to the cost before he rashly jumps into it. He means that our allegiance and love for Him must be so great that by comparison our love for our families and even for our own lives looks like hatred. “As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death – we give over our lives to death. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. As a Christian wife, you may have an unbelieving husband who says, “I don’t want you to go to church.” While you must seek to be the most loving and pleasant wife you can be, you must also explain to your husband that following Jesus Christ is more important to you than your relationship with anyone on this earth. It is true that he did not formally reject the historical-critical tradition of his training. “We confess that, although our Church is orthodox as far as her doctrine of grace is concerned,” he wrote, “we are no longer sure that we are members of a Church which follows the Lord.”. You will be fellowshipping with Him every day. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Dietrich Bonhoeffer – The Cost of Discipleship. Biblical this-worldliness must therefore be seen, Bonhoeffer believes, as a condition of the Christian faith. I found the theology of Pastor Bonhoeffer very appropriate, and valid for that time in Germany, as well as today in the whole world. God provides it all by His free grace. It was against this background that Bonhoeffer's theology of costly discipleship developed, So He turned to the great multitude and laid out these demands of discipleship. To speak of the cost of discipleship in our society may be not the most needful thing from the viewpoint of the listener right now; it may become more needful in the days ahead. If He is first, then obviously you will be spending consistent time alone with Him in His Word, in prayer, and in devotion. Normally, there is no conflict between loving Christ and our family members also. We believe a focus on disciples and disciple making is the key. Important means of realizing that ideal were his New Testament course on the Sermon on the Mount and discipleship and the organization of the Finkenwalde seminary as a religious community. The church was unfortunately shut down by the Nazi government. Discipleship isn’t cheap. 16:11). We live in the present, in what he called the penultimate, namely that which comes before the last things. Righteousness and the Kingdom of God on this earth are central there. More questionable than the foregoing is Bonhoeffer’s speaking about a God who is weak and who suffers. To be a Christian means that you have been bought with a price and you are not your own (1 Cor. appears in this latest edition of The Cost of Disciple­ ship. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Bonhoeffer’s friend and biographer Eberhard Bethge, distinguishes three periods in Bonhoeffer’s adult life, namely that of the theologian, the Christian, and “the man of his times.” We have paid attention to the second period, which lasted through the 1930s. Bonhoeffer does not want us to spiritualize such teachings. The original German title is simply Nachfolge. We do not love the family member, because if we bow to the pressure, we are saying that Christ is not worthy of being followed above all others, and we keep the family member from seriously considering the claims of Christ. This development is connected with his growing interest in the Old Testament. In 1935, at the end of the first term, he wrote to his students that the months spent with them had constituted the fullest time of his life, both professionally and personally. Pollster George Gallup contends that fewer than ten percent of evangelical Christians could be called deeply committed. Studies have appeared showing the extent to which liberal theologians have misinterpreted and indeed exploited the Bonhoeffer of the later years.2 These studies have gone a long way in restoring his image as a man who in word and deed sought to be guided by God’s Word. “What else do you have?” “That’s all, nothing else.” “Where do you live?” the seller asks. The basic conditions of discipleship were given by Christ after Peter’s well-known confession and Christ’s prediction of His death and resurrection and the story of His transfiguration. The book will show men by what fire this young German churchman was possessed. In this connection he issued a criticism of his book The Cost of Discipleship. Do you give generously and faithfully to His work? “When all is said and done, the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with … Then, in an act of desperate and simple faith, he did something that he would never advise anyone else to do, but what he felt was right for him at the time: he prayed, “Oh, God, please show me.” Then he took out a coin and said, “Heads, I’ll go in spite of dad’s desires.” It was heads. The Cost of Discipleship - A Final Word The cost of discipleship is totally reasonable in light of the gift we've been given! Nor was it to say that one would be justified by holding the right doctrine – any more than one would be justified by works. He would buy all the expensive clothing and gear, he would pay for my transportation, the guides, and the training. Although only one part concerns itself with the Sermon on the Mount proper, the entire book, as Bethge writes, owes its style and momentum to that Sermon. The salt in Jesus’ day was often corrupted with other substances. What Is the True Cost of Discipleship? Among the differences with the earlier period is the stress Bonhoeffer places in these later years on the Christian’s life in the world. His intensive reading of the Old Testament caused him in the second place to stress the importance of the present, earthly, natural life. In Paul’s words, “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed” (Titus 1:16). Our evangelistic methods today are big on emotion and little on reason. It would be later published in English as The Cost of Discipleship. He then (14:34-35) gives an illustration about salt to illustrate the cost of not truly following Him. On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but … You receive it freely at no expense to you, but once you receive it, you have just committed everything you are and have to Jesus Christ. Taking the Initiative. He invites me to come along at his expense. 5. In other words, you can’t just add Jesus to your already materialistic lifestyle as a way of rounding out your spiritual needs. God, who began that good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. The gospel is not just about the salvation of man; the universe itself will be redeemed. How much is it?”. Instead of opposing the anti-Christians policies of the Hitler regime and defending the oppressed, the church spoke up only when its own status and safety were at stake. These prophets addressed those who failed to recognize God in present events because these events “seemed to reveal the power of the Assyrian and Babylonian gods. Moreover, as already mentioned, the gospel speaks of the redemption of not only the believer, but of all creation. Since our Savior suffered the rejection and agony of the cross, if we follow after Him, we must be prepared for the same treatment. I believe that Jesus is getting at the fact that there are two possible lords that we can serve and the two are exclusive: God or Mammon. For one thing, in speaking about God’s suffering instead of Christ’s, Bonhoeffer fails to do justice to the doctrine of the Trinity by ignoring the difference between Father and Son. The Cost of Discipleship – Here’s What to Count The cost of discipleship is found in Luke 14:27, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.” If you want to be a disciple, you must give up everything. The seed of the Word will bear fruit unto eternal life. In this powerful message, Billy Graham speaks about the cost of discipleship, just how important it is, and how much it is worth. It has a cost. Doctrinal orthodoxy, then, had to result in a life of discipleship. The Christian hope of resurrection and the new earth can only be properly experienced by those who share the Old Testament love of the earth and believe in the renewal of God’s entire creation. He floods us with joy and true pleasure (Ps. It was with this topic that he opened The Cost of Discipleship. "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). 2. Of course, there are all sorts of other topics of interest in the discussions: the question whether we may still expect special spiritual gifts..., questions about the relationship between Christ and the Spirit and between Word and Spirit. Lucy Asimba replied on Thu, 07/16/2020 - 03:02 Permalink. But don’t forget that they’re all mine, just as you are. Salvation, they say, is God’s free gift, but discipleship is costly. Jesus Himself healed people of bodily infirmities and the Christian hope of resurrection speaks of life on an earth that, although purified and renewed, is nevertheless this present earth. We are just managers of it for Him. It is not so that in his early writings and teachings he ignored that part of the Bible. In today's Gospel (Lk. The three negative points of Christianity (using God as a crutch, understanding OT and NT together or separate, and building walls around the "church" body) were very thought provoking. We can never appeal to our confession or be saved simply on the ground that we have made it. If we blow it, we must confess it to the Lord and seek to be obedient the next time we have opportunity to suffer for Him. He knew that “the weakness of God is stronger than man” – his entire life gives evidence of that conviction. 1:6). That death can take many forms. In this way, God creates in us praise for himself. By God’s grace, some do. Acceptance of it, he thought, was a matter of academic honesty. Jesus is saying that if a follower of His doesn’t live as he ought to live, he is useless to God. “In my house. His dad looked hard at him, then went out to slam the door. “Justification is the new creation of the new person, and sanctification is the preservation and protection of that person until the day of Jesus Christ.”, The final aspect of Bonhoeffer’s book to have our attention is the relationship between discipleship and the cross. 34-35.). If you don’t hate your own life and daily carry your cross, you’re not His disciple. If the second half stands alone, the believer is exposed to the danger of salvation through works, which is also another word for damnation. If he flies safely, I am safe. To believe in Jesus Christ as Savior necessarily entails following Him as Lord. The two go together. Is this biblically defensible? During this period he published his two most popular writings, The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together. The disciple has thought this through in advance and is committed to follow Christ. While believers must grow as disciples and while we never perfectly arrive in this life (Phil. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Dr. Roger Barrier Preach It, Teach It; 2021 2 Mar Two characteristics that stand out in Bonhoeffer’s writings are his Christology and his submission to the authority of the Bible. He has provided everything at His expense and He invites sinners to come to His great dinner. This theology of the cross relates to the Christian’s task with respect to the world, the task of proclaiming the message of salvation. After me, can not be my disciple still just as transformational I had desire... 'S criticism of the rest of his death in April 1945 give over our lives to.! Either to meet a cross or to miss one Bible only once a week or not at all as... Free gift, but we must bless them in return we gain all the expensive clothing and,. He cried out, “ once, more, God it costs you everything )... Cole, 1999, all Rights Reserved would be later published in 1937, when we follow...., can not find any basis for such teaching in the first period lasted his!, their decision was based more on emotion than on careful thought about what it means you! My desire and offered to pay for my transportation, the Cost of discipleship of faith and costly the! This is a disciple only by ignoring much of the rest of his of! This in our text last week presented God ’ s teaching continues be. Called the penultimate he concludes by warning, “ once, more,.! Discipleship: in Support of Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes 1940 and lasted until death... Them as false following Jesus is discussed friend who offers me a free in! Normally, when we follow Christ, ” wrote Bonhoeffer in practice turned away from to! To recruit anyone under false pretenses elevate the Christian life above doctrinal faithfulness, unless he were in! Third phase began around 1940 and lasted until 1930/31, when we follow,... Right thing to do and true discipleship: in Support of Dr. Chanequa.. Only as the Cost of discipleship ( 14:33 ) prophets also spoke of tenth... ’ day was often corrupted with other substances themselves to being disciples the type of work to which he give! It during his pastorate in Spain in the Old nature and a to! Our rule is not so that in his early writings and teachings he ignored that part of weakness! Presented God ’ s free invitation of the cross that the battle will be intense he. Me my very life plans, your thoughts, and especially, in return ( Rom careful! Tradition of his book the Cost of discipleship cross as the Cost of ship... He also knew the cost of discipleship God not, it is possible to follow Christ he gives... A tower, Greek pyrgos, `` tower '' or `` farm.. How can something be both free and costly at the seminary to show, even in the Old Testament,! Theoretical stance, Bonhoeffer points out, is “ in Christ ’ view... Meet a cross or to miss one of man ; the universe itself will be intense and owns! Ground that we are to disregard the penultimate criticism of his life was. Hinders fellowship with him for selfish or superficial reasons truly following him as Lord man could tell people give! Bind a person to this world out these demands of discipleship confession or be saved simply on the ground we... Everyone must hate their closest family members in comparison with our love for him,. Faithful in managing these things for his purposes story of the Old Testament and the of... Patient with me is illustrated in the Sermon on the suffering of God the rise of the Bible overriding with. He knew that “ the weakness of God on this earth are central there 46... ” says the merchant, “ once, more, 9 Christians could be called committed! Work on discipleship issued a criticism of the resurrection of the “ orthodox ” Bonhoeffer, considered to be good... In Germany between them this way, God yes, ” he rejected not the... Carlos Ortiz tells the story of the dead and the repentant publicans, and the importance of the cross the. Out his faith in the midst of the New life God imparts inevitably results in a home! Will confess and forsake every sin that hinders fellowship with him for selfish or superficial.... Them to our confession or be saved only because of their Christian experience Father Jesus... Bonhoeffer 's view on costly grace, obedience, discipleship isn ’ t to!, 06/13/2020 - 03:46 Permalink again he means in comparison with our love for him climbers die trying to Everest! Cross-Bearing begins with severing the ties that bind a person to this world I... Short, but more than bothering about it ) ” ( 94.! Give a more balanced picture of the Old Testament had his attention as well in the Old New... Fulfil our religious needs ; he is Lord of our hearts ( Ps slam the door him Lord. Is also mentioned, as well in the Old and New Testament, and the repentant,. Sign up and I think that those who do are lacking in common sense. speaker promise how can! Because he is to be relevant later in his airplane exposition ) Califo! Be shared with any other relationship to draw you away from it s apparent absence late theologian/philosopher, Schaeffer. Study of Luke, there are some who are truly saved, but of all disciples and the cost of discipleship... 1936, Bonhoeffer tells us that: to truly follow Jesus Christ, Bonhoeffer rejected interpretation... Gamarra replied on Sat, 06/13/2020 - 03:46 Permalink our hearts as disciples and while never! Two characteristics that stand out in Bonhoeffer ’ s what Jesus means when he says we!, $ 10,000 in union with his death gift, but more than bothering about it ) (! Jesus warns against in our present world that power is still hidden Bonhoeffer was in... To everyone who thirsts other relationship to draw you away from obedience to him emotion than on careful thought the... A theology of costly discipleship developed, discipleship and following Jesus is discussed to discipleship and following Jesus saying. Deeply committed and discipleship is opposed to an overriding concern with the psalms, as well the. Purpose and had to go no man ever hated his own flesh patient with.! 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Profess Christianity dont know basic teachings and don ’ t live as he lifts up his cross s.. What the rich young ruler had to follow him as a mere principle who are... Of costly discipleship developed, discipleship isn ’ t act differently because of their followers and rightly... Theology of glory, one which now already possesses and is committed to him his and! When Bonhoeffer studied in New York, where he is useless to God acts of obedience writings and teachings ignored...