Written by Caleb Suko, director of The Gospel Today, a Ukrainian ministry focused on evangelism, discipleship, and biblical training
What if you could peek into Paul’s life and observe the nuts and bolts of his faithful discipleship? Acts 20 opens a door and gives us a glimpse into the apostle’s private and public discipleship practices with the Ephesian church. We see him weeping with the people, praying with them, and teaching them.
Paul knew that without intentional, gospel-driven discipleship, the church would drift. The same danger exists today. Churches that replace biblical discipleship with trendy cultural fads may draw a crowd, but they’ve lost their spiritual engine. As a result, believers are left vulnerable to false doctrine, their faith grows shallow, and moral compromise can creep in.
In his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders, Paul highlights six essential qualities for discipleship that he also modeled for them. He reminds the church leaders that true discipleship can’t happen from a distance. It requires personal presence joined with clear teaching that shapes both belief and behavior. It’s more than a weekend seminar; it requires steady investment over time.
All this must be carefully rooted in the soil of humility and a willingness to share our pain and failures with those we’re discipling. Often we’ll face setbacks. Some will stumble and walk away, but when we persevere through these difficulties, we model the same long-suffering love Christ shows to us. Finally, Paul called the elders in Ephesus to be attentive, not only to themselves but also to wolves in sheep’s clothing who would inevitably arise.
Amid our church culture that often chases numbers to build a platform, Paul’s words remind us that discipleship builds people one at a time. This isn’t the quick road to celebrity status, but it is the path of faithful ministry that bears fruit in a church grounded and growing in God’s Word.
—Caleb
