Discipleship : the priority of the ‘Kingdom and his righteousness’

• Published in: Hervormde teologiese studies Vol. 73; no. 4; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Author: Nel, Malan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: AOSIS 25-10-2017; African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS; Reformed Theological College of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria and Society for Practical Theology in South Africa
• Subjects: Analysis; Christian life; Church; Discipleship; Evangelism; kingdom; ministry; Religion; righteousness; Social aspects; South Africa
• ISSN: 0259-9422; 2072-8050; 2072-8050
• DOI: 10.4102/hts.v73i4.4583

Discipleship has almost vanished from normal church conversations. I will argue in this article that this is for more than one reason, but may be, because we have for some or other illogical reason, equated confrontational evangelism with disciple making. Or maybe even closer to the Afrikaans-speaking home: It is just too radical for denominations that, even more than 20 years into a democratic society, still prefer the ‘convenience’ of a culturally constituted and dominated local church. This article will dare to move even further by not only taking the rediscovery of this costly concept and ministry as happening, but also searching for what it means for disciples to ‘seek the Kingdom and his righteousness’ (Mt 6:33). The background to my research problem and question is that ‘we’ can just not afford that people, because of the church, not being serious about herself, turn away from the church – but turn to God: ‘Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God’ (Lenny Bruce †1966). This is just not normal.