An analysis of the concept of discipleship in the book of Deuteronomy

Abstract

The Old Testament discipleship theme is entrenched and expressed in covenantal terms. However, studies on discipleship in the Old Testament have been scarce. This happens because of the assumption that the Old Testament has little or no contribution to the theme of discipleship and the presumed absence of the discipleship terms in the Old Testament canon. This research studied some theological dictionaries, encyclopedia entries, and Old Testament literature. This helped to examine the previous studies relating to the concept of discipleship in the Old Testament. From this literature, it was observed that the Old Testament canon has not been fully engaged in the discussion on discipleship. Consequently, this dissertation analyzed how the concept of discipleship is developed throughout the book of Deuteronomy and examined its contributions to the development and understanding of biblical discipleship. To achieve this, the discipleship language in both the Old and New Testaments were examined to extract the discipleship terms and themes in both Testaments. By employing the Qualitative Content Analysis method, a coding frame was developed and applied in analyzing the entire book of Deuteronomy. Findings revealed that the foundation of Old Testament discipleship is the covenant, where God initiates a relationship with Israel, calling them into his divine plan of salvation. The covenant people, who are Yahweh’s disciples, are called to learn and teach Yahweh’s ways, making sure that God’s instructions are transmitted through generations. This learning brings about a commitment to obey and keep their Master’s commandments, manifesting faithfulness to his will. As they grow in obedience, it results in walking after and following Yahweh, harmonizing their lives with his will. This faithful walk affirms their membership and election, revealing that they are chosen by grace and set apart as the LORD’s people. This status confers on them a profound sense of responsibility to fear God, which means living in reverence and awe of God’s holiness, guiding every aspect of life. Consequently, the fear of God leads to worship, as covenant people respond to God’s faithfulness with adoration and devotion. True worship propels love for the LORD and others, as obedience is expressed via unswerving affection. This love strengthens fellowship and encourages one another in faith. As the community grows in love and obedience, they begin and continue to bear witness, proclaiming Yahweh’s truth to the world around them. In this way, discipleship becomes a ceaseless, interconnected journey where each item strengthens the other, establishing a complete and faithful walk with God. The study further showed that mission and discipleship are interrelated. Yahweh’s plan involves his followers playing active parts in his mission to redeem and restore the fallen creation. Hence, he called them into a life of service. The book of Deuteronomy thus serves as a practical guide for Yahweh’s disciples. The covenantal principles derived from the book present deep perceptions of how individuals and communities can incorporate and communicate Yahweh’s redemptive purposes to the world. Also, training individuals to know and live out Yahweh’s covenant equips them to participate in his mission. Apart from teaching, other strategies include living out the covenant faithfulness, following or walking after God, promoting love and worship, building strong communities, and keeping God’s commandments. So, the covenant relationship is not only about personal faithfulness but also people bearing witness to Yahweh’s glory among the nations. The research concluded that the book of Deuteronomy contributes to the understanding and development of the concept of discipleship not only in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament. Therefore, the lexical terms and themes of discipleship found in every structure of the book of Deuteronomy should guide modern disciples of Christ in their relationship with him and help them understand what it requires to be a genuine disciple.