This first section is written by brother Stacy Strother

“The concept of “making disciples of men” is most clearly found in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible in Matthew 28:19-20, known as the Great Commission. In this passage, Jesus instructs his followers: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20, KJV). The word translated as “teach” in the KJV comes from the Greek verb “mathēteusate,” which literally means, “make disciples.” This command, given after Jesus’ resurrection, serves as the explicit biblical foundation for disciple-making, signaling it as an ongoing project for all Christians—not just the first apostles.

To understand the term further, “disciple” has deep linguistic and cultural roots. The English word traces back to the Latin “discipulus,” meaning “student” or “learner,” which itself was adopted into Old English as “discipul.” In the New Testament, the term is formed from the Koine Greek “mathētēs,” meaning “learner” or “pupil.” But unlike merely being a student, a disciple in the biblical sense is someone who follows both the teaching and life of their master. In the time of Jesus, the expectation for disciples was to mold their character, worldview, and actions after their teacher—imitating both words and deeds (Etymonline, Wikipedia, EBSCO).

The Greek verb used in Matthew 28:19—mathēteusate (μαθητεύσατε)—reveals even more. This word derives from the noun “mathētēs” (disciple, learner) and the verb “mathēteuō” (to be or make a disciple). Specifically, “mathēteusate” is an aorist active imperative, meaning it’s a forceful command directed at a group: “make disciples!” Notably, the Greek has other verbs for “teach” (like “didaskō”), but “mathēteusate” means to actively form someone into a committed follower and imitator, not just a student in the academic sense. Etymologically, the root “math-” means “learn,” and the word carries the sense of mentoring, apprenticing, and shaping someone’s life. In the Great Commission, the directive is holistic: go, make followers, immerse them in the way of Jesus, and teach them to embody those teachings in daily life. This makes clear that, at its root and in its explicit New Testament expression, the Bible teaches and commands making disciples in the fullest possible sense (Etymonline, Wikipedia).

Obviously— the ultimate “MAKING of DISCIPLES” begins with leading them to Jesus to be saved! That- is only a work that the HOLY SPIRIT can do!”

As seems clear from brother Strother’s description above, though the LORD Jesus didn’t expressly say “God make disciples”, His Great Commission declaration here in Matthew’s Gospel does teach us to teach men to be students of Jesus Christ in doctrine and life, living, lifestyle – to truly follow Jesus in the way we live.

Could it be that the divine import, in context with the whole of Scripture, would be to help Christ’s saints follow HIM, not us? And inasmuch as we follow Christ, imitate us as unto Him (Colossians 3:17).

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

“As” I follow Christ, follow Him also. Only “as” I follow Him. Perhaps Paul is instructing the body of disciples at Corinth to follow him only inasmuch as he, Paul, is following Jesus.

“(Paul) he tells the Corinthians to imitate him, just as he also copied Christ.” Believer’s Bible Commentary

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

“For we preach not ourselves” – this is not about us, mere men, but Christ. Follow, imitate Him, your LORD and Savior.

“For we preach …. Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

Concerning the different wording used in the different Bible versions at the end of Matthew 28, one source notes:

“Make disciples/Teach: The dominant verb in the original Greek is “make disciples,” which is reflected in modern versions like the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New International Version (NIV). The KJV uses “teach”.”

It is this writer’s opinion that the King James Bible is the preserved Word of God for the English speaking peoples and that as usual it’s rendering is correct is superior (Psalms 12:6-7). Involved in this wording, “teaching” instead of “making disciples” seems to hold a protection from those who would make disciples after themselves instead of Christ.

The issue seems to be with the modern making of followers of a false Jesus, a false gospel, discipling people according to “another gospel” by those who’ve espoused such, and not discipling them after the original Gospel “once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 4)

In the absolute sense, YOU cannot make a disciple – of another person. Only Christ saves. Only Christ sanctifies. ONLY the Savior can do that! Preach the Word and let God do the rest! Rest in Him! Jesus says to go teach His Word (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 4:2-4, etc.). The LORD never, not once instructed His people to “Go make disciples” after “another Jesus” or themselves or their church and its ideas, or after any false gospel which is errant from the original Gospel. After someone repents and receives Jesus, is now saved, God has to do the rest – accordingly as the individual hearer chooses to yield to, to trust and obey Him.

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:2-4

Friends in Christ, as is rendered by the English, Jesus never told us to “Go make disciples.” Compare the KJB (the real Bible) with the fake “bibles.” See Matthew 28:18-20. The WORD, King James Bible, does not say “Go make disciples.” There’s a divine reason for such.

“Different Bible versions render Matthew 28:18–20 in similar ways, though they vary in phrasing. All versions state that Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and he commissions his disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”. Key differences lie in words like “power” versus “authority” and “teach” versus “make disciples”.” 

SEARCH THIS TERM: “make disciples.” It appears ZERO times in the King James Bible.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

“GO … TEACH all nations” – give them the Word but THEY have to decide to repent and follow Jesus, each step of the way. That’s a huge difference from supposedly MAKING disciples. YOU can’t MAKE anyone a disciple -except your own self. THEY must choose to obey God.

We cannot “make” a disciple out of anyone except ourselves. Such a notion has opened the door to much abuse.

“The notion that WE ‘make disciples’ puts the power in their (man’s) hands instead of God’s hands. He alone makes the disciples. We can’t. And we can’t grow the seeds. All we do is plant them (1 Cor 3:6-9).” Karen Cochran

Are we beginning to see just how such destruction comes from perverting the words of the LORD?

“for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.” Jeremiah 23:36

CONSIDER: Jesus never said “Go make disciples.” That’s HIS work, not ours. As the individual hears and obeys His Word, Jesus makes them HIS disciple. It’s a “false burden,” a false obligation to think that you have to make disciples (Lamentation 2:14). “Go make disciples” is just another vatican corruption of God’s Word in the new versions. In this passage the new versions pervert, the real Bible says:

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 TEACHING them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 King James Bible

Jesus sent His disciples to teach the full counsel of His Word, and as it’s heard by individuals, some will receive and obey and others will rebel (Acts 20:20-32; Isaiah 1:18-20; Deuteronomy 20:19; Joshua 24:15, etc.).

That “Go make disciples” false translation from the new fake “bibles” has led to people becoming obsessed and trying to “make disciples” in the flesh instead of simply teaching God’s Word in His wisdom and love and letting God do a work in them as they choose to submit their lives to Him.

On that note, recently a good brother in Christ sent this following message:

“I listened to your recent message and I never heard that we don’t make disciples – That only Jesus makes Disciples duh… I have been killing myself to make disciples and I went and read Matthew 28:18-20 again in the KJB and low and behold boom there it was… anyway I am grateful for your message today. God bless.” Will

It’s up to individuals to hear God’s Word with humble a heart, to repent and to obey God and follow Jesus from that point forward. This truth also prevents wolves from making disciples of themselves.

In His all-encompassing wisdom, the LORD foresaw all these things and if we obey His Word/wisdom, He protects us. Could this come under the “false burdens” Jeremiah the prophet spoke of? – “Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment” (Lamentations 2:14). Seems to me that we simply teach His Word and He brings the fish into His boat and cleans them up and makes them HIS disciples.

Perhaps this boils down to the flesh vs the cross (Galatians 3:3).

In modern church circles we often hear the push, the coercion it seems, to “make disciples,” follow up, etc.

Following up gently yes but feeling obligated to force ourselves into the life of that new believer? No.

Case in point: Phillip didn’t make a disciple of the Ethiopian eunuch. He just helped him get saved and water baptized. Then God took him immediately to another town 40 miles away (Acts 8:40). And the eunuch went back to Ethiopia on the chariot with the queen.

One writer notes:

“‘And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me cannot be my disciple.’  Luke 14:27.

So the way to make disciples is to teach and exemplify the self-sacrificial love of the cross. Loving enemies, absorbing blows, and loving those who don’t deserve it.  This kind of love, especially toward those do not deserve it, captures people and makes them disciples for Christ.  God does it.  We just take up the cross in faith.  Witnessing is a taking up of the cross.

‘Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 11:1

So yes making disciples cannot be done by human effort. It is by God’s effort, resurrection power.  This is done by teaching people to accept hardship and suffering, especially undeserved suffering, in faith, faithing it thru the cross.”

Think about this: Controlling religionists like the “go make disciples” version because in some cases it fuels their desire to make you THEIR disciple instead of prayerfully helping you learn to be CHRIST’s disciple.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” Matthew 23:15 

Upon hearing this message, brother Jason Owens replied with:

“I love this! Certainly takes away false pressure that I have been putting on myself all these years.”

Christ’s apostle Paul writes: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

Paul told the Corinthians believers to follow him AS he followed Christ, right? So, he was an example to them yet not burdened with the responsibility to make anyone follow Jesus.

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” Philippians 3:17

“Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:9

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Jesus says that we are to allow HIS light to shine through our lives and as that transpires, others will see the good works of God and be inspired to know and follow Christ.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

It’s not that Christ’s disciples aren’t to help feed, nourish, and assist other believers in growing in the grace of Christ. We are to do such and yet, also keeping in mind that GOD is working in them and that they are personally responsible to “work out” their “own salvation with fear and trembling” before the LORD.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

Daniel Kim writes:

“Making disciples and teaching the nations are two totally different meaning….the discipleship of an individual is confirmed once he or she chooses to obey God. It’s the individual’s choice that opens the door for Christ to dine in with him. Paul even makes this clear distinction when the gifts of the Holy Spirit were distributed by God upon the saints. Making disciples wasn’t even one of the gifts distributed by the Lord. We are just messengers that are sent from The Lord. But the Lord is both the life giver and the life changer. If people reject us, they don’t just go away, they also reject the Son and internally reject the Father. Many have felt guilty being rejected for Him but have forgotten that they aren’t the only ones who were rejected.”

When John the Baptist preached, unlike so many pastors today, he was not coddling people but rather putting the responsibility to walk with Jesus on them. Listen to John the Baptist preach to the religious counterfeits of his day:

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Matthew 3:7-10

How about the example of when Jesus preached to the rich young ruler? After delivering His Word to this man, who then walked away from Jesus sorrowful, did Jesus chase him down? No! Did Jesus alter the message to accommodate this man? No! Let’s get a glimpse of this interaction and notice that the Son of God simply, unapologetically gave this man the Word and let him walk away. God doesn’t need man, man needs God. Though He desires “all men to be saved,” the LORD will never force anyone (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). The LORD is no sap as many seem to make Him out to be. He gave all men free will – to love or reject Him:

“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:21-24

Jesus called the man to follow Him and the man openly rejected Christ, walking away – choosing his temporal riches over Heaven’s KING. Not only did Christ not accommodate this man’s sin, He doubled down on His teaching, His warning. Jesus spring boarded off this man’s rejection of Him by warning His disciples of the danger of serving mammon/riches instead of the LORD (Matthew 6:19-24; 10:23-25; 1 Timothy 6:6-12; Proverbs 23:4-5, etc.).

Also, in further understanding Christ’s kingdom, please pour prayerfully over our LORD’s teaching of the seed and heart soil in Luke 8:11-15 (KJB).

Anthony E Terry writes:

“Many today are trying to ‘make’ disciples, as it was my understanding in my youth to do the same, for I was taught the Lord said to ‘go, preach and make disciples,’ when the Scripture actually says: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost’ (Matthew 28:19 KJB). The obedience unto the Holy Spirit truly is what ‘makes’ disciples, and our role is to teach God’s doctrine, and then all depending on the ground that the seed falls upon will be the evidence of shown fruit. I see John when he said, ‘They went out from us, but they were not of us’ (1 John 2:19), as referencing disciplined followers. Many have professed belief in the gospel of Christ, yet many are not obedient through their lifestyle, for they have man’s doctrine instead of relying on the Word of God accompanied with the Holy Spirit for their guidance. The resulting fruit is easily seen—either they will become disciples, or they will not.”

The Bible never says to “Go make disciples”

Only the fake “bibles” say such

Here’s the KJB which is as usual correct…. Think the cross…. How can we, mere men, MAKE disciples? The connotation is off, seems contrary to the import of the cross in Scripture. Only an individual person can decide and obey God to become Christ’s disciples. We can’t MAKE anyone do so. And meditate on the posture that puts into our own minds if we think we are going to go out and “make disciples.” That puts us into the mode of holding that responsibility which is actually God’s and the individual’s. Has this not also led to men making disciples after themselves and fostered, procured the energies and resources of people to their own ministries? How can flesh make a disciple other than to itself, to its programs and organizations? Note that Jesus commanded us to go and teach His Word, not make anyone obey it. He works with men individually and they make the choice once God’s Word is taught.

Recently, to a few close friends who are ministers of the Gospel, I wrote ….

Can we actually MAKE a disciple?

I don’t think so…..

The Bible never says to “Go make disciples”

Only the fake “bibles” say such.

Here below is the King James Bible which is as usual correct…. Think the cross…. How can we, mere men, MAKE disciples? The connotation is off, seems contrary to the import of the cross in Scripture. Only an individual person can decide and obey God to become Christ’s disciples. We can’t MAKE anyone do so. And meditate on the posture that puts into our own minds if we think we are going to go out and “make disciples.” That puts us into the mode of holding that responsibility which is actually God’s and the individuals. Has this not also led to men making disciples after themselves and fostered, procured the energies and resources of people to their own ministries? How can flesh make a disciple other than to itself, to its programs and organizations? Note that Jesus commanded us to go and teach His Word, not make anyone obey it. He works with men individually and they make the choice once God’s Word is taught.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Biblical Discipleship

Fake Bible Versions

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