Disciple (Christianity) Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==="Be transformed"=== The [[Gospel#Canonical gospels|canonical gospels]], [[Acts]], and the [[Pauline epistles]] urge disciples to be imitators of Jesus Christ or of God himself.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} Being imitators requires obedience exemplified by moral behavior.<ref>Richard N. Longenecker, ed., ''Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament'' (Eerdman’s, 1996) 1, 5, 141.</ref> With this [[Bible|biblical]] basis, [[Christian theology]] teaches that discipleship entails transformation from some other [[worldview]] and practice of life into that of Jesus Christ, and so, by way of [[Trinity|Trinitarian]] theology, of God himself.<ref>"[[Rick Warren]]’s Definition of Disciple" at {{cite web|url=http://blog.exponential.org/2012/11/warren-on-discipleship/ |title=Rick Warren's Definition of Discipleship | Exponential |access-date=2013-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001244/http://blog.exponential.org/2012/11/warren-on-discipleship/ |archive-date=2013-12-03 }}</ref> [[Paul the Apostle]] stressed [[wikt:transformation|transformation]] as a prerequisite for discipleship when he wrote that disciples must "not be conformed to this world" but must "be transformed by the renewing of [their] minds" so that they "may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."<ref>{{bibleverse|Romans|12:2|NRSV}}</ref> Therefore, a disciple is not simply an accumulator of information or one who merely changes moral behavior in conformity with the teachings of Jesus Christ, but seeks a [[Metanoia (theology)#Metanoia today|fundamental shift]] toward the ethics of Jesus Christ in every way, including complete devotion to God.<ref>''Tyndale Bible Dictionary'' (Tyndale House, 2001), s.v. "Disciple."</ref> In several Christian traditions, the process of becoming a disciple is called the ''[[Imitation of Christ]].'' This concept goes back to the Pauline epistles: "be imitators of God" (Ephesians 5:1) and "be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).<ref name=Bowden285 >''The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology'' by Alan Richardson, John Bowden 1983 {{ISBN|978-0-664-22748-7}} s.v. "Imitation of Christ, The," 285-286.</ref> ''[[The Imitation of Christ]]'' by [[Thomas à Kempis]] promoted this concept in the 14th century. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page