A Progressive Look at the Urgent Work of Making Disciples
1 Before leaving the earth, Jesus commanded his followers to “make disciples of people of all the nations.” This required that they undertake an intensive preaching and teaching campaign and extend their activity into all the inhabited earth. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8) Did they view this commission as a burden too difficult to bear? Not according to the apostle John. After spending 65 years as a disciple maker, he wrote: “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.”—1 John 5:3.
2 The Scriptural record of the activity of the early Christians proves that they urgently worked at their commission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 4:1, 2) They did this, not simply out of duty, but because of their loving desire to praise God and to bring the hope of salvation to others. (Acts 13:47-49) Because all who became disciples were thereafter disciple makers themselves, the Christian congregation grew rapidly in the first century.—Acts 5:14; 6:7; 16:5.
3 The Disciple-Making Work Speeds Up: The greatest disciple-making work of all time is being accomplished in this 20th century! Thus far, millions of people have accepted the good news and acted on it. (Luke 8:15) Since time is fast running out for the present system of things, “the faithful and discreet slave” has provided us with the tools that make it possible for people of honest heart to learn the truth quickly.—Matt. 24:45.
4 In 1995 we received the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, and in 1996 it was followed by the brochure What Does God Require of Us? Regarding the Knowledge book, the January 15, 1996, issue of The Watchtower, page 14, stated: “This 192-page book can be studied in a comparatively short time, and those ‘rightly disposed for everlasting life’ should be able to learn enough through a study of it to make a dedication to Jehovah and get baptized.”—Acts 13:48.
5 The June 1996 Our Kingdom Ministry insert, “How to Make Disciples With the Knowledge Book,” gave us this goal: “Depending on the circumstances and aptitude of the student, it may be possible for you to cover most chapters in one session of an hour or so, without rushing through the study. Students will make better progress when both teacher and student keep their appointment for the study each week.” The article went on to say: “It should be expected that by the time a person completes a study of the Knowledge book, his sincerity and depth of interest in serving God will have become apparent.” The Question Box in the October 1996 Our Kingdom Ministry explained: “It is expected that within a relatively short period of time, an effective teacher will be able to assist a sincere average student to acquire sufficient knowledge to make an intelligent decision to serve Jehovah.”
6 The Knowledge Book Gets Results: On the occasion of a young woman’s baptism, she related how she felt about studying the Knowledge book. For a while she had been studying the Live Forever book. When the Knowledge book was released, the sister conducting her study switched to the new book. Soon, the student could see that this was going to require a decision on her part, and she was motivated to make rapid progress from that point on. The young woman, now our sister, says: “The Live Forever book helped me to love Jehovah, but the Knowledge book helped me to make the decision to serve him.”
7 Consider how quickly another woman learned the truth. After her second study, she attended a meeting at the Kingdom Hall during the visit of the circuit overseer. That week, at her third study, she told him that she had made her dedication to Jehovah and wanted to become an unbaptized publisher. She met with the elders, who approved her as a publisher, and the next week she started in field service. She became so involved in her Bible study that she took a leave of absence from her job in order to study two or three times a week and spend more time in the ministry. On occasion, they would cover two or three chapters per session. She began applying what she was learning in all areas of her life, finished the Knowledge book in four weeks, and progressed to baptism!
8 The husband of a sister describes himself as having been “a typical unbelieving mate.” One day, a brother offered him a Bible study in the Knowledge book on the condition that the man could quit after the first study or at any time thereafter. The husband agreed to give it a try, despite being a poor student in his younger days and not having studied religious literature of any kind for over 20 years. What was his reaction to studying the Knowledge book? He said: “It was a real pleasure to find that this Bible aid was written with such simplicity. The information was presented so clearly and logically that before long, I was looking forward to our next study with great expectation. My teacher skillfully followed the disciple-making methods outlined by the Society, and with the help of Jehovah’s spirit, I was baptized four months later. I can truly say that if we develop a love for making disciples, continue searching for those righthearted ones in the field ministry, make use of the Knowledge book and other Bible aids as supplied by the Society and, most important, pray for Jehovah’s direction, we can have the very special privilege of helping to make disciples.” The above are truly exceptional experiences. Most of our students do not come into the truth this quickly.
9 Students Progress at Different Speeds: It must be acknowledged that the abilities of both teachers and students of God’s Word can vary considerably. Spiritual growth can be slow or fast. Some students make in a few months the progress that may take others much longer to realize. A person’s rate of spiritual growth is affected by his educational background, by the degree of his appreciation for spiritual things, and by the depth of his devotion to Jehovah. Not everyone we study with has “the greatest eagerness of mind” to study the Scriptures daily, as did the ancient Beroeans who became believers.—Acts 17:11, 12.
10 That is why the April 1998 Our Kingdom Ministry insert, “Wanted—More Bible Studies,” gives this realistic direction: “Of course, not all Bible students progress at the same rate. Some are not as spiritually inclined as others nor as quick to absorb the things being taught. Others lead very busy lives and may not be able to devote the time needed to cover a full chapter each week. Thus, in some cases it may be necessary to take more than one study session to cover certain chapters and some additional months to complete the book.”
11 Disciple Makers Keep a Balanced View: It is necessary to gauge the pace of the study according to the circumstances and aptitude of the student. Since we are being encouraged to start studies in the Require brochure, it may take from two to three months to cover it before getting into the Knowledge book. If we utilize all the suggestions that were outlined in the June 1996 Our Kingdom Ministry insert, it could very well take another six to nine months to finish the Knowledge book. Some who just started a study in the Knowledge book switched over to the Require brochure to help the student to learn basic Bible truths more quickly. Then the study in the Knowledge book was resumed. If a study is started in the Knowledge book and progresses well, it may be advantageous to study the Require brochure after completing the book, thus quickly reviewing the basic truths of God’s Word. In either case, we do not want to sacrifice the student’s having a clear understanding for the sake of speed. Every student needs a solid basis for his newfound faith in God’s Word.
12 In view of where we are in the stream of time, it is more urgent than ever before to help others learn the truth. Besides continually praying to start new Bible studies, let us pray for those who are already studying with us. Then it will be our joy to keep baptizing more disciples “all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”—Matt. 28:20.