Passing the Baton

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of discipleship is Jesus calling his disciples to follow Him. This well-known encounter is when Jesus first told them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17). Yet, discipleship is not something only found in the New Testament. Our understanding of discipleship

is incomplete if we do not understand its early seed form in the Old Testament. You see, the New Testament is a continuation of the

Old Testament story. The Gospel begins in seed form in the Old Testament (Genesis 3:15) which becomes a mature tree in the New Testament.

One form of discipleship terminology in the Old Testament is “walking” in the ways of another, whether for good or evil (Judg. 2:17; 2 Kings 21:21; 2 Chron. 20:32).[1] From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve, instructing them in how to grow as His image bearers and to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:27–28), both individually and as the progenitors of the human race. Discipleship was the God-given responsibility of the parents to pass on their faith in God as a means of passing the baton of image bearing to the next generation.

Why, then, is discipleship often neglected today, both in the family and in the church? Adam and Eve did not pass the baton in their unfallen state; their children were conceived after the Fall and inherited a sin nature. [2]  In this truth lies the heart of the problem—sin.

Too often, we prepare for our children’s future by focusing on financial needs—college funds, for example—while neglecting their spiritual needs. That is why we must be intentional about making disciples. We were originally created for this purpose, but our sinfulness hinders us. Only through Christ, and by walking in His Spirit, can we continue fulfilling God’s command from the beginning. So we must ask ourselves: How are we passing the baton of faith in Christ to our children? How are we discipling the next generation to carry on this vital calling we have been given?

Pastor Phil Newby

[1] James Samra. A Biblical View of Discipleship. (Bibliotheca Sacra (BSac) 160:638, Apr 03) p. 226.

[2] Jonathan Sarfati. The Genesis Account: A Theological, Historical and Scientific Commentary on Genesis 1-11, (Creation Book, 2015), 405.