Becoming a Treasure in Jars of Clay 2

Now, I realize that the “ believers who were added to their number” were never named in those writings. But, am I wrong to think  that at least some of those believers of whom Jesus and the apostles healed and drove out demons came to attend a church service or two? That is the essence of apprenticeship: teaching someone the skills and tools necessary to complete a task and then allowing them to invest all that they have learned into another willing vessel. Apprenticeship can never end with the student keeping all that he has learned to himself. It is only as successful as the person who learns instilling those tools into the life of another eager student.

Matt Smay and Hugh Halter, authors of The Tangible Kingdom address the difference between discipleship and apprenticeship. “ It’s surprising, then that that much of what we call discipleship training involves learning concepts individually with little emphasis on the practical implementation of the knowledge. Not only has discipleship become passive, but it has also been tailored to fit the consumer lifestyle. It costs very little in most contexts to become a disciple- attending a class, completing a workbook, or completing a program. What we need is a new definition of discipleship. What if discipleship became more costly in terms of time, effort, relationships or finances? What if it became a real apprenticeship?” (151).

The current problem with discipleship is that there is no risk for the individual.  Apprenticeship is only as good as the student’s willingness to learn the trade.  No one learns a trade or skill they have no interest in using at a later time.  The student must have a willingness and a passion for the subject, or else they have no vested interest in passing their skills on to someone else.

 Another aspect to good apprenticeship is to put those skills into practice. Smay and Halter go on to say “ while it is good to learn about becoming a disciple, there is significantly more that can only be understood through practice.”  Apprenticeship can only work if a student puts the skills they learn to good use. As Christians, we are called to invest in the lives of others. Titus 2: 3-5  says "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God".

There are a couple of things I noticed in these verse. The first is that both older and younger women are in need of training and learning.  When I say older or younger, I do not mean the color of your hair or the amount of wrinkles on your face. In this context, it means spiritually older or younger, or the ones who are already exhibiting these attributes.  These are the ones not gossipping about her neighbor, not conducting themselves like the world,  but loving their husbands and children , self- controlled,  not lazy, etc. If the  Holy Spirit is not already there doing His rejuvenating work in us, the world will see nothing different about us. There is nothing to attract them.  The church, which by the way is the people of God, not the building you meet in, must be made blameless. It starts with us. Revival starts in our hearts.