115 Bible Verses about discipleship, nature of

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every one that has heard from the Father himself, and has learned of him, comes to me;

And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah, and great shall be the peace of thy children.

For I am Jehovah your God; and ye shall hallow yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy; and ye shall not make yourselves unclean through any manner of crawling thing which creepeth on the earth. For I am Jehovah who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

But another of his disciples said to him, Lord, suffer me first to go away and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

Speak unto all the assembly of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Holy shall ye be, for I Jehovah your God am holy.

And they, having left their trawl-nets, immediately followed him.

Hallow yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Jehovah your God.

and straightway leaving their trawl-nets they followed him.

Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, even as the Christ loved us, and delivered himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

and let ours also learn to apply themselves to good works for necessary wants, that they may not be unfruitful.

but as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all your conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.

and they, having left the ship and their father, immediately followed him.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls;

and straightway he called them; and leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, they went away after him.

Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore;

for I have given you an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also.

And having run the ships on shore, leaving all they followed him.

learn to do well: seek judgment, gladden the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.

But ye have not thus learnt the Christ, if ye have heard him and been instructed in him according as the truth is in Jesus;

and he died for all, that they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them and has been raised.

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus;

For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. For both if we should live, it is to the Lord we live; and if we should die, it is to the Lord we die: both if we should live then, and if we should die, we are the Lord's.

and he says to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

For to this have ye been called; for Christ also has suffered for you, leaving you a model that ye should follow in his steps:

no longer to live the rest of his time in the flesh to men's lusts, but to God's will.

And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men;

He that says he abides in him ought, even as he walked, himself also so to walk.

When therefore he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, having sat down again, he said to them, Do ye know what I have done to you? Ye call me the Teacher and the Lord, and ye say well, for I am so. If I therefore, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet;read more.
for I have given you an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also. Verily, verily, I say to you, The bondman is not greater than his lord, nor the sent greater than he who has sent him. If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.

And going on thence he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their trawl-nets, and he called them;

but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and will bring to your remembrance all the things which I have said to you.

As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you: abide in my love. If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have spoken these things to you that my joy may be in you, and your joy be full.read more.
This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye practise whatever I command you.

for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the hour itself what should be said.

But when he is come, the Spirit of truth, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak; and he will announce to you what is coming.

He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.

And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, allow me to go first and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Suffer the dead to bury their own dead, but do thou go and announce the kingdom of God.

which also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any one desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.

And Jesus, passing on thence, saw a man sitting at the tax-office, called Matthew, and says to him, Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him,

And having called the crowd with his disciples, he said to them, Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it.

And passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-office, and says to him, Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.

in order that he may give you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the inner man; that the Christ may dwell, through faith, in your hearts, being rooted and founded in love, in order that ye may be fully able to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height;read more.
and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge; that ye may be filled even to all the fulness of God.

And he said to them all, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me; for whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, he shall save it.

To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves but to you they ministered those things, which have now been announced to you by those who have declared to you the glad tidings by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, which angels desire to look into.

And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.

and he commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their belt;

Jesus said to him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.

What ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, these things do; and the God of peace shall be with you.

If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple; and whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, One thing lackest thou: go, sell whatever thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose it shall preserve it.

the day that thou stoodest before Jehovah thy God in Horeb, when Jehovah said to me, Gather me the people together, that I may cause them to hear my words, that they may learn them, and fear me all the days that they live upon the earth, and teach them to their children.

And when Jesus had heard this, he said to him, One thing is lacking to thee yet: Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in the heavens, and come, follow me.

He that loves his life shall lose it, and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.

And Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances that I speak in your ears this day, and learn them, and keep them to do them.

On the morrow he would go forth into Galilee, and Jesus finds Philip, and says to him, Follow me.

namely your having put off according to the former conversation the old man which corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts; and being renewed in the spirit of your mind; and your having put on the new man, which according to God is created in truthful righteousness and holiness.

Gather the people together, the men, and the women, and the children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and take heed to do all the words of this law;

But he said this signifying by what death he should glorify God. And having said this, he says to him, Follow me.

Now these things, brethren, I have transferred, in their application, to myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye may learn in us the lesson of not letting your thoughts go above what is written, that ye may not be puffed up one for such a one against another.

Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

The disciple is not above his teacher, but every one that is perfected shall be as his teacher.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any one desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Be my imitators, even as I also am of Christ.

Because whom he has foreknown, he has also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brethren.

Be imitators all together of me, brethren, and fix your eyes on those walking thus as you have us for a model;

And having called the crowd with his disciples, he said to them, Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And he said to them all, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me;

For ye know yourselves how ye ought to imitate us, because we have not walked disorderly among you;

and whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not take forethought for the flesh to fulfil its lusts.

Let a woman learn in quietness in all subjection;

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.

but if any widow have children or descendants, let them learn first to be pious as regards their own house, and to render a return on their side to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

But thou, abide in those things which thou hast learned, and of which thou hast been fully persuaded, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God's fear.

If any one serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall be my servant. And if any one serve me, him shall the Father honour.

according as he has chosen us in him before the world's foundation, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love;

These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb wheresoever it goes. These have been bought from men as first-fruits to God and to the Lamb:

whom we announce, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, to the end that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance; ye serve the Lord Christ.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

But Jesus having called them to him, said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them. It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant; and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman;read more.
as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

that the man of God may be complete, fully fitted to every good work.

But Jesus having called them to him, says to them, Ye know that those who are esteemed to rule over the nations exercise lordship over them; and their great men exercise authority over them; but it is not thus among you; but whosoever would be great among you, shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first of you shall be bondman of all.read more.
For also the Son of man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and give his life a ransom for many.

as children of obedience, not conformed to your former lusts in your ignorance; but as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all your conversation;

as to diligent zealousness, not slothful; in spirit fervent; serving the Lord.

But for this very reason also, using therewith all diligence, in your faith have also virtue, in virtue knowledge, in knowledge temperance, in temperance endurance, in endurance godliness, in godliness brotherly love, in brotherly love love:

for they themselves relate concerning us what entering in we had to you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

Beloved, now are we children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

Jesus therefore said to the Jews who believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples;

But there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; he came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him.

He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me; but he that loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.

Nicodemus says to them (being one of themselves),

If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

and whatsoever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.

And Jesus coming up spoke to them, saying, All power has been given me in heaven and upon earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you. And behold, I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age.

Ye are the light of the world: a city situated on the top of a mountain cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but upon the lamp-stand, and it shines for all who are in the house. Let your light thus shine before men, so that they may see your upright works, and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.

And the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also.

and he has given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints; with a view to the work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ;read more.
in order that we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching which is in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error; but, holding the truth in love, we may grow up to him in all things, who is the head, the Christ: from whom the whole body, fitted together, and connected by every joint of supply, according to the working in its measure of each one part, works for itself the increase of the body to its self-building up in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind,

And they persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of bread and prayers.

Jesus therefore said to the Jews who believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. As to every branch in me not bearing fruit, he takes it away; and as to every one bearing fruit, he purges it that it may bring forth more fruit. Ye are already clean by reason of the word which I have spoken to you.read more.
Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine, thus neither can ye unless ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Unless any one abide in me he is cast out as the branch, and is dried up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall come to pass to you. In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, and ye shall become disciples of mine. As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you: abide in my love. If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have spoken these things to you that my joy may be in you, and your joy be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye practise whatever I command you. I call you no longer bondmen, for the bondman does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things which I have heard of my Father I have made known to you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and have set you that ye should go and that ye should bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he may give you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves.

If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple;

Thus then every one of you who forsakes not all that is his own cannot be my disciple.

But do thou speak the things that become sound teaching; that the elder men be sober, grave, discreet, sound in faith, in love, in patience; that the elder women in like manner be in deportment as becoming those who have to say to sacred things, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is right;read more.
that they may admonish the young women to be attached to their husbands, to be attached to their children, discreet, chaste, diligent in home work, good, subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be evil spoken of. The younger men in like manner exhort to be discreet: in all things affording thyself as a pattern of good works; in teaching uncorruptedness, gravity, a sound word, not to be condemned; that he who is opposed may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us:

And it came to pass as they went in the way, one said to him, I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest, Lord. And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes and the birds of the heaven roosting-places, but the Son of man has not where he may lay his head. And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, allow me to go first and bury my father.read more.
But Jesus said to him, Suffer the dead to bury their own dead, but do thou go and announce the kingdom of God. And another also said, I will follow thee, Lord, but first allow me to bid adieu to those at my house. But Jesus said to him, No one having laid his hand on the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.