115 Bible Verses about discipleship, nature of

It is written in the Prophets, "And they shall all be taught of God." Therefore everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to Me.

And all your sons shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of your sons.

For I am Jehovah your God, and you shall sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of swarming thing that swarms on the earth. For I am Jehovah who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

And another of His disciples said to him, Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and let the dead bury their dead.

Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I, Jehovah your God, am holy.

And they immediately left their nets and followed him.

And you shall sanctify yourselves, and be holy. For I am Jehovah your God.

And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Therefore be followers of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, so that they may not be unfruitful.

but according to the Holy One who has called you, you also become holy in all conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed Him.

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

Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls.

And immediately He called them. And they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after Him.

Depart from evil and do good; and live forevermore.

For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

And bringing their boats onto land, forsaking all things, they followed Him.

learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan, plead for the widow.

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and were taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.

and He died for all, that the living ones may live no more to themselves, but to Him who died for them and having been raised.

With my soul I desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the people 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 no one dies to himself. For both if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore both if we live, and if we die, we are the Lord's.

And He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

For you were not called to this? For Christ also suffered on our behalf, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps,

in order no longer to live in the lusts of men, but in the will of God the remaining time in the flesh.

And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men.

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.

So after He had washed their feet and had taken His garments and had reclined again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me the Teacher, and Lord, and you say well, for I AM. If then I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.read more.
For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, A servant is not greater than his master, neither is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

And going on from there, he saw another two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their 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 bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.

As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.read more.
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.

However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come.

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it.

And He said to another, Follow Me! But he said, Lord, first allow me to go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever desires to lose his life for My sake shall find it.

And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, Follow Me! And he arose and followed Him.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it.

And as He passed on, He saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him.

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height,read more.
and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he shall save it.

To them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us, they ministered the things which are now reported to you by those who have preached the gospel to you in the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

And after these things He went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, Follow Me.

and commanded them that they take nothing in the way, except only a staff; no bag, no bread, no copper in the belt,

Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, follow Me.

Do those things which you have also learned and received and heard and seen in me. And the God of peace shall be with you.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple.

Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him and said to him, One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, take up the cross and follow Me.

Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Remember the day that you stood before Jehovah your God in Horeb, when Jehovah said to me, Gather the people to Me, and I will make them hear My Words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and they may teach their sons.

And when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, Yet you lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, follow Me.

He who loves his life shall lose it. And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.

And Moses called all Israel and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, so that you may learn them and keep and do them.

The day after, Jesus desired to go forth into Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me.

For you ought to put off the old man (according to your way of living before) who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness.

Gather the people, men and women and the little ones, and your stranger who is within your gates, so that they may hear and that they may learn and fear Jehovah your God, and be careful to do all the words of this Law,

He spoke this signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, Follow Me.

And these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, so that no one of you may be puffed up against one another.

Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

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

The disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect shall be like his master.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

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

For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.

Brothers, be imitators together of me, and mark those who walk this way, for you have us for a pattern.

And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us. For we did not behave ourselves disorderly among you,

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not take thought beforehand for the lusts of the flesh.

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to be godly to their own house, and give back to their forebears what is due them; for that is good and pleasing before God.

But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

Then having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilements of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

These are those who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, as a firstfruit to God and to the Lamb.

whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord Christ.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender feelings of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering,

But Jesus called them and said, You know that the rulers of the nations exercise dominion over them, and they who are great exercise authority over them. However, it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be chief among you, let him be your servant;read more.
even as 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 perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.

But Jesus called them and said to them, You know that they who are accounted rulers over the nations exercise lordship over them. And their great ones exercise authority on them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever of you desires to become first, he shall be servant of all.read more.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but according to the Holy One who has called you, you also become holy in all conduct,

As to diligence, not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

But also in this very thing, bringing in all diligence, filling out your faith with virtue, and with virtue, knowledge; and with knowledge self-control, and with self-control, patience, and with patience, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly kindness, and with brotherly kindness, love.

For they themselves witness what kind of entrance we had to you, even how you turned from idols to God in order to serve the living and true God,

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.

And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him.

He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.

Nicodemus said to them, (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them),

If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments.

And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;read more.
so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit. But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; from whom the whole body, fitted together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of each part, producing the growth of the body to the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should not walk from now on as other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,

And they were continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship and in the breaking of the loaves, and in prayers.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through 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 remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

So then, everyone of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple.

But you speak the things which become sound doctrine: aged men to be temperate, sensible, discreet, sound in faith, in love, in patience. Let the aged women likewise be in reverent behavior, not slanderers, not enslaved by much wine, teachers of good;read more.
that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, subject to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise exhort the young men to be discreet; In all things having shown yourself a pattern of good works: in the doctrine, purity, sensibleness, without corruption, in sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he who is opposed may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

And it happened as they were going in the way, one said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. And He said to another, Follow Me! But he said, Lord, first allow me to go and bury my father.read more.
Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, but first allow me to take leave of those in my house. And Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.