Disciples, Part 1

Have you ever been reading a familiar passage of Scripture, one that you’ve read hundreds of times, and suddenly find a word or a phrase that you’d never noticed before? That happened to me not long ago.

Christians today, of which I am one, tend to read the Scriptures with modern eyes and modern understanding. Certain words appear in the Bible, and because those same words are in common use in today’s English, we think we know what they mean. In reality, those words, written thousands of years ago, in languages long dead, and translated four hundred years ago into a form of English also long dead, have meaning and significance far different than we imagine. Many examples come to mind, but in these posts I am going to concentrate on two words, Rabbi, and disciple.

Throughout the Gospels, we find Jesus being called Rabbi. We know that a Rabbi today, at least in American culture, is regarded as something equivalent to a Christian pastor, the leader of a local organized congregation. This is a simplistic generalization, but for our purposes it will serve. We are aware, of course, that the office of Rabbi has changed in two thousand years, that Jesus was not a pastor, and that the original meaning of Rabbi is Teacher. So far, so good.

But what does the title Rabbi imply? Allow me to offer some of my thoughts on the subject, bearing in mind that these thoughts represent the current state of my understanding of such things, and that I am still in the learning and developing process, as are we all. What I’ll understand a month or a year from now is anybody’s guess.

We see Jesus stepping into His earthly ministry by way of John’s baptism. He appears to be travelling from Jerusalem to Gallilee, He encounters John, preaching and baptizing at the River Jordan , and He is baptized. Almost immediately, we find that Jesus is recognized and is spoken to as Rabbi. From the start, He teaches and preaches, and he selects a round dozen men to receive special training and attention, to follow Him, to learn what he is teaching, to do as He does.

Here is the punch line, if I may call it so: Both Jesus and John the Baptist are called Rabbi. (How many time have I read John chapter 3 and not seen the significance of that?)

To me, the implications of this have suddenly become enormous. How did the common people come to call Jesus Rabbi? It’s obvious many of them had never seen Him before, especially since He had only begun a life journey that would eventually lead to widespread notoriety. I believe that Jesus, and John as well, had gone to Jerusalem to be educated, and they both, first John, and then Jesus, came forth bearing the title Rabbi. I believe that, as graduates of a recognized Rabbinical course of study, they both would be wearing the traditional dress that would announce to one and all who and what they were. If you saw a person, a mature adult person, wearing a cap and gown, you would instinctively address them as Professor. I believe that this is what we see happening in the Gospels.

I have a great deal to say about Rabbis, the Disciples, and discipleship, but I’m going to hold back until Part 2. I think you’ll find it worth waiting for, and you won’t have long to wait. Until then,

Cheers, and God Bless,
dlh