What is the importance of descipleship?

Answer 1

Descipleship does not only have spiritual meanings. It means a follower, or one who is totally devoted to the one he serves. Jesus commands his desciples many times in the gospels to heed His words (listen carefully and practice what He says), because soon He would depart from Earth and return to Heaven to sit at His Father's right hand. In John 14:15, Jesus commissions His desciples to spread the gospel to every living thing. The purpose of descipleship in the Bible was to finish the work Jesus began on Earth. He has called all Christians to be His desciples (more info on becoming a Christian: John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8). Descipleship is a gift from God, and is one that all believers are charged with. We are also commanded to "make desciples". This is yet another command, that we, once we (spiritually) become adults, must in turn make desciples, to continue Jesus' work when we are gone.