53 Bible Verses about Discipleship
Most Relevant Verses
Therefore, go [and] make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
And [when he] found [him], he brought [him] to Antioch. And it happened to them also [that they] met together [for] a whole year with the church and taught a large number [of people]. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
And they went out [and] proclaimed everywhere, [while] the Lord was working together with [them] and confirming the message through the accompanying signs.]]
My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.
Mary Magdalene came [and] announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and he had said these [things] to her.
He replied to them, "I told you already and you did not listen! Why do you want to hear [it] again? You do not want to become his disciples also, [do you]?"
But turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan, because you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of people!"
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples--if you have love for one another."
And after these [things], the Lord also appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two before {him} into every town and place where he was about to go.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother,
And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their towns.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, {he cannot be} my disciple.
And the disciples came up [and] said to him, "{Why} do you speak to them in parables?"
So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples,
The disciples said to him, "If this is the case of a man with his wife, it would be better not to marry!"
Now it happened that on one of the days both he and his disciples got into a boat, and he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they set sail,
For this [reason] many of his disciples {drew back} and were not walking with him any longer.
telling [them], "Say 'His disciples came during the night [and] stole him [while] we were sleeping.'
Now [when] John heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent [word] by his disciples
So this saying went out to the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but "If I want him to remain until I come, what [is that] to you?"
And [when he] arrived in Jerusalem, he was attempting to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, [because they] did not believe that he was a disciple.
At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat [them].
Whoever does not carry his own cross and {follow} me {cannot be} my disciple.
And summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could expel [them] and could heal every disease and every sickness.
And another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."
And Jesus summoned his disciples [and] said, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with me three days already and do not have anything to eat, and I do not want to send them away hungry lest they give out on the way."
And I brought him to your disciples, and they were not able to heal him."
And Jesus, turning around and seeing them following [him], said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means [when] translated "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"
Now [when] the disciples James and John saw [it], they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"
And he said to the disciples, "Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see [it].
And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out two [by] two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
And when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing!" They said to him, "We also are coming with you." They went out and got into the boat, and during that night they caught nothing.
The Lord Yahweh has given me [the] tongue of pupil, to know how to help [the] weary [with] a word. He awakens {morning by morning}, awakens an ear for me to listen as [do] the pupils.
And he said to them, "{Follow me} and I will make you fishers of people."
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us."
And another [person] also said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say farewell to those in my house."
Simon Peter and Thomas (who was called Didymus) and Nathanael from Cana in Galilee and the [sons] of Zebedee and two others of his disciples were together.
And he was in the stern sleeping on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, is it not a concern to you that we are perishing?"
So [when he] saw this one, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, but what about this one?"
From Thematic Bible
Discipleship » Conditions of » Secret discipleship, examples of
And after these [things], Joseph [who was] from Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but a secret one for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate allowed [it], so he came and took away his body.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees {whose name was} Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to him at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that [you are] a teacher who has come from God, for no one is able to perform these signs that you are performing unless God were with him."
Yet despite that, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [it], so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue.
Discipleship » Tests of
Now when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon [son] of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs!" He said to him again a second time, "Simon [son] of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Shepherd my sheep!" He said to him a third [time], "Simon [son] of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed because he said to him a third [time], "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything! You know that I love you!" Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep! read more.
Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you tied [your clothes] around yourself and walked wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you up and carry [you] where you do not want [to go]. (Now he said this to indicate by what kind of death he would glorify God.) And [after he] had said this, he said to him, "Follow me!"
In the [same] way, therefore, every [one] of you who does not renounce all his own possessions {cannot be} my disciple.
"Therefore everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge him before my Father [who is] in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father [who is] in heaven. "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth! I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. read more.
For I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And the enemies of a man [will be] the members of his household. The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, {he cannot be} my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and {follow} me {cannot be} my disciple.
Discipleship » Followers, blessings promised to » Heavenly honour
If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what [is that] to you? You follow me!"
Discipleship » Followers, blessings promised to » A divine example
These are those who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These [are] the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were bought from humanity [as] first fruits to God and to the Lamb,
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps,
Discipleship » Followers, blessings promised to » Spiritual knowledge
Whoever does not carry his own cross and {follow} me {cannot be} my disciple.
Let us know, let us press on to know Yahweh; his rising [is] sure like [the] dawn. He will come like the showers to us, like [the] spring rain that waters [the] earth.
Discipleship » Conditions of » Self-denial and cross-bearing
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Discipleship » Followers, blessings promised to » Guidance of the still small voice
Discipleship » Conditions of » Renunciation
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, {he cannot be} my disciple.
Discipleship » Conditions of » Leaving all
In the [same] way, therefore, every [one] of you who does not renounce all his own possessions {cannot be} my disciple.
Discipleship » Followers, blessings promised to » Spiritual light
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Discipleship » Conditions of » Steadfastness
Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples,
Discipleship » Conditions of » Fruitfulness
My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.
Topics on Discipleship
discipleship, benefits of
John 8:12Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
discipleship, cost of
Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
discipleship, nature of
John 6:45It is written in the prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who hears from the Father and learns comes to me.
Secret Discipleship
John 3:1-2Now there was a man of the Pharisees {whose name was} Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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