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Where Does Discipleship Begin In The Indian Context?

A few years ago, I was asked by a village pastor in India, through a translator, if I thought it would be okay for Hindus to attend his church. I answered and said, “Sure, in America we would be thrilled if non-believers were to attend our worship services on a Sunday and hear the gospel. He said, “Good, because tonight you will be attending the church that I pastor, and one third of our congregation is Hindu.”

THIS IS DIFFERENT

These are not just “non” believers. They are practicing Hindus who worship many gods. To my surprise, everyone (and I mean everyone) sat on the floor, legs crossed, with a Bible in their lap, turning the pages to read each scripture referenced in the teaching.

The point is that this pastor was in the process of discipling these seekers into a true relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In India it would not be a good idea to simply ask someone to raise their hands in a church service to accept Christ. A person in their context might easily think, “Sure, I will accept Jesus into my repertoire of gods that I worship.” Jesus would just become another one of their gods. Hinduism is not just a religion, it is a cultural identification, deep in the context of the person’s identity.

DISCIPLE THEM “TO” CHRIST

A more appropriate approach would be to take it one step at a time, using the authority of scripture to lead the discussion.  Continue the process until there is a better understanding of the Lordship of Christ and a willingness to submit their lives to Him and Him alone.

The job now, for the pastor and the believers, is to disciple them to Christ. In other words, the discipleship begins before a person comes to Christ.  The power of the living word becomes the strategy, with patience and understanding of the unbeliever’s spiritual context. Then, the Holy Spirit has something to work with and can reveal the truth, affirmed by the discipler and his/her leadership.

THIS IS THE WAY, ISN’T IT?

My question became, “Is this not the true meaning of discipleship, no matter the context, East or West?”  Discipleship begins upon first contact, even if the other is not yet a believer. We are discipling people by the way we treat them, love them and lead them through God’s word to answer their questions. After they begin to follow Christ, we continue to disciple them into growth, knowledge, and understanding, using the scripture as the authority.

How did Jesus disciple His disciples? “Come, follow me!” He didn’t ask them to raise their hands or to repeat a particular prayer. Jesus did not tell us to go help people join Christianity. He challenged us to go and make disciples.

Maybe we could learn a thing or two from the Indian church.