VI. Discipleship
The Spirit’s work in the Church’s worship, holiness, fellowship, and mission.
What this division is
Discipleship gathers Acts, the New Testament letters, and the Epistle of Barnabas. Acts follows the spread of the Gospel and the formation of communities through the Holy Spirit. The letters teach, encourage, correct, and sustain believers; Barnabas contributes an early Christian reflection on faith and the way of life. Together these writings ask what it means to belong to Christ in practice.
Why seven divisions?
Saints Translation groups its seventy books into seven connected movements: Law establishes the covenant foundations; Judgement confronts sin and suffering; Wisdom forms the heart; Providence follows God’s preserving purpose; Salvation proclaims Christ’s redeeming work; Discipleship describes life in Him; and Glory looks toward its fulfilment. Seven recalls the completion and holy rest of the creation week (Genesis 2:1–3). This is the reading arrangement used in this edition. Its divisions help us follow one unfolding story while attending to the distinct voice of each book.
Discipleship follows Salvation because redemption gives rise to a shared way of life. Within the seven divisions, it explores how the Gospel shapes worship, relationships, work, leadership, suffering, and mission as Christ’s people grow toward maturity.
Christ and His saved people
The risen Jesus continues His work through the Spirit. He is the Church’s Lord and the cornerstone who holds His people together. Christian life draws its strength from communion with Him: His self-giving love shapes their conduct, His truth guides their teaching, and His grace sustains their service.
His saved people learn to live as one body across differences of background and circumstance. They are formed in prayer, fellowship, generosity, reconciliation, and steadfast hope. Salvation is God’s gift, and the good works of discipleship are the life for which He forms them in Christ. Personal growth and the care of the whole community belong together.
Read alongside: Acts 2:42–47 · Ephesians 2:8–22 · Ephesians 4:11–16
Read the books
- Acts
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Epistle of Barnabas
- The Teachings of the Apostles — the major and minor teachings of Acts to Barnabas on one page, with the words of Christ and the Scriptures they rest on