Part 1: Joseph Prince told another lie again, claiming that he has never been against discipleship when he lied against the Holy Spirit that we are no longer disciples anymore as the Holy Spirit has replaced it with Christians
Part 2: Joseph Prince’s false dichotomy between sonship and discipleship and he preaches a counterfeit sonship without suffering
Part 3: Joseph Prince’s deadly use of the argument from silence to deceive
This article was also sent to Bishop Philip Lim, President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) and Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, General Secretary and for the attention of the Executive Committee Members.
This article was also sent to the Alliance of Pentecostal & Charismatic Churches of Singapore (APCCS), for the attention of the Chairman, Rev Yang Tuck Yoong & Co Chairman, Rev Dominic Yeo (General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Singapore) and Council Members.
Part 1: Joseph Prince told another lie again, claiming that he has never been against discipleship when he lied against the Holy Spirit that we are no longer disciples anymore as the Holy Spirit has replaced it with Christians
In the sermon on 1 Mar 2026, yesterday,
Joseph Prince said:
Please click here to view the video:
“Recently, I was in an interview
and I was asked this question
about discipleship and sonship.
You know, is there something that, you know,
the grace perspective views it
as antagonistic to one another?
I said, “No.”
I have never been against discipleship, okay?”
Joseph Prince blatantly lied
that he has never been against discipleship,
when he obliterated discipleship
from the New Testament.
In a sermon, Joseph Prince said:
Please click here to view the video:
“And the disciples
were first called ‘Christians’ in Antioch (Acts 11:26).
What are you?
You are not a disciple anymore.
The disciples are now called Christians.
So, He (Holy Spirit) renamed the disciples for the first time.
In Acts again, He (Holy Spirit) named them what?
The disciples were first called ‘Christians’ in Antioch.
So, which is more important?
The disciples the names are changed to Christians.
We should be calling each other sons of God or Christian.”
The fact that ‘the Holy Spirit’
isn’t found in Acts 11:26 at all,
and is completely absent in Acts 11:26,
Joseph Prince’s stand that it was the Holy Spirit
who called the ‘disciples’ ‘Christians’
is wildly adding into God’s word
and blatantly lying.
In order for Joseph Prince’s view
that it was the Holy Spirit
who called ‘disciples’ ‘Christians’
and that it was the same Spirit
who replaced ‘disciples’ with ‘Christians’
to stand,
Prince had to add the words, ‘the Holy Spirit’
into the text of Acts 11:26.
Adding into God’s word is a forbidden sin
that any true teacher wouldn’t even dare to venture in
– yet, Joseph Prince has committed this audacious act again!
But even if it were true that the Holy Spirit was the one
who called ‘disciples’ ‘Christians’ in Acts 11:26
as Joseph Prince has postured,
there is never anywhere stated in Acts 11:26
and the entire scriptures
that the Holy Spirit has replaced ‘disciples’ with ‘Christians’.
Please take another closer look at Acts 11:26,
and tell me whether
you can find the word, ‘replaced’ or its equivalent
in the text?
Not an iota!
The text in Acts 11:26 plainly says:
“… The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
Joseph Prince has magically transformed
and twisted the words,
“were called” to “replaced by”
in the text.
Indeed, Joseph Prince has daringly lied against the Holy Spirit
by putting his words into the Holy Spirit’s mouth
when there isn’t a single piece of evidence
in the entire scriptures
that the Holy Spirit has replaced ‘disciples’ with ‘Christians’.
Again, assuming if it was true that the Holy Spirit
was the one who called ‘disciples’ ‘Christians’
as Joseph Prince has asserted,
plain logic, let alone Bible exegesis,
would dictate that
that doesn’t mean ‘Christians’ has replaced ‘disciples’.
Let’s take our former and late Prime Minister,
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, as an example.
Many of us would know
that Mr Lee Kuan Yew was also known as Harry,
and some of his friends called him ‘Harry’.
However, the fact that others called him Harry
doesn’t mean he is no longer called Lee Kuan Yew,
or that Harry (his ‘Christian’ name)
has replaced Lee Kuan Yew (Chinese name).
He was known as Lee Kuan Yew as most have addressed him,
or, alternatively, Harry, as some have called him.
This simply means that the former Prime Minister
can be called either Lee Kuan Yew or Harry,
depending on who called him,
and they would all be right
because they were referring to the same person.
Similarly, Acts 11:26,
26 … The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch,
doesn’t mean that ‘Christians’ have replaced ‘disciples’;
but that disciples,
which is the most common word for denoting believers,
are also now called Christians.
In other words,
whether people called them ‘disciples’ or ‘Christians’,
they are referring to the same people.
Joseph Prince has deceptively hidden this important fact from you
that even though ‘disciples’ were called ‘Christians’ in Acts 11:26,
they were still called ‘disciples’
in many other later passages in Acts:
Acts 13:52; 14:20; 14:21; 14:22; 14:28; 15:10; 16:1; 18:23; 18:27; 19:1; 19:9; 19:30; 20:1; 20:30; 21:4; 21:16.
This clearly indicates that the word ‘disciples’
has not fizzled out after Acts 11:26,
and provided concrete proof
that the name ‘Christians’ has not replaced ‘disciples’
but that both were synonymous names
used for New Covenant believers in Acts.
Joseph Prince has also hidden another fact from you
that while the word ‘Christians’ appeared only 2 times in Acts
and 3 times in the entire New Testament,
the word ‘disciples’ was mentioned 28 times in Acts
and a hefty 280 times in the New Testament
– clearly indicating that disciples
was a far more common term used to denote believers,
rather than Christians.
During Jesus’ earthly ministry,
those who believed in Him and chose to follow Him
were called disciples.
After Jesus’s death and resurrection,
the term ‘disciples’ was still used in Acts
and didn’t disappear from the scene.
Whenever the word disciple is used
in the Book of Acts,
it refers to believers without exception.
All believers are called disciples.
Those who believed in Jesus
and were saved in the Book of Acts,
were called disciples.
One becomes a disciple
when he decides to become a believer.
In other words,
the terms ‘believers’ and ‘disciples’ are synonymous.
They refer to the same person.
In a teaching session, Derek Prince said:
Please click here to view the video:
“…And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
In other words,
Christian only occurs three times in the New Testament.
That’s one of its uses.
What kind of people were called Christians?
Disciples.
That’s right.
Those who are not disciples,
have no right to call themselves Christians.
No Biblical right.
I’ll tell you the problem about making church members
who are not disciples.
Number one, they give the world a false picture
of what Christianity is.
How many times have you heard people says,
“Well, if that’s what Christianity is
I don’t want any part of it.”
I wouldn’t either.
But it isn’t what Christianity is.
The demonstration of Christianity
is disciples.”
According to Derek Prince,
Joseph Prince, who is not only not a disciple,
but he is also one who teaches against discipleship;
and hence, he has no biblical right to call himself a Christian.
If Joseph Prince isn’t a Christian,
how can he be saved in the first place?
Furthermore, there are many other synonyms
used to refer to those who are believers in Christ:
‘disciple’, ‘Christian’, ‘saint’, ‘brethren’,
‘the elect’, ‘people of God’, etc.
These have not replaced one another
but, generally speaking,
they can be used in place of one another.
Disciples are also called ‘Christians’,
in the same way
that they can also be addressed as ‘saints’
or ‘the people of God’ or ‘the elect’,
because they are synonyms,
and not because ‘disciples’ have been replaced by ‘Christians’
as Joseph Prince has falsely alleged.
Disciples and believers/Christians
are terms that are used interchangeably in the Book of Acts
– definitely implying they are synonymous
and have the same meaning.
In the Book of Acts
which documents the history of New Testament Christianity,
and arising from the church’s obedience
to Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples,
those who repented and believed in Jesus
were still called disciples:
Acts 6:7 NKJV
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
On another occasion, Luke, the author of Acts,
reported another increase in converts.
But this time, instead of using the term ‘disciples’,
he used the word, ‘believers’:
Acts 5:14 NKJV
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
On yet another occasion,
Luke also records that the disciples
were called Christians:
Acts 11:26 NIV
26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
From these 3 passages (Acts 6:7, 5:14 & 11:26),
it is rather clear that Luke treated these 3 terms:
‘disciples’, ‘believers’ and ‘Christians’
as synonymous.
They have not replaced one another
but they, if used in the context of the Body of Christ,
can be used in place of one another.
To say that the name ‘Christians’
is another way of addressing ‘disciples’,
which I have proven to be so,
is totally different from saying
that the name ‘disciples’
has now been replaced by ‘Christians’.
But this is what Prince has falsely asserted
when he told a blatant lie
that the term ‘disciples’
has now been replaced by ‘Christians’
by the Holy Spirit Himself.
This is plainly using, or more correctly,
misusing and abusing the name of God, the Holy Spirit.
In ‘The New Testament, Spurgeon’s Sermons By Each Book,’
Charles Spurgeon said:
“And no doubt many, today, profess the name of Jesus
who are not aware what discipleship really involves.
… Sitting at the feet of Jesus indicates the child-like spirit
of true discipleship.
And this is the one thing needful
– there is no salvation apart from it.”
George Ong’s comments:
Charles Spurgeon made 2 crucial points:
First, one cannot profess the name of Jesus
without knowing what discipleship involves.
Second, there is no salvation
apart from true discipleship.
This means Joseph Prince, who rejects discipleship
as being necessary for New Covenant believers,
isn’t saved to begin with.
This includes the millions of souls
that Joseph Prince has deceived
– that there is no discipleship
in the New Covenant.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
“Christianity without discipleship
is always Christianity without Christ.”
Joseph Prince,
by preaching a Christianity without discipleship
is preaching a Christianity without Christ.
How can any Singapore Pastor
keep nonchalantly silent about one ‘Pastor’ in her ‘fellowship’
who is a heretic
and preaching a Christianity without Christ?
Part 2: Joseph Prince’s false dichotomy between sonship and discipleship and he preaches a counterfeit sonship without suffering
In the sermon on 1 Mar 2026, yesterday,
Joseph Prince said:
Please click here to view the video:
“You are the children of God.
Can I have a good amen?
We are children of God.
What an identity.
What you hear will be beloved, dearly beloved, sons,
amen, you have received the Spirit of sonship,
If we say, you are a disciple,
but you are not a disciple, you are a disciple,
you are not a disciple,
we are making discipleship too important
to the point it brings down the sense of,
I am a son of God.”
What Joseph Prince has been trying to portray is that
we must appreciate our sonship
– that we are the privileged sons of God.
No one will disagree with that.
All Christians subscribe to this magnificent teaching
– that as sinners being saved by His grace,
we are given this glorious privilege
to be God’s sons and daughters,
inheriting all that He has for us.
And we can all shout a big Amen and loud Hallelujah
to the Lord.
But what is malicious is that in Joseph Prince’s teaching
to amplify sonship,
he berates discipleship.
In his assertion that privileged sonship and costly discipleship
do not go together,
Joseph Prince is effectively pitting sonship against discipleship.
It is as if, if we see ourselves as the privileged sons of God,
we must discard costly discipleship.
The scriptures never set up this false dichotomy
between privileged sonship and costly discipleship.
It is a false dichotomy that Joseph Prince
has deceptively created to poison the minds of believers
in order to get them to reject discipleship.
On the contrary, the Bible teaches that
both sonship and discipleship are equally important.
One does not cancel out the other
as though they are mutually exclusive.
Next, in this and his other sermons,
Joseph Prince painted an overly rosy and one-sided picture
of sonship and us being children of God,
one that is full of privileges with no obligations.
But this is far from the truth.
In ‘Children of God, Life in Christ, Volume 3, Studies in 1 John,’
Martyn Lloyd-Jones said:
“We have begun our consideration of these verses,
and we have seen that if we are to experience sonship
and its benefit to the full,
we must obey God’s commandments,
we must live as children of God.”
In ‘The Love of God, Life in Christ, Volume 4, Studies in 1 John,’
Martyn Lloyd-Jones said:
“Then at the beginning of chapter 3,
John comes to the second great point,
that we are children of God.
‘Behold, what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God ’; (1 Jn 3:1)
and he tells us about that.
He then goes on to say in effect,
‘If you want to live in full enjoyment of that sonship,
there are certain things you must beware of.
You must obey the law –
“whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth
also the law”’ (1 Jn 3:4 KJV)
– and the first verses of chapter 3 emphasise
the all-importance of obeying the commandments.”
George Ong’s Comments:
Did Joseph Prince tell you what Martyn Lloyd-Jones said
that sonship comes with the all-importance
of obeying the commandments?
How could he?
The reason is that he taught against
the obedience of God’s commandments
as they belonged to the Old Covenant
and have gone obsolete.
Not too long ago, I came across Romans 8:16-17,
and I realised that sonship
and the fact that we are the children of God,
not only do we have the privilege of sharing
in the glory of being heirs and joint-heirs with Christ,
but we also have the responsibility
of sharing in Christ’s sufferings:
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Sometime later, I did some reading and realise
that all the 3 big guns of Bible exegesis:
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott and James Montgomery Boice
share the same view.
In ‘An Expositional Commentary on Romans Volume 1-4.’
James Montgomery Boice wrote:
“Proof of Sonship
This brings us to the value of suffering
according to a right theological framework or life-view.
It has several important values,
and the first is the chief reason
Paul mentions it in Romans:
He has been talking of Christians
being sons and daughters of God;
now he speaks of suffering as proof of that relationship…
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones,
who explores this line of thought extensively
in his study of Romans 8:17,
“If you are suffering as a Christian,
and because you are a Christian
it is one of the surest proofs you can ever have
of the fact that you are a child of God.”
That is an important use of persecution.
It proves that we are Christians
and therefore disciples for Christ.”
In ‘Exposition of Romans Chapter 8:17-39,
The Final Perseverance of the Saints’
Martyn Lloyd-Jones said:
“And, lastly, we have seen that the Apostle
even uses suffering:
‘Since we suffer with him.’ (Rom 8:17)
If you are really suffering as a Christian
it is a proof that you are a Christian,
that you are a child of God.
The thing is inevitable.
We must suffer if we are Christians.
This is an absolute rule.
As He suffered, so shall we.
So if we are suffering
because of our relationship to Him, and as Christians,
it is an absolute proof of our relationship to Him.”
In ‘Understanding the Bible’,
John Stott wrote:
“But suffering leads to glory.
It was so for Christ.
It is so for the followers of Christ.
Peter commands us to rejoice both in our share
of Christ’s sufferings
and in our anticipated share
in the glory which is to be revealed (1 Pet. 4:13; 5:1, 10).
The apostle Paul said the same thing:
Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Rom. 8:17)
These are some of the implications of our “adoption”
into God’s family.
… For to be a son is to be an heir.
Suffering is the pledge of glory.”
All 3 well-respected Bible teachers:
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott and James Montgomery Boice
hold the same opinion
that suffering is part and parcel of sonship
and us being children of God.
This is in total contradiction
to Joseph Prince’s conception of sonship
that it is one comprising only of privileges and no suffering.
Hence, the teaching of Joseph Prince on sonship is a counterfeit
– one that is incongruent with the teachings of the scripture.
What is significant is that Romans 8:17 and the exposition of
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott and James Montgomery Boice
bring home the point
that instead of seeing discipleship and sonship
in opposition to one another, as Joseph Prince does,
there is a common theme that ties them together
– that of suffering.
Part 3: Joseph Prince’s deadly use of the argument from silence to deceive
In the sermon on 1 Mar 2026, yesterday,
Joseph Prince said:
Please click here to view the video:
“So, we look at, by the way, very interesting
that in the Scriptures, the Bible says,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John talks about
disciples, disciples, disciples,
and the Book of Acts talks about disciples, disciples,
disciples, students, students, students,
but in all the Spirit-breathed letters of Paul, Peter, James,
John, Jude, in the New Testament, all the letters,
there’s not one word of disciple.”
Joseph Prince is indeed a veteran
at using the argument from silence to deceive
– that since ‘disciples’ is no longer mentioned in the epistles,
we should not be called disciples.
Let me use the argument from silence
back on Joseph Prince.
I’m sure Joseph Prince is aware that the word, ‘Trinity’
is not mentioned a single time in the entire Bible.
So would Joseph Prince teach that the concept or theology of Trinity
is never taught in the Bible at all?
Just because the word ‘Trinity’ is not mentioned
in the entire Bible doesn’t mean
that there is no evidence of the Trinitarian God in it.
On the contrary, the Bible is full of evidence
about the Trinitarian God: God, the Father, God, the Son
and God, the Holy Spirit
– so it is the case with disciples or discipleship
as I will later show.
Does Joseph Prince know that the word ‘church’
is absent from 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, 1 & 2 Peter,
1 & 2 John, and Jude?
So going by Joseph Prince’s argument from silence,
he would have to argue that the church is absent
from these epistles
and that they were not written to and for Christians!
Ridiculous, isn’t it?
That cannot be the conclusion
as all these eight books
are clearly written both to and about the church,
even though the word ‘church’
isn’t mentioned at all in these epistles.
Does Joseph Prince know that the word ‘God’
is not mentioned in the Book of Esther?
Because God is not mentioned in Esther,
and going by Joseph Prince’s argument from silence,
he would have to conclude that God is not there at all
in the Book of Esther.
But does Joseph Prince or anyone have the audacity
to say that God is not there in Esther?
Is Joseph Prince aware that Jesus never mentioned
the word ‘grace’ a single time in the entire Bible?
If he is aware, why doesn’t he go around
and spread this piece of ‘juicy news’ to everyone
as he did to the word, ‘disciples’?
He wouldn’t dare to as that may affect the perception of people
towards his Pseudo-grace theology.
And I would be foolish to use that
against Joseph Prince’s Pseudo-grace theology.
This is because though Jesus didn’t use the word ‘grace’
we are well aware that Jesus Himself
is the personification of grace (Jn 1:14,17).
Christ’s dealings with many people in the gospels
are based on grace
(not only grace, but also law as He can be pretty severe
in many other instances too).
Just because Jesus never mentioned ‘grace’ in the Bible,
doesn’t mean He doesn’t show grace or teach grace.
Can you see now how the use of the argument from silence
which Joseph Prince deceptively uses on discipleship
can lead to?
This argument from silence, if consistently applied,
leads to an incredibly absurd conclusion.
I am belabouring this issue about the argument from silence
because this is one deadly tactic
that Joseph Prince uses to deceive and confuse people.
I do use the argument from silence too.
But in my opinion, the argument from silence is permitted
only if there is already concrete evidence
to back up one’s position.
The argument from silence can then be used
as complementary evidence
to strengthen one’s position.
But it cannot be used as Joseph Prince has done
as the single and only argument to prove one’s position,
and more so, when there are already facts and evidence
that point to the contrary.
What’s more is that there are loads of evidence
to prove that although the word ‘disciples’ is not mentioned,
costly discipleship of Jesus is alive and kicking
in the epistles.
(Please see below for more details).
Although Paul and the other apostles didn’t use the word,
‘disciples’ in the epistles,
that doesn’t mean they didn’t talk about discipleship.
In fact, their lives (and particularly Paul)
throughout the Book of Acts and the epistles
were an excellent example of a self-denying, self-sacrificing
and a suffering disciple of Christ
whose life of costly discipleship
(which Joseph Prince teaches against)
ended up in the glory of martyrdom.
So, just because the word ‘disciples’
doesn’t appear in the epistles
doesn’t mean discipleship is not evident or important
in the epistles.
In fact, these epistles are pulsating with the evidence
of costly discipleship.
EVIDENCE OF JESUS’ TEACHING ON COSTLY DISCIPLESHIP IN THE EPISTLES
Since the Apostle Paul was the main character,
and the one who wrote most of the New Testament books,
the proof of whether there is discipleship of the Jesus’ type
in the gospels, Acts and the epistles
is to examine his life and ministry through them.
We cannot miss out on the Apostle Peter too,
who wrote two books of the New Testament,
and, moreover, he was also the leader of the 12 disciples.
And I am not forgetting Apostle John,
who wrote five books of the New Testament,
and lastly, James, the elder brother of Jesus
who wrote the Book of James.
The following are what I had painstakingly and meticulously
read through and scoured all the New Testament books
(except the gospels and Acts)
for evidence of the cost of discipleship in the epistles
in order to debunk the bogus claim of Joseph Prince
that since the word disciple isn’t used in the epistles,
it has died out, or it is no longer relevant or important:
Didn’t Paul marvellously say that we can glory in our sufferings? – costly discipleship!
3 “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” (Rom 5:3 NIV)
Didn’t Paul remark that our suffering is nothing as compared to our coming glory? – costly discipleship!
17 “…if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:17-18 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul counted on the unchanging love of Christ for all his unbearable tribulations? – costly discipleship!
35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 …For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Rom 8:35-36 NIV)
Didn’t Paul urge the believers in Rome to offer their lives as a sacrifice in total commitment? – costly discipleship!
1 “…to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…” (Rom 12:1 NIV)
Didn’t Paul perceive our living and dying entirely in terms of our surrender to the Lordship of Christ? – costly discipleship!
8 “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Rom 14:8 NIV)
Wasn’t Paul willing to be the worst of the worst – to be the scum and garbage of the world for the sake of Christ? – costly discipleship!
11 “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world – right up to this moment.” (1 Cor 4:11-13)
Didn’t Paul impress on the Corinthians the vital importance of obedience? – costly discipleship!
19 “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but obeying God’s commandments is everything.” (1 Cor 7:19 ISV)
Didn’t Paul reveal himself as a faithful disciple of Christ who followed Him all the way? – costly discipleship!
1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1 NIV)
Didn’t Paul learn about dying daily to self from his master Jesus? – costly discipleship!
31 “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” (1 Cor 15:31 NKJV)
Wasn’t Paul stretched to the limit in his agonising sufferings for the Lord? – costly discipleship!
3 “…the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort… 4 who comforts us in all our troubles… 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ… 6 If we are distressed… which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7…because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed… about the troubles we experienced… We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Cor 1:3-9 NIV)
Wasn’t Paul faced with the pressure of persecution and the prospect of death constantly in his ministry? – costly discipleship!
8 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” (2 Cor 4:8-12 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul gone through so many hardships that are uncommon to the ordinary man? – costly discipleship!
4 “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.” 9 “known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Cor 6:4-5,9-10 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul inspired us that one can be joyful even in tribulation? – costly discipleship!
4 “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.” (2 Cor 7:4 NKJV)
Hadn’t Paul gone through sufferings that were unparalleled? – costly discipleship!
23“… I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” (2 Cor 11:23-28 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul got the idea about taking up the cross and crucifying himself from Christ? – costly discipleship!
24 “Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal 5:24 NET)
Wasn’t Paul prouder of his scars of suffering in battle as a faithful disciple than a soldier of his medals and decorations? – costly discipleship!
17 “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” (Gal 6:17 NIV)
Wasn’t Paul gloriously suffering as a sacrificial shepherd for the benefit of the sheep? – costly discipleship!
13 “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.” (Eph 3:13 NIV)
Didn’t Paul use his imprisonment as a disciple would be willing to urge the Ephesians to be serious about their calling? – costly discipleship!
1 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Eph 4:1 NIV)
Didn’t Paul call for a high standard of holiness among the disciples? – costly discipleship!
3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” (Eph 5:3 NIV)
Didn’t Paul command the Ephesians to obey – obedience being a key quality of a disciple? – costly discipleship!
1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord…” 5 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters…just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them…as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.” (Eph 6:1,5-6 NIV)
Didn’t Paul consider it a joy to suffer as a disciple for the sake of the church? – costly discipleship!
24 “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (Col 1:24 NIV)
Didn’t Paul view his suffering as a disciple would bear as a means for which the gospel can be proclaimed? – costly discipleship!
3 “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Col 4:3 NIV)
Didn’t Paul say his imprisonment as a disciple has only served to embolden believers to further the spread of the gospel? – costly discipleship!
13 “…I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Phil 1:13-14 NIV)
Didn’t Paul as a disciple say that living is defined in terms of Christ and death is viewed as gaining Christ? – costly discipleship!
21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21 NIV)
Didn’t Paul teach that suffering for Christ is a call for both Paul as well the Philippians that disciples would endure? – costly discipleship!
29 “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” (Phil 1:29-30 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul as the premier disciple given up his everything in order to know and gain Christ? – costly discipleship!
7 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:7-8 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul revealed that his knowledge of Christ as a disciple is deepened through his suffering for Him? – costly discipleship!
10 “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” (Phil 3:10 NIV)
Wasn’t Paul the disciple unashamed to boast about the persecutions and sufferings of the Thessalonians? – costly discipleship!
4 “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.” (2 Thess 1:4-5 NIV)
Didn’t Paul exhort Timothy to be a courageous disciple, never to be ashamed in his suffering for the Lord and the gospel? – costly discipleship!
8 “So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” 12 “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2 Tim 1:8,12)
Didn’t Paul enlist Timothy to be a disciple to suffer like a good soldier of Christ would? – costly discipleship!
3 “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim 2:3 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul endured everything in his imprisonment and suffering, which is for a bigger cause of the gospel and Christ that disciples would do? – costly discipleship!
8 “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (2 Tim 2:8-10 NIV)
Hadn’t Paul prepared Timothy that everyone who desires to be Godly will suffer persecution? – costly discipleship!
12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim 3:12 NIV)
Didn’t Paul lose his life for Christ as a martyr that disciples would be willing to go through so he will find it? – costly discipleship!
6 “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.” 8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6,8 NIV)
Didn’t Paul view the Christian life through the eyes of a disciple as a fight to be fought, a race to be run and a faith to be kept? – costly discipleship!
7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7 NIV)
Wasn’t Paul deserted by everyone, and he had to defend and suffer alone as Christ did with no one to support him? – costly discipleship!
16 “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.” (2 Tim 4:16 NIV)
Wasn’t Paul an encouraging example of one who was imprisoned through his elderly years for the sake of the gospel that disciples would be put through? – costly discipleship!
9 “…It is as none other than Paul – an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.”
13 “I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.” (Philemon 9-10,13 NIV)
Didn’t James exhort us to face trials with joy and to persevere as disciples would be faced with? – costly discipleship!
2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (Jas 1:2-4 NIV)
Didn’t James encourage believers that victory over suffering will bring about blessing and reward? – costly discipleship!
12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (Jas 1:12 NIV)
Hadn’t James inspired believers to have patience and perseverance in the midst of suffering? – costly discipleship!
10 “Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (Jas 5:10-11 NIV)
Didn’t Peter encourage us to rejoice over the triumph of our suffering because it will bring honour and glory to the Lord? – costly discipleship!
6 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Pet 1:6-7 NIV)
Didn’t Peter exhort believers about the importance of obedience and the pitfalls of disobedience? – costly discipleship!
14 “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” (1 Pet 1:14 NIV)
22 “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1 Pet 1:22 NIV)
8 “…They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.” (1 Pet 2:8 NIV)
17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet 4:17 NIV)
Hadn’t Peter reminded us that we are commanded to be holy as God is holy? – costly discipleship!
15 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Pet 1:15-16 NIV)
Hadn’t Peter warned his flock to deal with every sinful desire decisively and to fear God? – costly discipleship!
1 “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” (1 Pet 2:1 NIV)
11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Pet 2:11 NIV)
17 “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God…” (1 Pet 2:17 NIV)
Hadn’t Peter reminded us that Christ had set us the perfect example of suffering? – costly discipleship!
21 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Pet 2:21 NIV)
1 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” (1 Pet 4:1 NIV)
Hadn’t Peter said that it is God’s will to suffer for doing good? – costly discipleship!
17 “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (1 Pet 3:17 NIV)
Didn’t Peter instruct believers not to be surprised at their suffering? – costly discipleship!
12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Pet 4:12 NIV)
Didn’t Peter cheer the believers up that the suffering done in the cause of Christ will bring blessings and exceeding joy? – costly discipleship!
13 “But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.” (1 Pet 4:13-15 NIV)
Didn’t Peter inform them that suffering was the norm for believers and churches throughout the entire world? – costly discipleship!
16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. In fact, he instructed them that such suffering was the norm for believers and churches throughout the entire world.” (1 Pet 4:16 NIV)
19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Pet 4:19 NIV)
9“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Pet 5:9 NIV)
Didn’t Peter assure believers that it is the grace of God that will see them through in their suffering? – costly discipleship!
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Pet 5:10 NIV)
Hadn’t John taught that the proof of our faith and our love for Him is by our obedience – a non-negotiable for discipleship? – costly discipleship!
3 “We can be sure that we know God if we obey his commands. 4 Anyone who says, “I know God,” but does not obey God’s commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.” (1 Jn 2:3-4 NCV)
17 “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 Jn 2:17 NIV)
24 “The people who obey God’s commands live in God, and God lives in them…” (1 Jn 3:24 NCV)
2 “This is how we know we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. 3 Loving God means obeying his commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us.” (1 Jn 5:2-3 NCV)
Didn’t John command the disciples that they must live the way their master Jesus did? – costly discipleship!
6 “Whoever says that God lives in him must live as Jesus lived.” (1 Jn 2:6 ICB)
Hadn’t John set us the example of being faithful in spite of suffering even in his elderly years? – costly discipleship!
9 “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” (Rev 1:9 NIV)
Didn’t Jesus (through John) encourage the church in Smyrna to be faithful unto death despite the impending suffering and persecution? – costly discipleship!
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (Rev 2:10 NIV).
Didn’t John write Revelation, the final book of the Bible, to prepare the people of God for the toughest ever persecution that will result in the massive martyrdom of believers? – costly discipleship!
9 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” (Rev 6:9-11 NIV)
14 “…And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev 7:14 NIV)
11 “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” (Rev 12:11 NLT)
10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” (Rev 13:10 NIV)
11 “And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name. 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Rev 14:11-13 NIV)
5 “The name written on her forehead was a mystery: babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.” (Rev 17:5-6 NIV)
24 “In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Rev 18:24 NIV)
4 “…And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God…” (Rev 20:4 NIV)
If Joseph Prince still can’t see the loads of concrete evidence
about the cost of discipleship that Jesus said in the gospels:
obedience, self-denial, dying to self, carrying the cross,
suffering, persecution, giving up everything including our lives
that I have unfolded in the epistles,
then he has certainly hardened his heart against the truth.