Learned, Received, Heard, & Seen

“Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

In Philippians 4:9, Paul uses four verbs to emphasize his discipleship method to the Philippians. Three verbs indicate the Philippians learned from hearing Paul’s authoritative teaching. They "learned" by acquiring knowledge or skills through instruction, they "received” by formally receiving authoritative teaching (as from an approved source, Paul), and by what they “heard,” which means to become aware of something, conceived of as hearing about it. Before the canon of Scripture was fully formed, Paul was the recognized and authoritative source of teaching for the Philippians. Ralph P. Martin explains, “Before the composition of the New Testament and its acceptance as authoritative Scripture, ‘the tradition,’ as a standard of Christian belief and behaviour, was embodied in the teaching and example of those persons in whose lives the authority and ethical practice of the Lord was to be found.”[1] Paul affirms the grounds of his authority by stating that it came directly from Christ: "For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human source, and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11-12, Christian Standard Bible). Paul taught with authority received from the Lord and fully expected those who received his teachings to apply them. It is also apparent that the Philippians received and accepted his teaching as a reliable and trusted source.

The last verb indicates that the Philippians were educated by what they “seen,” which means to perceive by sight. Paul lived the truths of his authoritative teachings as a model for his disciples to follow. What he taught was always reflected in his actions. Paul wanted the Philippians to copy him. This was a repeated challenge issued to those who received his teachings. He urged the Corinthians to copy his living pattern by saying, "Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1, CSB) and "I urge you to imitate me" (1 Cor. 4:16, CSB). Earlier in Philippians (3:17), Paul encourages the followers in Philippi to imitate him and anyone else following the Christ-centered lifestyle they had witnessed in Paul.

The Philippians learned and received knowledge of the Christian life by hearing Paul’s teaching and observing Pual’s life as a living example. Paul’s example of discipleship connects learned truths with practical application. Teaching without application holds no significance until the bridge to the application has been crossed. In most churches today, if discipleship exists, it has been minimized to the mere transfer of information devoid of spiritual application. Discipleship must focus on actively mentoring and guiding believers to apply their faith daily. The tone of Paul's words is clear: "Follow my example," "Imitate me," and "Do as I am doing." He taught the truth and lived the truth.

An issue that has become increasingly apparent within the American church culture is the disparity between believers' knowledge and their actions. While most Christians engage in Sunday school, discipleship classes, and Sunday morning worship, a disconnect exists between their learning and practical application. They have been hearing the word but not practically applying what the word has instructed (James 1:22-25). The writer of Hebrews highlights this same problem when he expresses his displeasure in the believer’s lack of maturity, saying, “Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant” (Heb. 5:12-13, CSB). Many believers have learned truths of God’s word for years, but that collection of learned information has never materialized into action.

Much of the teaching offered through the church today lacks a strategy to build the bridge between what is being taught and its application. Making disciples makes this step necessary. Discipleship is not just the acquisition of information; it requires instruction that leads to life transformation. Stuart Weber adds, “Jesus instructed us not only to teach content but to train people into obedient action: teaching them to keep everything I have commanded you.”[2] Obedient action fails to materialize in a disciple's life unless teaching is grounded in real-life practicality. In his book Spiritual Discipleship, J. Oswald Sanders states that “a disciple of Christ can be defined as ‘a learner of Jesus who accepts the teaching of his Master, not only in belief but in lifestyle.’ It involves acceptance of the views and practices of the Teacher and obedience to His commands.”[3] Teaching and application must be equally emphasized. This seems to be exactly what Paul is highlighting to the Philippians. They can determine the importance of what they have been taught because it is observable in Paul’s life. They are more likely to replicate his behaviors because, by watching Paul, they can see the real-life application of the truths he taught and connect what they've learned to practical action. Paul readily invites them to repeat what they see in his life.

The deficiency in biblical discipleship in today’s church is evident: most teaching has been reduced to the mere transfer of information devoid of spiritual application. The church has many biblically literate people, but they are not urging others to imitate their lives as Paul did. Why? Perhaps the missing element in teaching is that instructors often lack an "imitate me" approach. It’s like the familiar saying between some parents and their children: "Do as I say, not as I do." Perhaps many teachers might hope their students are more successful at living out biblical truths than they have been, or they may feel ashamed of their own struggles in applying those truths. In his book, The Complete Book of Discipleship, Bill Hull states that “a disciple is a student or follower of Jesus (who) has decided to submit to at least one other person under appropriate conditions in order to become like that person as that person follows Christ. Because character develops in community, the disciple’s intention is to go deeper with God and to be shaped into the image of Christ.”[4]

Biblical discipleship’s relational “imitate me” pattern is the only acceptable approach. Hull’s explanation of the relationship between a disciple and the person they follow stresses the relationship witnessed between Paul and the “saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi” (Phil. 1:1, CSB). He refers to them as his partners in the gospel and grace. Paul's relationship was not only as the Philippians' instructor of biblical truths, but he also modeled the way for them to follow.

For the church to realign with biblical discipleship, there must be an acknowledgment that learning is only one aspect of the Great Commission that must be fulfilled. Obedient action fulfills the rest of the Great Commission's intended purpose of “observe everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20, CSB). No matter what stage of following Jesus, a disciple can always learn more about him and what he commanded. Similarly, there is never a point in a disciple’s life where areas do not need to be shaped to reflect the image of God's Son. Therefore, a discipleship process must emphasize the practical application of learned information to become more like Jesus. The best method may be recreating Paul's model, learning by hearing and imitating observable biblical behaviors.

Have you witnessed practical application as a missing element in teaching? Do you perceive this as a problem in teaching ministries? Which teaching models have you seen as most effective in facilitating the application of acquired information? How do you see mentorship’s impact on teaching?

[1] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 11, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 179.

[2] Stuart K Weber, Matthew, Holman New Testament Commentary, vol. 1 (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 486.

[3] J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Discipleship (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 1994), 29.

[4] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 68.