Principles of discipleship in Exodus 18:19-23: A biblical-theological anal-ysis

Abstract

Principles of discipleship in Exodus 18:19-23: A biblical-theological analysis. The topic of discipleship is very relevant in the 21st century. Although most biblical studies focus on the New Testament, it is also important to consider an Old Testament study of the same topic. A text that can help with this is Exodus 18:19-23, where Jethro's advice to a weary and overwhelmed Moses reveals very important principles that he employed with his followers, so much so that even in Jesus' time, the Pharisees considered themselves “disciples of Moses” (John 9:28). So how did Moses disciple? Are there principles of discipleship that can be drawn from his life that are relevant today? This article conducts a biblical-theological analysis of Exodus 18:19-23 in the historical context and structure of the biblical passage based on the Hebrew text to find the principles of discipleship.