The Radical Disciple Quotes

“Over against the challenges of pluralism, we are to be a community of truth, standing up for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Over against the challenge of materialism, we are to be a community of simplicity and pilgrimage. Over against the challenge of relativism, we are to be a community of obedience. Over the challenge of narcissism, we are to be a community of love.”
― John Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“The church has a double responsibility in relation to the world around us. On the one hand we are to live, serve and witness in the world. On the other hand we are to avoid becoming contaminated by the world. So we are neither to seek to preserve our holiness by escaping from the world nor to sacrifice our holiness by conforming to the world”
― John Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“If we claim to be Christian, we must be like Christ.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“We are to be like Christ in his incarnation.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“The radical biblical perspective is to see death not as the termination of life but as the gateway to life.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“So the fundamental question before the church is who is Lord? Is the church the lord of Jesus Christ, so that it has liberty to edit and manipulate, accepting what it likes and rejecting what it dislikes? Or is Jesus Christ our Teacher and our Lord, so that we believe and obey his teaching? He still says to us, ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?’ (Luke 6:46). To confess Jesus as Lord but not obey him is to build our lives on a foundation of sand. Again, ‘Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me,’ he said in the upper room (John 14:21). Here then are two cultures and two value systems, two standards and two lifestyles. On the one side there is the fashion of the world around us; on the other side is the revealed, good and pleasing will of God. Radical disciples have little difficulty in making their choice.”
― John Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“When Christians care for each other and for the deprived, Jesus Christ becomes more visibly attractive.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“It is when the new community is most obviously distinct from the world – in its values, standards and lifestyle – that it presents the world with a radically attractive alternative and so exercises its greatest influence for Christ.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“Just as Jesus performed what in his culture was the work of a slave, so we in our cultures must regard no task too menial or degrading to undertake.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“If you Christians lived like Jesus Christ, India would be at your feet tomorrow.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our vision of Christ, the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“Nothing is more important for mature Christian discipleship than a fresh, clear, true vision of the authentic Jesus.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“The most effective preaching comes from those who embody the things they are saying. They are their message...Christians...need to look like what they are talking about. It is people who communicate primarily, not words or ideas...Authenticity...gets across from deep down inside people...A momentary insincerity can cast doubt on all that has made for communication up to that point...What communicates now is basically personal authenticity.3”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling

“We state and commend the faith only in so far as we go out and put ourselves inside the doubts of the doubters, the questions of the questioners and the loneliness of those who have lost their way.”
― John R.W. Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling