The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus' Essential Teachings on Discipleship

The last command Jesus gave before he ascended to heaven was the Great Commission, the call to "make disciples of all the nations." But Christians have responded by making "Christians," not "disciples." This, according to renowned Christian thinker Dallas Willard, has been the church's Great Omission. Drawing upon previously published articles from magazines such as Christianity Today and Leadership Journal as well as remarks given at various conferences, Willard challenges the thought that we can be Christians without being disciples. He calls on believers to restore what should be the heart of Christianity - being active disciples of Jesus Christ. Willard shows us that in the school of life, we are apprentices of the Teacher whose brilliance encourages us to rise above traditional church understanding and embrace the true meaning of discipleship - an active, concrete, 24/7 life with Jesus.

The last command Jesus gave the church before he ascended to heaven was the Great Commission, the call for Christians to "make disciples of all the nations." But Christians have responded by making "Christians," not "disciples." This, according to brilliant scholar and renowned Christian thinker Dallas Willard, has been the church's Great Omission.

"The word disciple occurs 269 times in the New Testament," writes Willard. "Christian is found three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to disciples of Jesus. . . . The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ. But the point is not merely verbal. What is more important is that the kind of life we see in the earliest church is that of a special type of person. All of the assurances and benefits offered to humankind in the gospel evidently presuppose such a life and do not make realistic sense apart from it. The disciple of Jesus is not the deluxe or heavy-duty model of the Christian -- especially padded, textured, streamlined, and empowered for the fast lane on the straight and narrow way. He or she stands on the pages of the New Testament as the first level of basic transportation in the Kingdom of God."

Willard boldly challenges the thought that we can be Christians without being disciples, or call ourselves Christians without applying this understanding of life in the Kingdom of God to every aspect of life on earth. He calls on believers to restore what should be the heart of Christianity -- being active disciples of Jesus Christ. Willard shows us that in the school of life, we are apprentices of the Teacher whose brilliance encourages us to rise above traditional church understanding and embrace the true meaning of discipleship -- an active, concrete, 24/7 life with Jesus.

Theologian and scholar Dallas Willard has long been an eloquent voice for the relevance of God in our daily lives. His groundbreaking books Hearing God, Renovation of the Heart, and The Spirit of the Disciplines forever changed the way thousands of Christians experience their faith. He is a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Philosophy and has held visiting appointments at UCLA and the University of Colorado. He lives in southern California.

"Every leader, whether professional or lay, who cares about the church of Jesus Christ, should read this book."

"I know no one like Dallas Willard who can express profound things so simply and simple things so profoundly."

"The Great Omission may be Dallas’s most important work yet."

"Another classic from the pen of this remarkable writer. Incisive and insightful..."

"The Great Omission is, simply put, great. I recommend it highly."

"It is no accident that one of the most fruitful lives I’ve been privileged to observe offers this valuable resource."

"...Willard speaks his truth in such an eloquent, passionate, and powerful way..."

"Dallas Willard keeps calling us to take this life of Jesus seriously as disciples, as apprentices to a Master."

"There is NO one like Dallas. Finding more of his words is like getting hidden treasure. Read and grow!"

"This is vintage Willard, and it must be read by all who hunger to grow as Jesus’s disciple."

"If you have any desire to find the life God offers you, read this book."

"There are few better thinkers or students of Jesus than Dallas Willard."

"Dallas Willard is a brilliant, modest, immensely experienced Christian older brother, calling to us."

"Dallas Willard reminds us that a relationship with Jesus only makes sense when we choose to become his apprentices."

Average Rating:

4 of 4 Reviews Showing:

Reviewed by John (Georgia), November 02, 2009

Not one of Willard's stronger books. Nothing here that really challenges you to reclaim Jesus teachings on discipleship. As am atter of fact, this book is not really written to help in that area at all.

Reviewed by Barnabas Bibles And Books (San Antonio, TX), September 09, 2009

Wonderful book that expresses Spiritual Formation within the Discipleship Process. Great for every disciple to have a work with the Bible to lay a foundation with why they need todisciple others.

Reviewed by Anita Winston (Temple Hills, MD), June 01, 2009

This book is very well written and easy to understand. It is definitely a wake-up call for Christian discipleship.

Reviewed by Joel (Stow, OH), May 10, 2007

I am a big fan of Dallas Willard’s writings. So I am reluctant to admit that I didn’t love this book. If you are familiar with Dallas Willard's writings, you will not find much new here. This is not a new book, but rather a collection of old articles and "occasional pieces." This is like when your favorite band puts out an album of rarities and B-sides instead of a new studio album. Dallas Willard appears to be wrestling with lordship theology vs. Ryrie's "easy believism." He seems to talk out of both sides of his mouth, but the implication is that people who aren't Jesus disciples, and have merely placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation on the basis of His payment for their sins by dying on the cross may not be truly saved. It seems to bother Dr. Willard that people can become saved and then choose not to walk with the Lord. Of course it should bother everyone, but I don’t agree that this means that they are not saved. Finally, I was surprised to find out that the title "the Great Omission," which is wordplay on the "great commission," is not actually about making disciples. The theme is discipleship, which I thought means discipling younger believers and being discipled by more mature Christians. That is, making discpiples and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded. Thus, evangelism is a major focus. The "great omission" in my view is that most western churches do not actually disciple those that they have won from the world. However, Dallas Willard is saying that the "great omission" is our failure to BE disciples of Christ. This is a big difference...focusing on making disciples vs. focusing on being disciples. So this is a book primarily concerned with spiritual formation through the practice of spiritual disciplines, and not a book about fulfilling the great commission by making disciples of all the nations and teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded.

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