The Bible

 

Matthew 28:16-20 : The Commissioning of the Disciples

Study

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Commentary

 

The Commissioning of The Disciples

By Junchol Lee


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At the very end of the Gospel of Matthew is the commission of Jesus to his disciples. And according to Matthew, these are the very last words that the resurrected Jesus spoke to his disciples. When reading them literally, it seems very clear that Jesus wants them to spread the good news to the ends of the world and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. For the past 2,000 years, most Christian churches took this literally and did their best to spread the good news and to perform this baptism. Reading these words 2,000 years after it might have been spoken, I get to wonder: "Did Jesus really mean this literally?" We explore the meaning and significance of Jesus's final great commission.

(References: Exodus 3:1)