The Greatness of the Great Commision

Hammster

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:18-20

Here is the great commission. Based on what Jesus actually said, what is He actually communicating?
 

SabbathBlessings

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:18-20

Here is the great commission. Based on what Jesus actually said, what is He actually communicating?

This is what I think it means

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Jesus has the authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus is in control of everything in both heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We are told to make disciples of Jesus of all nations. Baptizing means to make your allegiance to God public I believe in baptism by immersion Matthew 3:13-17, John 3:23 in the name of the Father, the son and Holy Spirit- the Trinity

teaching them to observe all that I commanded you
We are to teach them what Jesus commanded- If you love Me- keep My commandments John 14:15. Observe here means to keep

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus promises to be with us until the end of time: John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

God bless
 
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Abaxvahl

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:18-20

Here is the great commission. Based on what Jesus actually said, what is He actually communicating?

I'd say that He is telling the disciples to go and manifest His rule all throughout the world, something which will continue and not cease to increase until the Last Day. This action also spreads the Faith for:

"How then will they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in him about whom they have not heard? And how will they hear about him without one who preaches to them? And how will they preach, unless they are sent?"

It also teaches the Trinity and importance of His Commands.
 
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timothyu

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Teach the gospel to the world.
Which was His Gospel of the Kingdom, that God was returning to live among mankind... that is among those who repented of their self serving ways and put His will ahead of their own selfish ways, loving all as self instead..
 
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Hammster

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I think it means exactly what it says. Jesus is telling the apostles to teach people to observe what He commanded. Teach the gospel to the world.
What comes before that?
 
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Hammster

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timothyu

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All Jesus talked about was the return of the governance of God to replace the governance of man. It was His Gospel of the Kingdom, His 'good news' that He mentioned constantly and even Paul is noted to have taught it regularly at least three times in scripture. He even told us what to expect, that we would no more put our will ahead of God's will and we would love all as self. People with glazed eyes say it every time they say the Lord's Prayer, no doubt ignoring the words they speak.
 
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Mark Quayle

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All Jesus talked about was the return of the governance of God to replace the governance of man. It was His Gospel of the Kingdom, His 'good news' that He mentioned constantly and even Paul is noted to have taught it regularly at least three times in scripture. He even told us what to expect, that we would no more put our will ahead of God's will and we would love all as self. People with glazed eyes say it every time they say the Lord's Prayer, no doubt ignoring the words they speak.
timothyu said:
Which was His Gospel of the Kingdom, that God was returning to live among mankind

Where is that in the passage?
My question is like Hammster's. Where is that in the passage? You seem to be layering themes.

His Gospel is of Grace, the Messiah, God with us, The Christ taking our sins upon himself.

All he talked about was not eschatology.
 
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Hammster

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All Jesus talked about was the return of the governance of God to replace the governance of man. It was His Gospel of the Kingdom, His 'good news' that He mentioned constantly and even Paul is noted to have taught it regularly at least three times in scripture. He even told us what to expect, that we would no more put our will ahead of God's will and we would love all as self. People with glazed eyes say it every time they say the Lord's Prayer, no doubt ignoring the words they speak.
Are you sure your are addressing this OP?
 
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BeyondET

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:18-20

Here is the great commission. Based on what Jesus actually said, what is He actually communicating?

Maybe two great commissions, one on a mountain another at a feast. Or is there one and the other is something else.

More in Mark

The Great Commission

Matt 28:16 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had designated.
Matt 28:17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him,
but some doubted.

Matt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Matt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Matt 28:20 And teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Mk 16:14 Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Mk 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mk 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Mk 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
Mk 16:18 They will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”
 
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timothyu

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His only gospel was the Gospel of the Kingdom according to Him. What He commanded was to reject the ways of man, repenting/changing our ways to the ways of the Kingdom which were His commandments.. to put the will of God before our own thus loving all as self. A counter-culture to the world man has made in our own self serving image. All else is later doctrine or religion. He told His apostles to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom. His Kingdom come, His will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.

Luke 16: 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

Luke 24: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 4: 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

Mark 1: 14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Matthew 4: 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom...

Luke 8: 1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10: 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Mark 16: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized [in the Holy spirit] shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Matthew 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Perhaps the end would come if they taught the right Gospel. :)

(Paul)

Acts 19:8 He (Paul) went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God

Acts 28: 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

Acts 28: 30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
 
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Hammster

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
— Matthew 28:18

He is King of kings. He is Lord of lords. He has all authority. His authority comes from His Father. This isn’t some sort of future authority. It’s now. His kingdom is here and He’s in charge.


Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
— Matthew 28:19a

You would think that this is pretty obvious, but I’m amazed at how this is misconstrued. What it doesn’t say is that we are to go and preach the gospel in every nation (though it’s implied in the command). We are to make disciples of all the nations. This means that at some point, all the nations will be predominantly Christian nations in that the majority of people will be believers and will govern according to biblical standards. This is not a quick process, but it started with a handful of disciples, and now there are hundreds of millions.


baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
— Matthew 28:19b

Believers should be baptized. And baptized in the name (authority) of the Triune God. It’s not a formula. It’s submission.


teaching them to observe all that I commanded you
— Matthew 28:20a

Evangelism is more than just a hit and run. Getting them saved is only part of it. They also need to know how to live to be pleasing to God. This includes family, church, and state. The Bible speaks on all three.


and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:20b

We cannot do this on our own power. We need the power of God. But also, this is a promise that He won’t leave us stranded, and that He will accomplish what He’s commissioned us to do.
 
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fhansen

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:18-20

Here is the great commission. Based on what Jesus actually said, what is He actually communicating?
He just wants all men to know the truth so that they may turn to God and enter His family and be baptized as a formal public profession of that faith that marks and seals us in this new life.
 
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Hammster

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He just wants all men to know the truth so that they may turn to God and enter His family and be baptized as a formal public profession of that faith that marks and seals us in this new life.
It looks to me that nations will actually turn to Christ.
 
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fhansen

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It looks to me that nations will actually turn to Christ.
I don't know if that could necesarily happen. Nations are made up of individuals in any case-and they do the believing-or not. It just seems to me that He wanted His followers to enter every part of the world and evangelize. All humans need the chance to come to know God.
 
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Hammster

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I don't know if that could necesarily happen.

That’s like saying that you don’t think anyone can be saved.

No, when He said to make disciples of all nations, that’s what He meant.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:18-20

Here is the great commission. Based on what Jesus actually said, what is He actually communicating?
He is proclaiming that He is God.
 
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bling

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That’s like saying that you don’t think anyone can be saved.

No, when He said to make disciples of all nations, that’s what He meant.
Nations are not disciples, but individuals only can become a disciple (learner/student), but what are they learning to become?

When Jesus says “I am with you” how does that compare with Paul saying: Acts 17: 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us? This could also be translated “at everyone’s elbow”, so is He literally there all the time?

It seems to be our privilege and honor to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us making disciples, who can also have the Spirit working through them making disciples, but why this method, because it seems so slow?

The 12 disciples had Jesus to talk with them individually, listen to them, spend lots of time with them, teach them, corret them, mentor them and Love on them, so how is it fair for us to not have Jesus do the same for us individually?

If Christ’s Spirit is in the individual Christian living through that Christian, then the nonbeliever has the same opportunity as the 12, by the Christian being Christ like. This is the system Christ taught us and the best and only way the Great Commission can be fulfilled. A Christian is to have a small group of students following him as he follows Jesus and thus making disciples like himself (which is like Christ) that can go out and have their own small group. If on average just one disciple maker is made per year, then you run out of people on earth (all 8 billion+) in just 36 years. This seems to be the method Christians in communist China are following to some extent.
 
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