Disciple all the nations

[tonychanyt]

BLB, Mt 28:

16 The eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus assigned them. 17 And having seen Him they worshiped; but some doubted.

Started with only 11.

18 And having come to them, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore having gone, disciple all the nations,

How?

baptizing them

by baptizing the citizens in the nations

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them

by teaching them

to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age.”

Jesus had a universal and far-reachihng perspective on the Great Commission in both space and time.

Strong's Greek: 1484. ἔθνος (ethnos) — 163 Occurrences

BDAG:
① a body of persons united by kinship, culture, and common traditions, nation, people
② (τὰ) ἔθνη people groups foreign to a specific people group (corresp. to Heb. גּוֹיִם in LXX; a nationalistic expression)

G1484 was ambiguous. It could mean the people of a nation or the nation as a geo-political sovereignty. Mt 24:

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

'nation' paralleled to 'kingdom'.

The primary focus of the Great Commission is the peoples, the secondary focus is the nations/polities, and the two are related. Historically, many nations were Christianized or discipled.