Author: drthomasclothier

“It is not how you start the race of where you are during the race–it is how you cross the finish line that will matter.” — Robert D. Hales

“The phrase ‘It is not how you start but how you finish’ means that what matters is how you end something, not how you begin it. If you start out strong and finish weak, you will be remembered for your lack of ability to produce. Conversely, if you start weak but finish strong, you will be remembered as a hero. This phrase is often used to encourage people to persevere and finish what they started, even if they encounter difficulties along the way.”

Our study of The Gospel of Matthew began in November, 2022. It startles me realizing this exegetical examination of Matthew’s Gospel has taken over two years. I have enjoyed this journey. I trust you have also.

I thought it would be interesting to look over my introduction. Here is what I wrote and the thoughts I quoted.

“The New Testament begins with the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. No part of the Bible is so important as this, and no part is so full and complete. Four distinct Gospels tell us the story of Christ’s doing and dying. Four times over we read the precious account of His works and words. How thankful we ought to be for this! To know Christ is life eternal. To believe in Christ is to have peace with God. To follow Christ is to be a true Christian. To be with Christ will be heaven itself. We can never hear too much about Jesus Christ.” –J.C. Ryle

“Because of the tight relationships among the Synoptic Gospels, the contribution made by any one of them must be evaluated in light of the contribution made by all three. If Matthew suddenly disappeared, much of its material would still be found, more or less intact, in Mark and Luke.”

“But the Synoptic Gospels as a whole make an irreplaceable contribution. Alongside John, they constitute the foundational witness to the person, ministry, teaching, passion, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. Nor are the three Synoptic Gospels to be seen as merely redundant testimony. Each provides its own slant, together providing a kind of stereoscopic depth that would otherwise be almost entirely missing. And at a secondary level, each provides a window onto the life of the church at the time each was written. But this window, it must be insisted, is never transparent: it is at best translucent, and the shadows one sees through it have to be interpreted with some care.” – D.A. Carson & Douglas J. Moo

The Gospel of Matthew is the first Gospel, and book, in the New Testament, or the New Covenant Canon. The Gospel of Matthew contains the greatest amount of Jesus’ ethical teaching than anywhere else in the New Testament. From the earliest days of the church, Matthew’s Gospel has been one of the most widely read and perhaps the most influential of the four Gospels. Therefore, a study of this Gospel is imperative.  

Matthew means “gift of the Lord.” It was the alternative name of Levi, the tax collector (Matt. 9:9-13), who left everything to follow Christ (Luke 5:27–32). Matthew was one of the 12 apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). In his own list of the Twelve, he explicitly called himself a “tax collector” (Matt. 10:1-3). Nowhere else in Scripture is the name Matthew associated with “tax-collector.” The other Gospels always use his former name, Levi, when speaking of his life prior to his conversion.

The canonicity and Matthew’s authorship of this Gospel were unchallenged in the early church. Eusebius (c. A.D. 265–339) said that the early church father Papias spoke of Matthew arranging the oracles of Jesus.

“Among the four Gospels, which are the only indisputable ones in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew, who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the converts from Judaism” explains Origen (c. A.D. 185–254) in his Ecclesiastical History, 6:25.

Most biblical scholars claim this Gospel was written at a relatively early date—prior to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. Some scholars propose a date as early as A.D. 50, but no later than A.D. 100.

I encouraged us then to begin reading the Gospel of Matthew. I encourage us   now to remember what we have read, the meaning of what we have read, and its application in our lives.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

The following excerpt is by Dr. Gerrit Scott Dawson is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Baton Rouge, La., and author of Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ’s Continuing Incarnation. The article was published in the April 2014 issue of Tabletalk magazine.

Jesus would soon return to heaven while His disciples went out into the world in gospel mission. But they were not going their separate ways. Jesus and His brothers could not be parted by the distance between the world and the heavenly realms. How can this be?

Jesus’ missional instructions can well be translated, “baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (28:19). That gives an important insight into conversion and the sealing sign of baptism. Our lives get relocated when we are joined to Jesus by the Spirit through faith. We are launched into Jesus. So now our lives are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Paul writes dynamically of this reality when he says the Father “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (1:13).

It’s as if God sent a moving truck to take us out of a dank, evil, broken neighborhood of sin into the spacious streets of freedom in Christ. Peter describes it as God’s “calling us out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus Himself stated this change of life-address even more mystically: “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). These verses give some texture to the phrase Paul uses so often: we are now in Christ.

Jesus is with us always because Jesus is where I live. Believers are forever joined to Him. Jesus returned to heaven and spiritually took us along. What a mystery: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:5–6). Yes, this is a spiritual reality now, as my body quite obviously is still here on the ground. One day, of course, the union will be completed as we receive our resurrection bodies that we might always be in immediate communion with Jesus and one another.

Meanwhile, while we are on earth, Jesus stays with us through His Spirit whom He sends to us. Paul writes, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5). The Spirit is the personal presence of Jesus “housed” in us. By the Spirit, the Father and Son make a home in us (John 14:23). Christians, both individually and corporately as the church, are a dwelling in which the eternal exchange of love between the Triune persons gets lived out. The Holy Spirit in us keeps us joined to Jesus, who has taken His resurrection body into heaven. He ever lifts us up to see that our true life is located there, in Christ.

The biblical understanding of Jesus’ being with us is very different from any idea that Jesus’ presence just gives a helpful boost to the life I’m trying to make for myself. “I am with you always” does not mean I have a miniature Jesus tucked inside me for inspiration amid my ambitions or for comfort when things don’t go my way. Rather, my little life is taken up into the greatness of Jesus. He is with us most profoundly because by the Spirit we are in Christ. My purpose in life, then, is directed by His mission for His people.

So, I am propelled out of my cozy home where I’d like to stay while Jesus comforts me. He sends me to the cranky neighbor to witness to him with the awareness that Jesus loves him as much as He loves me. “I am with you as you love him in Me.”

Jesus goes with me from my relatively safe street to the sharp neighborhood filled with angry discards. “Pitch a tent there,” He whispers, “as I took up a tent of flesh in a broken world.” That might mean beginning a school, a sports camp, or a clinic in His name.

Right where I don’t want to go, Jesus already is there. He even sends me to engage the people who will scoff at mention of His name. I’d like to avoid them, to keep away from controversy. But the Lord who continues to mix it up in the world He is reclaiming reminds me: “You are in Me, and I am sending My gospel into the world. So you can trust that I am with you as you go into those tricky conversations.”

Jesus is with us always, first and most profoundly because His Spirit has taken us up into His life and, therefore, His mission.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

Moses was dead (Joshua 1:1-2). For over forty years, he had been God’s chosen instrument to not only lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt, but also to lead their return to the Promised Land after 430 years of captivity (Gen. 15:13; Ex. 12:40).

Moses was dead. The question now was who would succeed him? The LORD knew the answer and the individual He would call to assume the mantel of servant leadership; Joshua.

“After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses,” (Joshua 1:1-3).

What do we know about Joshua? “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So, the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.”  (Deuteronomy 34:9 (ESV)

The LORD was ready for Joshua to lead Israel. Israel was ready for Joshua to lead them. However, Joshua was not so sure. Three times the LORD commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9). The reason God gave this command was because Joshua was feeling pretty weak and scared. Who wouldn’t be? Wouldn’t you be?

How often are we feeling weak and afraid to do what the LORD has called us to do? We know even His eleven apostles, and many other disciples, were feeling this sense of weakness and fear (John 14:1). Perhaps they were wondering if they were up to the task of making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them. Have you wondered the same things when God calls you to serve Him and others?

The LORD gave Joshua a promise. It was the same promise Jesus gave to the disciples. It is the same promise He gave, and gives, to the church. It is this; “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5, 9; Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). God is with us wherever we go.

“What a wonderful way to conclude a gospel. The story of the God who came from heaven to earth wraps up with the assurance, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Though Jesus was about to ascend, Matthew wants us to hear that the nearness of Christ’s incarnation continues. He who is Immanuel, God with us, promises to live up to His name,” explains Pastor Gerrit Scott Dawson.

“There’s a touching echo of the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel here. Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us” (1:23), remains “with” us “to the end of the age”—i.e., until he returns bodily to judge the world and establish his earthly kingdom,” concludes Dr. John MacArthur.

“As Christ gave to the apostles a commission which they were unable to discharge by reliance on merely human power, He encourages them by the assurance of his heavenly protection. For before promising that He would be with them, He began by declaring that He is the, King of heaven and earth, who governs all things by His power and authority,” states John Calvin.

What was Joshua’s response to the LORD’s promise? We do not have to wonder. It was heartfelt strong and courageous obedience.

“¹⁰ And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹ “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” (Joshua 1:10–11 (ESV)

What was the disciples’ response? The Acts of the Apostles, along with the rest of the New Testament, provides us with the answer. They were faithful, even in the face of death.

⁶ “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8 (ESV)

What is, and will be, our response? May it be the same as our spiritual forefathers.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

One of the most overlooked components of the Great Commission is the word commanded. The word makes some believers in Christ uncomfortable. For many, the licentious concept of freedom evokes strong emotions against any restrictions of one’s personal choices; regardless of what Scripture says.

The word “commanded” (ἐντέλλω; entello) refers to an order, instruction and a charge. It involves an order or direction to be obeyed. Jesus gave commandments. They were/are personal and propositional truths. They are as binding and harmonious to the commands contained in the Old Testament Scriptures. Remember, Jesus did not come to do away with God’s commandments, but rather to fulfill them.

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18 (ESV)

³⁴ “But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34–40 (ESV)

“The goal of theology, the study of God, is to grow in our knowledge of God, and as we know God better, we should love Him and His people more. Otherwise, something has gone wrong. This is part of what Jesus meant when He identified the two great commandments: love God and love neighbor (Matt. 22:34–40),” explains one commentator.

“The goal of theology is ultimately worship and the building up of the church, so to be good theologians we must be people who seek the face of the Lord and adore Him in prayer and worship both individually and corporately. We must be those who love the church of Jesus Christ and who want to see it grow in faithfulness.”

Jesus stated His current disciples were to teach future and younger disciples to observe all that He commanded. There is the explicit relationship of connection with the “them” and the “you.” The “them” are new believers in Christ. The ‘you” refers to mature disciples of the Lord. What Jesus stated in principle is clarified by other biblical texts. Here are some examples.

Galatians 5:13–14 (ESV) – “¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Timothy 4:8–16 (ESV) – “⁸ …for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. ¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”  

Titus 2:1–8 (ESV) – “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

God’s commands are not restricted to a Top Ten List. They are many and extensive for all of life and living in Christ. Obedience to the Lord’s orders involve the believer’s mind, emotions and will. Believers in Christ are not to be blindly obedient but intelligently, emotionally and volitionally committed to obey God’s revelation and truth.

Consider the many areas of life the LORD Jesus Christ calls believers in Christ to obedience. Discover areas of obedience to Christ you may never knew existed within the Scriptures. Primarily consider the moral commandments God has given, which remain in force within the New Covenant. What commands of God are easy to obey, and which ones are difficult?

“In short, let us hold that by these words teachers are appointed over the Church, not to put forward whatever they may think proper, but that they, as well as others, may depend on the mouth of the Master alone; so as to gain disciples for Him and not for themselves,” explains John Calvin.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

The following article is by Victor-Hugo Cruz, a church-planting pastor in Mexico City. It was originally published in 2014 in Tabletalk Magazine.

Being an evangelist is more than just telling people about Jesus; it requires that we become teachers of the gospel. The gospel is proclaimed by the preaching of the good news. This is the beginning. But we also need to explain to new believers the implications and consequences of believing in the gospel. This is necessary to make real disciples.

The Authority to Teach

R.T. France notes that when Jesus said to His disciples that they would have to teach, He was transferring to them the authority to be teachers. In 28:20, Matthew uses for the first time the verb “teach”—didaskō—which implies that the disciples then had authority from Christ to teach others.

Believing in the gospel requires the newborn believer to submit to teaching and to receive instruction in order to live according to Jesus’ will. Making disciples starts with the confession of faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9); then, baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so that we can join the church in order to learn to observe all that Jesus has commanded us in the context of a community of believers.

The Need to Teach

The fact that the church has been established by Jesus to be a teaching community is clear. And if this is the nature of the church, then Christian ministry is mainly a teaching ministry.

In Acts 2:42, we learn that the primitive church gathered together to devote themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The first Christians prioritized their time together in order to comprehend the gospel and its implications in their lives. The Apostles formulated the gospel. Then the preachers proclaimed the gospel and the teachers taught the ethical implications of the message.

God has given the church gifts in order to keep the gospel at the center of the new community. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, says, “For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher” (1:11). All the gifts and status given to Paul were used to serve the gospel. The church, then, should be the guardian of the gospel, and everything the church does and every ministry in the church should be an instrument for the promotion of the gospel and the advance of Christ’s kingdom. This is the only way to fulfill the Great Commission.

What to Teach

As we evaluate which teachings are essential for new disciples, we may want to consider what Derek Tidball suggests were Paul’s teaching goals:

He (the apostle) wants his disciples to grow up, to become mature adults, no longer infants and children (1 Cor. 3:1–4; 14:20; Eph. 4:14–15). He wants the bride to be a virgin, betrothed to one husband, with eyes for no one else (2 Cor. 11:2). Using imagery from the gymnasium and the athletics track, he wants them to develop strength, build stamina and not be feeble in faith (1 Cor. 9:24–27; Eph 4:16; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess. 2:17, 3:3). Using agricultural imagery, he wants the roots to go down deep and see fruit development (1 Cor. 3:5-9; 2 Cor. 9:10; Gal. 5:22 Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:10; 2:7). Using educational imagery, he wants them to “learn Christ” (Eph. 4:20).

Tidball demonstrates here the rich diversity of teachings that disciples are to receive but which are nonetheless focused on one goal: the creation of strong, mature believers.

When Paul knew that he was close to death, he reminded Timothy of his duty to the gospel. The heart of his ministry was to preach and teach the gospel, to defend it against attack and falsification, and to ensure its accurate transmission to the generations to come. Timothy was charged to guard the gospel (2 Tim. 1:14), to suffer for the gospel (2:3, 8–9), to continue in the gospel (3:13–14), and to proclaim the gospel (4:1–2). This is the greatest privilege and duty that can be entrusted to a teacher: to be the guard of the gospel and to teach it faithfully to faithful disciples.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

What are the major components of the Lord’s Great Commission to His disciples? What right does Jesus have to command His followers to obey this commission? What promise is included in this commission? These questions are to be considered and answered in the next several days.

To begin with, what right did Jesus have to give a commission in the first place? Jesus provided the answer when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus then said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” To make disciples is not only for believers in Christ to urge the unconverted to become followers of Jesus. It also involves mature disciples instructing and teaching the recently converted in their new-found faith in Christ (Matt. 13:51-52). Jesus’ next statement was, “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The Lord continued this commission to His disciples with the following statement: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

“Being an evangelist is more than just telling people about Jesus; it requires that we become teachers of the gospel.” – Victor Hugo Cruz

Teaching (διδάσκω; didasko) means to presently, actively and skillfully instruct believers in Christ of the doctrines contained in the Scriptures. Consider the following biblical texts concerning not only the importance of, but also the responsibility, to faithfully teach God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 (ESV) – “⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

2 Timothy 1:8–11 (ESV) – “⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, ¹⁰ and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher.”  

2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV) – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) – “¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 4:1–5 (ESV) – “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

James 3:1 (ESV) – “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

“This word (teaching) refers to a person who functions in an official teaching or preaching capacity (cf. Luke 4:16–27; John 3:10; Acts 13:14–15; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).The word translated “judged” usually expresses a negative verdict in the NT, and here refers to a future judgment: (1) for the unbelieving false teacher, at the second coming (Jude 14–15); and (2) for the believer, when he is rewarded before Christ (1 Cor. 4:3–5). This is not meant to discourage true teachers, but to warn the prospective teacher of the role’s seriousness (cf. Ezek. 3:17–18; 33:7–9; Acts 20:26–27; Heb. 13:17),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

The purpose of teaching God’s Word is so God’s people will obey God’s Word. To observe (τηρέω; tereo) means to presently, actively and fervently guard and keep watch over God’s Word regarding what it says, what it means and how it may be applied in our lives. This is so the church of God will guard their hearts with the Word of God because of the faithful teaching preaching by the man of God.

It is imperative for believers in Christ to be joined to a local church where the preaching and teaching of God’s Word is faithfully observed. I belong to such a local church. Do you?

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

What are the major components of the Lord’s Great Commission to His disciples? What right does Jesus have to command His followers to obey this commission? What promise is included in this commission? These questions are to be considered and answered in the next several days.

To begin with, what right did Jesus have to give a commission in the first place? Jesus provided the answer when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus then said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” To make disciples is not only for believers in Christ to urge the unconverted to become followers of Jesus. It also involves mature disciples instructing and teaching the recently converted in their new-found faith in Christ (Matt. 13:51-52).

Jesus’ next statement was, “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The Lord referred to those who became disciples from, and belonging to, all nations. Baptizing (βαπτίζω; baptizo) is a present, active, plural participle. It means to immerse in or under water. It is to be continually done by the church. What does baptism signify?

The Westminster Confession of Faith explains, “Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, or his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life: which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in his Church until the end of the world.”

“Baptism (βάπτισμα, baptisma) is the act of washing in water as part of a purification ritual. The rite of formal initiation into the Christian church through water. Regarded by many Christian groups as a sacrament (though some groups prefer the term ordinance). Though several allusions to baptism exist in the Old Testament, baptism is primarily a New Testament concept,” explains the Lexham Bible Dictionary.

First, baptism is a sacrament, rite or ritual observed by believers in Christ. In other words, baptism is an ordinance solely belonging to the church.

Second, baptism signifies admission into the universal church of Christ and is required for admission into the local church.

Third, baptism is a sign and seal of the Lord’s covenant of grace, regeneration, and forgiveness of sin by Christ alone through God given faith alone on the basis of God’s grace alone.

Fourth, baptism signifies what God has done in saving the sinner. It also represents what the Lord is currently doing in sanctifying the saint. The believer in Christ at baptism testifies of not only their personal faith in Christ, but also their desire to live for Christ.

Fifth, the church of Jesus Christ is to observe baptism until the Lord returns in power might and glory. Like the church’s other ordinance, the Lord’s Supper or Communion, it is to be continually practiced.

There is a rich and full biblical treatment regarding the symbol of water and the Holy Spirit. A full and complete treatment of the biblical symbol of water purification is not possible in this brief article. In a restricted sense in the life of the individual believer in Christ, baptism illustrates the following truths.

• The priority of repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord prior to baptism.
  • The forgiveness of sins.
  • The initiation into Christian/Church fellowship.
  • The giving and presence of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This represents the three-fold nature of salvation: God the Father elected (Eph. 1:3-5), God the Son provided a substitutionary atonement (Eph. 1:6-12), and the Holy Spirit regenerates (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5), spiritually baptizes (I Cor. 12:13), gifts (I Cor. 12:11), seals (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30), and fills (Eph. 5:18).

“Christ enjoins that those who have submitted to the gospel, and professed to be his disciples, shall be baptized; partly that their baptism may be a pledge of eternal life before God, and partly that it may be an outward sign of faith before men. For we know that God testifies to us the grace of adoption by this sign, because he engrafts us into the body of his Son, so as to reckon us among his flock; and, therefore, not only our spiritual washing, by which he reconciles us to himself, but likewise our new righteousness, are represented by it.” – John Calvin

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

What are the major components of the Lord’s Great Commission to His disciples? What right does Jesus have to command His followers to obey this commission? What promise is included in this commission? These questions are to be considered and answered in the next several days. 

To begin with, what right did Jesus have to give a commission in the first place? Jesus provided the answer when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Authority (ἐξουσία; exousia) means the authority to rule. Jesus said He was in control, or in charge. This biblical truth is set forth in Psalm 2 and 110. See also Cf. Dan. 7:14; Matt. 16:28; 24:30; 26:64. This Great Claim forms the basis for the Great Commission.

Jesus then said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus’ command and commission to His disciples was not summarized by the word “Go!” Rather, His command and commission is found in the phrase “make disciples.” The phrase “make disciples” (μαθητεύω; matheteuo) is an aorist, active imperative, plural verb. It is a command occurring at a particular point in time for all of Jesus’ disciples and followers to actively obey. 

To make disciples is not only for believers in Christ to urge the unconverted to become followers of Jesus. It also involves mature disciples instructing and teaching the recently converted in their new found faith in Christ (Matt. 13:51-52). 

The Lord saved me by His grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Chist alone (Eph. 2:8-9). However, I did not know what followed my conversion. I did not know about how to study the Bible. I did not know the importance of prayer; even the discipline of praying before a meal. The reason I did not know these things, and other matters found in Scripture, was because no one took the time to teach me. The emphasis I encountered was on becoming a Christian, and not becoming a mature disciple. It was strictly about getting people saved and not helping them to become holy once Christ saved them. 

In effect, I realized I was on my own. It was up to me to figure things out and to understand biblical truth. What are some of the biblical issues I needed to understand? He is a brief list.

1. To hate sin and love holiness (I Peter 1:13-16). .
2. To serve and love Christ’s church with all her imperfections (I John 4:7-11). .
3. To love the lost and the nations and to have a passion for gospel advance (Romans 1:16-17).
4. To “adorn” Christ’s gospel with good deeds of love, justice, and mercy (Titus 2:10, 12, 14).
5. To live by faith in Christ and the gospel (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17).
6. To rejoice that the humanly unattainable requirements of a clean record, new heart, and new power to live a holy life have been purchased and provided by Christ alone through grace alone, and they are received by faith alone. Regeneration, justification, and sanctification are all free gifts (JOhn 3:1-8 Romans 3:21-26; Titus 3:1-5). 
7. To boast only in the cross and the gospel and to flee all pride and self-achievement (Gal. 6:14; Phil. 3:3–9).
8. To hope in Christ for future glory and grace, a hope that sustains in the many afflictions of this brief sojourn in the “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23). 
9. To deny self and to follow Jesus with singular loyalty (Luke 9:23– 26; 14:26).
10.  To put sin to death (Col. 3:5-11). 

One time I approached a brother in Christ about the doubts I was experiencing concerning my salvation in Christ. I shared with him what I was feeling and the struggle I was having. His response was for me to get it settled. That was it. No effort was made for a mature believer to regularly sit down with me and help me by answering my questions and helping me grow in grace and knowledge (Phil. 2:12-13; 2 Peter 3:18). 

Several providential events occurred in my life to help me begin to become a mature disciple. One of them was attending a Bible college. It was during those three years I compared myself to a dry sponge placed in an overflowing theological bucket of biblical truth. The Lord gave me so much knowledge and wisdom from my professors and fellow students. I was never the same. Many of my questions were answered. Many disciplines were forged. I was becoming a man of God. 

Another discipline was reading good books by theologians and teachers who explained the doctrines in the Word of God. These included Dr. J.I. Packer, Francis Schaeffer, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. John MacArthur, and Jerry Bridges. 

It is important for the church to share the Gospel. However, it is also important for the church to disciple the evangelized who become converts to Christ by the Gospel.This is the church’s task. This is the church’s commission. This is the Lord’s command. We must not fail to obey the commission to make disciples. 

Soli deo Gloria! 

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

What are the major components of the Lord’s Great Commission to His disciples? What right does Jesus have to command His followers to obey this commission? What promise is included in this commission? These questions are to be considered and answered in the next several days. 

To begin with, what right did Jesus have to give a commission in the first place? Jesus provided the answer when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Authority (ἐξουσία; exousia) means the authority to rule. Jesus said He was in control, or in charge. This biblical truth is set forth in Psalm 2 and 110. See also Cf. Dan. 7:14; Matt. 16:28; 24:30; 26:64. This Great Claim forms the basis for the Great Commission.

Jesus then said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” On the surface, this phrase seems simplistic. However, a closer look reveals a deeper and more significant meaning. 

The word “Go” (πορεύομαι; poreuomai) is a plural passive participle. It is not a command, but a statement of a present reality for Jesus’ disciples. It is an action the Lord is accomplishing upon the disciples. The word means in this context, “Since I have you going based upon my authority in heaven and earth.” 

“Go” also implies that the disciples—and this holds for God’s children in general—must not concentrate all their thought on “coming” to church. They must also “go” to bring the precious tidings to others. Of course, they cannot “go” unless they have first of all “come,” and unless they keep coming as well as going. They cannot give unless they are willing to receive,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen. 

The word “therefore” (οὖν; oun) refers to a consequence or conclusion. In other words, it invokes a consequential effect from a preceding cause. In this context, the aforementioned cause is the authority of Jesus Christ. Since Jesus possesses all authority in heaven and on earth, this results in a corresponding conclusion or effect; the disciples going. 

“This has already been explained in connection with “The Great Claim.” Briefly it means: Go, a. because your Lord has so ordered; b. because he has promised to impart all the needed strength; and c. because he is worthy of the homage, faith, and obedience of all men,” continues Dr. Hendriksen. 

The phrase “make disciples” is the direct command. “Make disciples” (μαθητεύω; matheteuo) is an aorist active imperative verb. Jesus’ followers, then and now, are to actively and obediently be available for the Lord to cause people to be converted to the Gospel. In other words, Jesus’ disciples are to urge sinners to repent of their sins and place their God given faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and be converted. 

The scope of this command is not obscure. The Lord directed His disciples to make disciples of all nations. This means all peoples, tribes, languages and cultures. This command remains in force. 

“It seems like such a simple command. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). But who exactly is supposed to go? Some have claimed that Jesus’ command to go and make disciples was only for the original Apostles and that the Great Commission was subsequently fulfilled by those Apostles. But such an enormous task would have been impossible for just eleven men to complete. And Jesus’ promise to be with them “to the end of the age” implies that the validity of this commission would extend beyond the Apostles’ lifetimes. If that’s so, the church has inherited this commission from the Apostles. And it is the church’s responsibility to obey the command of Christ until He comes again,” concludes Rev. Karl Dahlfred, adjunct professor of missions and church history at Bangkok Bible Seminary in Bangkok, Thailand, and assistant to the general manager for Overseas Missionary Fellowship Publishers in Thailand.

May each disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ be obedient and faithful to His command to go therefore and make disciples of all nations. 

Soli deo Gloria!