Bible Study series: Matthew 28:16-20. Jesus commissioned the eleven (minus Judas), but we can apply the Great Commission to our lives too.
A warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together. I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20
16 The eleven disciples went into Galilee to the mountain where Jesus directed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshiped, but some hesitated.
18 Jesus came up to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, as you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you. And remember this: I am with you every day, until the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:16-20)
Comments:
The word all figures in this pericope: all authority (28:18); disciples are to go into all nations (28:19); these disciples are to obey all (everything) that Jesus commanded (28:20); Jesus will be with the disciples all the days (every day) until the end of the age (28:20).
16:
Jesus had told them where to meet him and on which mountain. Matthew the Abbreviator (my nickname for him) did not include this tidbit in his account. We are simply to assume it.
Now which mountain? The mountain where he had delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1)? If so, then this parallels—but not literally—Mount Sinai, where Moses ascended to receive the law (Exod. 19). Jesus was offering humanity a new way. If so, then this mountain forms an inclusio (two bookends or an envelope or a framework) between the fuller, recorded teaching ministry of Jesus (Matt. 5:1) and his command to the eleven to teach all nations to observe everything he had commanded (Matt. 28:16).
“Galilee”: Jesus launched his ministry in Galilee as a light (Matt. 4:12-16), and now he is about to ascend from here, in the sight of the eleven disciples (minus Judas). This similar region forms a broader inclusio than the mountain.
17:
Some of the eleven were of two minds, so they doubted and hesitated. Peter experienced the same doubt when he walked out on the water (Matt. 14:31). He was of two minds, as he looked at the circumstances.
Scholars can’t settle on what “doubt” means in this verse. Does it mean some of the eleven doubted or hesitated, or some outside of the eleven doubted or hesitated? The natural way to read the line is that some of the eleven hesitated or doubted. But it doesn’t really matter because this is Matthew the Abbreviator at work again. Just read Luke 23 and 24 and John 20 and 21 for the expanded versions of disciples doubting. This line in Matthew reads almost as an extremely brief reminder of what Matthew’s community already knew. Some of the disciples doubted and hesitated, and Matthew was simply jarring his community’s memory with a short sentence.
Finally, let’s not overlook that Jesus was worthy of being bowed to and worship. It is the verb proskuneō, and see vv. 1-10 for a short word study. There is no way that they would not worship the risen Lord. Jesus accepted it, which indicates he knew that he was deity, just as he accepted worship from the disciples, after he walked on water and calmed the storm (Matt. 14:33).
18:
Jesus was not put off by some of the eleven hesitating to worship. He came right up to them and informed them forcefully and confidently. In Matt. 11:27, Jesus said his Father entrusted everything to him. Now this truth has been fulfilled at his ascension. I like how he is given all authority—not just some authority—in heaven and on earth. But there is one caveat. Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Spirit, says that the Son will conquer death for everyone, which is the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). So right now all authority or the right to rule is given to him, but soon he will come and destroy the last enemy of all. At the same time, he will destroy every rule and every authority and power (1 Cor. 15:24). Therefore, all authority given to Jesus is exercised over time or throughout this age.
This granted authority implies his enthronement. He has been given authority, just like Dan. 7:13-14 says. Jesus is enthroned after his resurrection. As I noted in my comments at 26:64, Jesus told Caiaphas the high priest and the council that from now on they will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Dan. 7:13-14, NIV)
The Ancient of Days is God. Jesus was about to ascend and be enthroned on high, sitting next to God. And v. 14 closely parallels the Son of Man receiving “all authority” with its wording: “authority, glory and sovereign power.” His dominion is everlasting and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, but, rather, his authority shall destroy all dominions, just as Paul stated and Jesus implied. Therefore, I believe that Jesus ascended up to the throne and received his “all authority” and came back this last time to inform the eleven about it. He needed to give them confidence that they are on the winning, victorious and conquering team, even when they appear to be losing, due to persecution and even martyrdom.
Also see my comments at 10:23, where Jesus also predicted his coming to God with clouds of glory.
Now let me review the word authority, as I have done before in this commentary.
It is the noun exousia (pronounced ex-oo-see-ah), and it means, depending on the context: “right to act,” “freedom of choice,” “power, capability, might, power, authority, absolute power”; “power or authority exercised by rulers by virtue of their offices; official power; domain or jurisdiction, spiritual powers.”
The difference between authority and power is parallel to a policeman’s badge and his gun. The badge symbolizes his right to exercise his power through his gun, if necessary. The gun backs up his authority with power. But the distinction should not be pressed too hard, because exousia can also mean “power.” In any case, God through Jesus can distribute authority to his followers (Matt. 10:1; Luke 10:19; John 1:12).
So do we have the same power and authority that the twelve have in this passage, or are they a special case? Restrictive interpreters say they are special cases with unique callings, while freer interpreters say we too, as disciples of Jesus, can have the same authority. I come down on the freer interpretation.
Jesus will give us authority even over the nations, if we overcome trials and persecution (Rev. 2:26). And he is about to distribute his power in Acts 2. Never forget that you have his authority and power to live a victorious life over your personal flaws and sins and Satan. They no longer have power and authority over you; you have power and authority over them.
19:
Jesus said that we are to go to all the nations, which contrasts his limited mission just to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 10:6; 15:24). Jesus had already predicted a global mission (24:14; cf. 26:13).
This launch into all nations does not mean Christians take them over politically and build a new theocracy. Right now, however, Jesus is in the process of destroying worldly ideas, notions, philosophies, and powers that are built up in people’s hearts and mind—destroying them through the power of the gospel and by teaching to the nations everything that he commanded them to keep, observe, and obey. He will annihilate them literally—wiping them off the face of the earth—when he returns a second time in his parousia, just as we saw in Matt. 24. But right now he wins the victory one soul at a time.
How do we win the victory one soul at a time?
First, we make disciples and then disciple them. “Make disciples” means “to be a pupil, with the implication of being an adherent of the teacher. The eleven are to make disciples of all nations (direct object), and these disciples are to make more disciples of everyone in those nations. This disciple-making mission is to carry on down to our day, and then we are to carry on the same mission. All nations of course are not like modern nation states, but people groups. So let’s not overinterpret the word nations, though the idea of discipling entire people groups is appealing to me.
One day, I was channel-surfing on the television, and I watched an interview of an old evangelist (not born and raised in America) and an old film of his large, 1970s evangelistic campaign in Lesotho, South Africa (a small principality within the larger nation of South Africa). The tent was huge. Thousands of people were saved. I was glad. Then I channel-surfed away and landed on a documentary about AIDS in Africa, produced in about 2012 or 2013 (if I recall). They chose a small area of Africa as the testcase for the disease’s rapid spread. Can you guess which small area of Africa they picked? If you guessed Lesotho, then you are correct. I was stunned. I almost dropped the remote. I’m sure the spread was not done only by promiscuous and unhealthy sexual practices. (Virginity before marriage and then monogamy within marriage is the answer.) Some of the open meat markets selling bad food contributed to the spread.
But I had to ask the unpleasant truth: What happened to discipleship?
“baptizing”: it is the verb baptizō (pronounced bahp-tee-zoh), and it means “to dip in or under water”; it can refer to being “soaked in wine” (BDAG). It is related to the verb baptō, which means “to dip in water”; it is related to the Latin verb immergere or immerse. One can dip cloth in dye or a bucket in the well to draw water—those illustrate baptism. It can even be used of a ship that sank (Liddell and Scott). It is immersion. It marks out the disciples as belonging to Christ. They have been dipped in the water = died to their old way. Then they come out of the water = living their new life in Christ. It is worth mentioning that Jesus did not require circumcision.
“name”: this noun stands in for the person—a living, real person. In this verse we have three persons contained in the name God (implied).
Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
This truth of our subservient authority is included in the word “therefore” in v. 19. Jesus is communicating this message: “Since all authority has been given me … therefore go [….]” Jesus will back us up.
This verse contains the trinitarian formula. I won’t go into detail about this wonderful, indispensable doctrine. I’ll just discuss it in this way. Jesus was the Son of the Father eternally, before creation. The Son has no beginning. He and the Father always were, together. The relationship is portrayed in this Father-Son way so we can understand who God is more clearly. Now he relates to us as his sons and daughters. On our repentance and salvation and union with Christ, we are brought into his eternal family.
6. Titles of Jesus: The Son of God
When Did Jesus “Become” the Son of God?
The Trinity: What Are the Basics?
The Trinity: What Are Some Illustrations?
The Trinity: Why Would God Seem So Complicated?
The Trinity: What Does He Mean to Me?
“Holy Spirit”: He is the third person of the Trinity. He is fully God in his essence, but in role or function to the Father, he is sent to glorify the Son (John 16:14). He is sent into the heart of everyone who repents and surrenders to the Lordship of Jesus. He causes them to be born again. During Pentecost, he was sent into the hearts of everyone who repents and confesses Jesus was Lord. He causes these repentant people to be born again. They can also have a subsequent infilling of the Spirit (Acts 2:4, 4:8, 31; Eph. 5:17).
Here are some of my posts on a more formal doctrine of the Spirit (systematic theology):
The Spirit’s Deity and Divine Attributes
The Spirit in the Life of Christ
The Spirit in the Church and Believers
For Matthew’s high Christology before v. 19, see my comments on Matt. 11:27. Matthew did not just make it up here, out of the blue.
20:
The final part of our mission is to teach. Teach what? Teaching them to obey or observe or keep everything he has commanded them and now us. Everything includes the Sermon on the Mount and the great chapter on parables: Matt. 13, and any number of other teachings throughout the First Gospel. It is a sad observation, as I watch Christian TV, that teaching is shallow—not every program, but a good many of them. Or some programs obsess over one doctrine, like grace or faith, or two doctrines, grace and faith. They skip over many other biblical truths. I heard two word-of-grace-and-word-of-faith teachers, combining both doctrines and only those two doctrines, say these words: “God doesn’t judge you!” Surprised, I channel-surfed away, just in time to hear the other word-of-grace-and-word-of-faith teacher say, “God is not a judging God.” Both of them are wrong. And that’s just one example.
God’s people are being badly misinformed and noninformed. Paul said he taught the Ephesians the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), not just a favorite, crowd-pleasing and crowd-gathering dessert.
Jesus promises the eleven a great reality for them. He is with them, even to the end of the age.
“end”: it is the noun that means the final and ultimate closing or wrapping up the age, at the Second Coming or parousia. Go back to Matt. 24 for a fuller teaching.
One final word.
Jesus said he is with us to the end of the age. Remember that he is also named Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). So this important name at the beginning and his promise at the end forms another inclusio (book ends), the greatest of them all.
RELATED
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
