Commentaries:
People's Commentary (NT)
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. "Go ye therefore and
make disciples of all nations" (Revised Version). There are several
things to be noticed: (1) "Go", implies an aggressive warfare. The
Gospel army must move upon the nations. The Lord seeks universal
empire, and sends forth his armies to conquer the world. Every church
and every disciple must understand that they have marching orders. (2)
Not only is every saint commanded to "go", or to take steps to make the
gospel go, but the object is stated. They are to make "disciples", or
pupils, and scholars of Christ; not great philosophers, but "babes in
Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 3:1), who have entered the school of Christ and
are to be taught afterwards. (3) Who are to be made disciples is next
indicated. Not the Jews only, but "all nations". Christ came to be the
Savior of the world. His is a universal religion. In the Great
Commission he looks beyond Judea, and commands that the Gospel shall be
offered to all nations. The test of eighteen centuries shows that
Christianity is not local or national, but is adapted to the needs of
all mankind. (4) It is next stated how disciples shall be made.
Baptizing them. The rite by which those who believe upon him
should be formally enlisted and enrolled in the school of Christ is
baptism. It is a baptism of the Spirit that he means, because it is one
that those whom he addresses are commanded to administer. He alone
baptized with the Spirit; his apostles and disciples baptized in water,
and it is to this rite that he refers. Hence, when we turn to the
preaching of the apostles under this commission, we find that all
converts were at once baptized (Acts 2:38-41 8:12-18). (5) The end
or result of baptism is also given. Converts were to be baptized
into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. It is a positive affirmation of the Old Testament that
where the name of the Lord is recorded there will he meet his
disciples, or there will be his presence. See Exodus 20:24. The Lord
declares that the three names, that of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, are recorded in baptism. In this rite, then,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit meet the believer; the Father to receive
him as a child, the Son to welcome him as a brother, and to cover him
with the mantle of his own purity; the Holy Spirit to endow him with
that Spirit by which he can say, "Abba, Father". "Into the name of" is
equivalent to "into the presence of", or "into the Father, and into the
Son, and into the Holy Spirit".
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Matthew 28:19
Luke 3:10-11
John 20:21
Acts 10:42
Acts 18:25
Acts 19:3
Galatians 3:27
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