Matthew 28:16-20, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The Book of Matthew is an important component of the Scripture because it includes information detailing the life of Jesus Christ. In this book, we learn a great deal of information about His actions while on earth before returning to the heavens. This is an important understanding because we are often told to live a pure life, just as Jesus had done[1]. Thus, to truly determine how we can behave ethically, we must determine what the meaning of ethical behavior is by studying the actions and life of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the book also provides information about how to be saved. Thus, readers can refer to the Book of Matthew as a guide about proper behavior according to the word of God.

The most known section of the Book of Matthew is the section known as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). The original text is written in Greek, which some biblical scholars claim has hindered its meaning in English. Because of the uncertainties of this phrase in English, much work has been done to analyze this portion of the text in a manner that is meaningful to individuals that do not understand it in original Greek. The purpose of this paper is to determine the context and analysis of the Great Commission in a manner that the average reader can understand.

History

The books of Matthew, Luke, and Mark describe the life of Jesus Christ, but it appears that the Book of Matthew attempts to be the most biographical. In the book of Matthew, however, Jesus addresses His disciples to show them the need and the method by which they would spread the Gospel to others[2]. It is apparent that He intends to spread the good word to the world. This is an important moment in history because even though Christianity is prevalent today, it took the work of Jesus’ disciples and other true believers to show the masses the good news. The Book of Matthew acts as a record of Jesus’ time on Earth and as a consequence, does not attempt to add detail to the events that had occurred and instead narrate necessary points. Matthew acts as a reporter, keeping any biased opinion out of his writing.

Just prior to the Great Commission, the Book of Matthew reads, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 1:15). This is the moment in which Jesus announces that He has accomplished his goals on Earth and will sacrifice himself for the sins of humanity[3]. This is a hallmark moment in a historical context because it is from this point in the literature that we understand that Jesus will leave His human body shortly. Thus, in the passages to follow, it appears that he is getting prepared for His ascent to heaven and therefore needs to ensure that His disciples are prepared to carry out their work. In this passage, He also provides his disciples with the means by which to achieve salvation. Just as God instructed Jesus what to do while on Earth, He is now instructing His disciples on what needs to be done. Just as Jesus recognized he must die for the sins of humanity, He also recognized that he must instruct his disciples to preach the forgiveness of sin in order to preserve mankind.

Literature

Scholars who study the Greek version of this passage are able to claim a significant deal of information from the text compared to those who are relying on the translated version. In the English version, it appears that Jesus says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). However, in the Greek language, it appears that the power that He is passing to the disciples is a power that is meant to be extended worldwide. This is a significant saying because it provides responsibility to the disciples and to future generations to continue spreading the good news across the world. In saying this, Jesus is showing that he has the greatest authority in the world and that he is passing this authority to the disciples for the purpose of governance and ruling power[4]. In saying this, He also shows that His power is over the heavens, but this is not what the disciples will be responsible for. Instead, they are left in charge of the individuals present on Earth.

In this passage, it is implied that Jesus tells his disciples to go forth with the power that they have been granted. Because He is transitioning Earthly power to the disciples, He is imploring that they travel the world to make new disciples and create a new appreciation for the path to salvation. Jesus provides the disciples with specific instructions by stating, “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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). The action that Jesus is asking his disciples to physically take is to “make disciples”[5]. Thus, this is being treated as a verb and is tired into the idea that Jesus tells these individuals to go forth. The disciples are asked to make followers of any non-believers, including individuals from other nations, pagans, non-Jews, and non-believers.

Based on many arguments, some biblical scholars claim that the world used for “nations” in this passage was meant to exclude Jews. Thus, in this sense, it was considered that Jews were already followers of Christ. Others still argue that Israel was not specifically left out from his mentioning, so this claim applies to them as well. However, it is apparent that years later, this claim does now apply to Israel and Jews as a whole because these individuals do not believe in the good news in a manner in which would have been more expected at the time in which this passage was written. Thus, modern disciples are expected to bring the word of God to Israel and to Jewish individuals because this is closer to what was instructed in the original text in the modern context.

An important aspect of this discourse is related to biblical scholarship. Because Jesus tells the disciples to go forth and spread His teachings to others, He is asking them to study biblical events and teach them to others in a meaningful manner. This is important in the modern context because there are many biblical scholars that continue to act in this manner today. In essence, biblical studies and teachings exist because of the command presented by Jesus Christ as recorded in the Book of Matthew. An important part of contributing to humanity is by teaching them about how to conduct themselves according to religious law, which continues to be an important aspect of education in society today.

This education relates to an important aspect of Christianity, which is baptism. In this passage, both education and baptism are discussed, as they are both important aspects of helping people understand the tenets of Christianity. Baptism was clearly commanded by Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew in addition to mention of the importance of spreading the faith through education. Before an individual could reasonably receive a baptism, however, it is necessary for them to understand the significance of this. A baptism is performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, drawing a connection between the individual and God. While this is a practice that is regularly done with babies, babies are born with a greater degree of purity than others and they will learn the meaning of the baptism as they grow older. However, for individuals that do not have this level of innocence and did not have the opportunity to become baptized as children, it is important for them to understand the meaning of the baptism and of the faith as a whole prior to their promise to uphold the word of God. As such, the disciples were not told to simply act as individuals to baptize individuals in foreign nations and lands, they were also instructed to provide education to these peoples so they can understand how to be saved.

Theology

In this section of the Book of Matthew, we see Jesus commissioning His disciples. This appears to be related to the commissioning process used during the commissioning of Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 3). The eleven disciples have to go to Galilee, where Jesus has promised to meet them. The mountain is symbolic of both the passage of laws from God to Moses in the Old Testament and now it is symbolic of the instructions that are passed from Jesus to His disciples[6]. The commissioning of Moses was on the top the mountain of God, Mount Sinai. He was commissioned to go to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians so that they can sacrifice for Yahweh alone and worship Him. This draws an important parallel because this sacrifice and the sacrifice that Jesus is about to make for the sins of man. Previously, Moses was given the Great Commission and it is now being given to the disciples.

The purpose of Moses was to prepare the Israelites to worship God, but the Israelites considered themselves to be disciples of Moses instead of the disciples of God (John 9:28). Jesus spoke to the disciples so that he could ensure that their worship was directed in the right place, unlike what had occurred between the Israelites and Moses. Moses was a great leader, but it is important for him to not be worshipped as a God, a rule that was put forth in the Ten Commandments. In this situation, it is essential for Jesus to test the disciples and ensure that they are his worthy followers, who can be commissioned as a consequence.

The beginning of the passage states, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted (Matthew 28:16-17). In this moment, it is important for the doubt to be removed. Many of the disciples believed in His authority, but may have questioned their actions or dedication[7]. Thus, the commissioning is necessary because it is important for Jesus to restore their faith in Him. When the passage reads, “when Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18), He is showing them that power has been granted to Him from the heavens. Thus, he has the power to transfer the responsibility of spreading the good news to the disciples. In this moment, the true believers are certain of His claim of power. The next section, “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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:19-20), denotes the need for Jesus to leave. He implores His followers to continue spreading the word of God and continue helping others achieve salvation. By instructing His followers to ensure that people will continue to be baptized, He is showing that baptism is a necessary part of salvation. In addition, listening to the commands that Jesus has given is an important aspect of salvation as well[8]. This message provides an important turning point in history because Jesus is transferring the ability to carry out God’s will to man.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Great Commission is an important part of history. Jesus tells the disciples to go forth, educating and baptizing individuals that do not currently follow His teachings. Furthermore, this passage provides us with important information about what the individual needs to achieve salvation. It is important for biblical scholars and worshippers to gain an understanding of the information presented in this passage because it allows good Christians to determine both what is necessary to achieve salvation and to help others achieve this mission. In addition, these words reflect Jesus’ intent regarding what should occur after his physical body leaves this world. It is apparent that this duty has been fulfilled because many continue to act according to this command today. Understanding words from the Book of Matthew, directly as they are delivered, allow us to interact most directly with the actual words spoken by Jesus Christ. As such, it is our responsibility to follow these words and use them to gain an understanding of the events that follow in the Book of Matthew.

Bibliography

Craig S. Keener, Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press), 39.

David M. Howard. The Great Commission for Today (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1976), 66.

Frank E. Gaebelen, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library,1984), 595.

John R. Kohenberger, Edward W. Goodrick and James A. Swanson, the Greek- English Concordance to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 1062-1095.

Kenneth L. Gentry, The Greatness of the Great Commission (Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1993), 31.

Kostenberger, Andreas J., and Richard D. Patterson, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011.

Louis A. Barbieri, The Bible knowledge Commentary, Ed. John F Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Colorado: Cook communications Ministries, 2000), 13.

Merrill F. Unger and William White,  An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1960), 171.

William Hendrickson, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), 3.

[1] William Hendrickson,  New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), 3.

[2] Craig S. Keener,  Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove:InterVarsity Press), 39.

[3] Louis A. Barbieri, The Bible knowledge Commentary, Ed. John F Walvoord and RoyB. Zuck (Colorado: Cook communications Ministries, 2000), 13.

[4] Kenneth L. Gentry, The Greatness of the Great Commission (Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1993), 31.

[5] Merrill F. Unger and William White,  An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1960) , 171.

[6] John R. Kohenberger, Edward W. Goodrick and James A. Swanson, the Greek- English Concordance to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 1062-1095.

[7] Frank E. Gaebelen, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library,1984), 595.

[8] David M. Howard. The Great Commission for Today (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1976), 66.