A COMMISSION FOR DISCIPLESHIP

by

Philip R. Bryan, Ph.D.

President Emeritus, BMA Seminary

Jacksonville, Texas

The Great Commission is for Discipleship

            Matthew 28:16-20 is often called “The Great Commission” – “Go ye therefore and teach all nations.” This passage is only one of several similar examples of Christ’s command about discipleship. The other most familiar ones are recorded in Mark 16:15-16, Luke 24:46-49, John 20:21-23, and Acts 1:6-8. Study of each passage can add to one’s understanding of what Jesus was actually instructing his disciples. The present article will discuss in turn, What the Commission is, How to Achieve the Commandment, and How Long the Commission is to be Operational.

Making Disciples is the Commandment: What?

            Grammatically-speaking there is only one Greek word in the passage in Matthew which is a command: “teach” – matheteusate (“disciple,” or “make disciples”). The word translated “go” is really a participle and not a command. Recognizing this, often preachers will say that we make disciples by “going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching.” Certainly all three words are participles in Greek, but there is a difference in the individual constructions of these three words. The first participle “going” is really an Aorist tense participle and the other two (“baptizing” and “teaching”) are present tense. Oftentimes the action of an Aorist Participle is antecedent to or precedes the action of the main verb (“disciple”). The tense of the other two participles ("baptizing" and "teaching") is present which usually indicates that the action of those words is contemporaneous or happens at the same time as the main verb. Accordingly, this sentence could be translated: “having gone, disciple all nations, baptizing them . . . , teaching them to observe . . . .” The first verb for “teach” in the King James Version – teach/disciple (matheteusate) -- is from a word which is cognate to the noun “disciple” – “learner/disciple" (mathetes), the regular word employed in the NT for the twelve disciples. The second verb used for "teaching" is from a word from which we get the English word "didactic." Hence the distinction here between “disciple” (as a verb) and “teaching” in the two parts of the sentence.

            Accordingly, our interpretation is that the “going” precedes the “discipling” which is produced by “baptizing” and “teaching.” The significance of “going” probably means “after you have gone from this mountain, make disciples." Its usage also might suggest that making disciples is not something that is automatic; it takes effort; it is intentional. It is an active concept and not passive.

            Although "going" is a participle and not a command, there is grammatical precedent for considering its use as an imperative, "go and." The same is true for the passage in Mark. So, the versions which view the "go" as a command are not necessarily incorrect. The point in the present article is, however, that the emphasis of Jesus is the "making of disciples" or "teaching" and not the "going."

            The essential “what” of the Great Commission is the act of making disciples.

Making Disciples is Comprehensive: How?

            The command to discipleship is a complete and full process. Some times preachers give the impression that only evangelism or missions is what the Great Commission commands. That is not the case. Indeed, evangelism is included in the process; hence the example in Mark 16 where Jesus says to “preach the gospel to every creature.” Analysis of the commission examples in Luke 24, John 20, and Acts 1 shows that salvation indeed is a vital part of the aims of the Great Commission. Similarly, the emphasis in Matthew on “baptizing” shows that such salvation is presupposed. We are to “get people saved.” Observing the examples given in the book of Acts, one can clearly conclude that baptism is the God-designed means for one to identify with Christ and his people – the church. Attention to the early passages in Acts indicates that such was the usual practice of the earliest Christians. Since the New Testament clearly teaches that baptism is not required for salvation, Jesus then is adding this element as a public testimony and identification with His people. Teaching observance of “all things commanded" indicates that Christian instruction and growth is a vital part of the Great Commission. The records in Acts 2:41-42, 46 show various aspects of the church's obedience to the Lord's command.

            The “how to” of the Great Commission is comprehensive: it includes the acts of going, baptizing, and teaching.

Making Disciples is Continuous: How Long?

            Significantly, the theme of last year's BMA of America meeting focused on Discipleship and some forthcoming Sunday School lessons in the Baptist Publishing House literature will have the same emphasis. The purpose of this short study here is not to minimize evangelism or world-wide missions efforts; it is to demonstrate the significance of the total work of our churches. That is much greater than evangelism or missions. The making of disciples does not end when one is saved and baptized. It is a life-long process (i.e, "all things that I have commanded"). Attention to the various activities/ministries of our churches shows that most are directly related to the total aspects of the Great Commission, and they pattern the activities of our forefathers as recorded in the early parts of Acts. Significantly, the early "disciples" (i.e., the "twelve") remained with Jesus throughout His ministry. They were still being taught or discipled.

            Indeed, in Jesus' promise that "I am with you always to the end of the age," He was extending the promise and command to that end time. The "end of the age" coincides with the second coming of Christ. Notice in the same book that the disciples had asked Him, "what will be the sign of your coming and end of the age?" (Matt. 24:3). Clearly the Commission is in effect until the "end of the age." It is continuous.

            The “how long” of the Great Commission is life-long, both so far as the disciple is concerned and as far as the ones doing the discipling are concerned. Let us all renew our determination to fulfill all of the Great Commission.