Although I have included this passage on the page with misused and abused Bible verses, these verses would be better classified as misused and partially ignored. Matthew 28:19-20 is one of the most familiar passages of Scripture. These verses say:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (NKJV)
There are many people and many churches who think they are being obedient to this passage, but really are not. There are many people who assume that the are fulfilling the great commission, but are not. There are pastors who think that seeing people saved on this mission field makes them obedient to this passage, but it might not. Let me explain!
Undoubtedly you have heard that these verses are commanding us to “GO” and win other people to Christ. While I would readily agree that this is the duty of every Christian, I do not think this is the command that these verses are teaching. As I have studied these verses in great detail over the past couple of weeks there are several things that I learned that led me to, what I believe to be, the proper application of this passage.
“Go” is not the command in this verse. The ‘going’ is assumed. We are not being commanded to “go” to a lost world, it is assumed that we are going to ’go’…that it is natural to ‘go’. It would be better to translate the first part of Matthew 28:19 as “While you are going…” or as Young’s Literal Translation says, “Having gone…” Once you understand this fact the real command in this passage becomes crystal clear. Let me offer an outline of sorts that will help visualize what I am talking about.
While you are going…
…Make disciples or disciple all nations…
…by baptizing them…
(…in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…)
…And by teaching them…
(…to observe all things that I have commanded you…)
…I will be with you always…
(…even to the end of the age, Amen.)
The command in this verse is to make disciples or to disciple all nations. We accomplish that by (1) baptizing them and (2) teaching them. Let me offer an explanation about the instruction to baptize. Baptisim is in no way necessary for or a pre-requisite to salvation. However, in Scripture baptism is assumed for the believer. As a result, baptism is many times connected to salvation as a direct and immediate result of that salvation. Baptism was the sign of their conversion. So when this passage instructs us to make disciples by the sign of baptizing them, we can understand that to mean that we are to make disciples (1) by seeing them converted to Christ and (2) by teaching them.
So how are these verses misused and partially ignored?
It is primarily misused by asserting that the command is to “GO”. While we are to “go” that is not the primary command in these verses. The command is to disciple all nations. This passage is partially ignored by churches failing to make disciples. So many church are so focused on making converts that the fail to make disciples. The going is assumed…we are to go, we are to disciple all nations by converting people to Christ and by teaching them.
Any time we only focus on converting people to Christ and yet fail to teach/disciple them we are not fulfilling the great commission. The only way to be obedient to this passage is to disciple all the nations (starting in your own church) by BOTH presenting Christ to the lost and then after they are converted to Christ, teaching them. If either portion is neglected the disciple-making process is brought to an abrupt stop.
Read Explinations Of Other Misused And Abused Bible Verses here.
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