Matthew 28 v19 Into All the World
Most believe this is a command to do “missions,” as it relates to being a missionary. Or going on missions trips to foreign nations. However, this isn’t the idea the text is conveying.
The Greek translation shows the word as ‘ethnos’ which according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon means:
- a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together; a company, troop, swarm
- a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus
- race, nation
- foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles
- Gentile Christians
In the KJV version, we see this exact same word translated as Gentiles (93x), nation (64x), heathen (5x), people (2x).
In Hebrew the word is עַמִּים, simply translated, peoples. More than one person.
Basically, if you are disciple of Jesus, he has told you to go and teach people. You don’t have to fly across the world, become a missionary, nor go on missions trips, you simply have to teach the people around you. If you have the means and the time, go as far away as you can, nothing against this. Some may even be called to specifically be missionaries. But if you do not or are not, nothing is stopping you from accepting this great commission to go and teach all people.
This is not the same as ‘testifying’ or ‘giving a witness’. This also is not about getting people “saved.” There is nothing against either of those either, but that is not the context here. How do we know this? Because this teaching is directly tied to the word disciple – a student, a follower, a learner. It is about giving instruction. In Jesus’s time, a disciple wanted to become as much like their teacher as possible. The idea was also, a disciple would one day go out and teach as well.
Are you doing what Jesus told his disciples to do? Are you teaching people?
It might be surprising, but the next part, baptizing, has nothing to do with water. Stay tuned!
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