--- # Great Commission Thoughts ## Background - This note will look at / compare / contrast the [[Great_Commission]] Jesus’ statements about the [[End-Times|end]] coming [[24.14|after the world hears]] the [[Gospel|gospel]] and the four passages about [[Disciple|making disciples]]. ## ToDo - ToDo Study - Look at the Great Commission in the context of the end times - ToDo Transfer - Finish linking ## Notes - Great Commission passages: - [[Matthew_28|Matthew 28.18-20]] - Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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 all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - [[Mark_16|Mark 16.15]] - And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” - [[Acts_01|Acts 1.8]] - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - End times passages about witnessing to all nations - [[Matthew_24|Matthew 24.14]] - And this gospel of the kingdom will be **preached in all the world** as a **testimony to all nations**, and then the end will come. - [[Mark_13|Mark 13.10]] - And the gospel must first be **proclaimed to all the nations**. - Disciple-making Passages that use "mathēteuō" [[G3100]] - [[Matthew_13|Matthew 13.52]] - Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe **who has been discipled** in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” - [[Matthew_27|Matthew 27.57]] - When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a **disciple** of Jesus. - [[Matthew_28|Matthew 28.18-20]] - Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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 all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - [[Acts_14|Acts 14.21-22]] - They preached the gospel to that city and **made many disciples** ([[G3100]]). Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples ([[G3101]]) and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. - Word study - [[G1093]] - BSB usage - earth - References - Acts 1.8 - Notes - The usage includes: “the earth, soil, land, region, country, inhabitants of a region.” - [[G1484]] - BSB usage - nations - References - Matthew 24.14 - Matthew 28.19 - Mark 13.10 - Notes - Generally, the Gentiles - Same as Matthew 24.14 & Mark 13.10 - [[G2078]] - BSB usage - ends - References - Acts 1.8 - Notes - In addition to referring to the “ends of the earth”, this word is also used to refer to the “end times” - [[G2889]] - BSB usage - world - References - Mark 16.15 - Notes - The usage can include “the world, universe; worldly affairs; the inhabitants of the world; adornment” - [[G2937]] - BSB usage - creature - References - Mark 16.15 - Notes - The usage can include “(often of the founding of a city) - (a) abstr: creation - (b) concr: creation, creature, institution; always of Divine work - (c) an institution, ordinance - [[G3100]] - References, Usage & Notes - Matthew 13.52 - This is about becoming a disciple - Matthew 27.57 - BSB usage: disciple - Note: This is about noting that Joseph had become a disciple - Matthew 28.19 - BSB Usage: make disciples - Note: This is the only “command” in the NT to “make disciples” - Acts 14.21 - BSB Usage: made … disciples - Note: Luke reported that Paul and Barnabas “made many disciples” - [[G3101]] - BSB usage - - References - - Notes - - [[G3625]] - BSB usage - world - References - Matthew 24.14 - Notes - The usage includes: - “(properly: the land that is being inhabited, the land in a state of habitation) - the inhabited world, that is, the Roman world, for all outside it was regarded as of no account” - [[G3650]] - BSB usage - whole - References - Matthew 24.14 - Notes - all, the whole, entire, complete - [[G3956]] - BSB usage - all - to all - to every - References - Matthew 24.14 - Matthew 28.19 - Mark 13.10 - Mark 16.15 - Notes - all, the whole, every kind of - Word Analysis - 2020.08.22 - It seems clear that in Matthew 24.14 that Jesus is talking about the “whole inhabited” earth. However, Matthew may have only been thinking about the Roman empire. Regardless, it is hard to believe that the gospel has not already been preached “in all the world”. However, since the Greek word for “to all” as a modifier for “the nations” is “pas” [[G3956]] which means, “all, the whole, every kind of”, it is possible “all nations / people groups” have not heard the testimony yet. Furthermore, in **Matthew 28.19**, “pas” [[G3956]] is used by Jesus when discussing how many nations from which we are to make disciples. - Although **Matthew 28.19** is the only place in the Bible with a clear command to “make disciples”, there is enough other evidence that we are to be about doing that. - Summary - 2023.12.16 - Based on 10 passages in the NT, I believe the milestone mentioned in Matthew 24.14 has been fulfilled. See my note: [[Matthew_24.14_FULFILLED|Matthew 24.14 -- FULFILLED!!]] - 2020.08.22 - We are commanded to make disciples of all nations - The end will come after the gospel has been preached as a testimony to all nations