An Exegesis of

Matthew 28:16-20

Nathaniel B. Parker

BH5201: Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics

March 23, 2016

 Historical Background

Attempting to discern a clear historical background on the Gospel of Matthew can be

challenging, as unlike many other books of the Bible, one cannot merely open a background

resource on the Gospel of Matthew and discover a concise, specific historical background on

Matthew’s Gospel.1 With that said, one can draw some general observations and possibilities

concerning the historical background on the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s Gospel was likely

written in Antioch, Syria’s capital, which was a mostly Greek-speaking city with a large

population of Jews.2 A community of Jewish Christians was formed in Antioch in the late 30’s,

and the community attempted to evangelize Gentiles (In some instances this caused contention

with the “Judaizers” who believed that Gentiles who came to saving faith in Jesus Christ as

Messiah must also observe the Mosaic Law. This contention was resolved at the Jerusalem

Council affirming salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.), placing Matthew’s Gospel “on

the borderline between the Jewish and gentile world.”3

One of the major struggles in the early church was how the nation of Israel fit within the

overall context of “salvation history”. Matthew’s Gospel teaches readers that the “Jew versus

Gentile” lines have been abolished in terms of salvation, and that the true people of God are

those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.4 Israel as a nation, because of

their rejection of Christ as Messiah, “forfeited” its exclusive right to the Gospel message, and
1
I have chosen to capitalize the term “Gospel” when referring to the Gospel of Matthew in this paper due
to the fact that the professor for this course capitalizes the term “Gospel” when referring to the four Gospels in his
professor’s notes related to this course.

John P. Meier, “Matthew, Gospel of,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New
2

York: Doubleday, 1992), 624.

3
Ibid.

S. McKnight, “Matthew, Gospel of,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the
4

Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 537.

1
that while some Jews still accepted Christ as Messiah (and will continue to do so), Gentile

nations are now also offered the privilege of hearing the Gospel message and being brought into

the family and people of God.5 Christ’s commission to “make disciples of all the nations” in

Matthew 28:19 affirms the universality of the Gospel message transcending ethnic boundaries.

Additional Note: Due to the fact that Matthew was primarily addressing a Jewish

audience when he wrote his Gospel, some scholars have postulated that the Gospel of Matthew

was originally written in either Hebrew or Aramaic and later translated into Greek.6 However, it

is more likely that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Greek while utilizing a

Jewish/Hebraic style of writing, as would be common for any Greek-speaking Jew writing to a

predominantly Jewish audience.7

Textual Commentary

Matthew 28:16-20 concludes the Gospel of Matthew, and it contains what Christians

refer to as the “Great Commission” passage. Besides John 3:16, Matthew 28:16-20 should be

considered one of the most important passages in the New Testament, as well as one of (if not

the) key passage(s) in Matthew, as it contains the mission statement for the church and its

“marching orders” from Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18b-20 contains direct speech from Christ

Himself.

A widely accepted literary analysis concerning the structure of Matthew’s Gospel is that

Matthew consists of “five discourses”, with each “discourse” section beginning with a narrative

5
McKnight, 537.
6
McKnight, 527.
7
Ibid.
2
and ending with the discourse proper.8 Using this analysis, Matthew 28:16-20 would not be

considered part of one of the discourses, but forms the epilogue to the book of Matthew.9

One area of caution to note when examining the Gospel of Matthew using the “five

discourse” analysis is not to hastily associate each of the five discourses in the Gospel of

Matthew with each of the five books of the Pentateuch/Torah as presented by Bacon.10 The “five

discourse” analysis stems internally from the Gospel of Matthew itself (it does not need to be

conformed to the structure of the Pentateuch/Torah), as well as not only did the Pentateuch/Torah

contain a five-book division, but other Old Testament sections (such as the Psalms and the

Megilloth) did as well.11

A solid purpose or theme for the Gospel of Matthew is that Jesus Christ is indeed the

Messiah promised by God, that the Nation of Israel in Christ’s day (for the most part) failed to

recognize Him as their Messiah (and their continual failure to do so would prove detrimental to

them if they did not accept Christ as Messiah), and that while the Kingdom of Heaven was

inaugurated with the incarnation of Christ, it still awaits fulfillment when Christ returns to

earth.12

Matthew, as well as all of the Gospels, present us with the “foundational witness to the

person, teaching, passion, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah”.13 Each Gospel provides us with
D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, Second Edition. (Grand Rapids,
8

MI: Zondervan, 2005), 135.

9
Ibid.

John P. Meier, “Matthew, Gospel of,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New
10

York: Doubleday, 1992), 629.

11
Ibid.
12
Carson and Moo, 158.
13
Carson and Moo, 162–163.
3
additional theological insights not found in the other Gospels.14 For example, Matthew’s use of

the Old Testament allows readers to discover the christological significance of Old Testament

passages and their fulfillment in Christ in the New Testament.15

The Gospel of Matthew climaxes in the resurrection of Christ. After the women have

visited the empty tomb and seen the resurrected Christ, they deliver the message to the disciples

given to them by Christ that He will meet with them in Galilee.16 The disciples visit Galilee in

obedience to Christ, and Christ meets them and delivers His final “marching orders” to them.17

Matthew 28:16-20 comes “full circle” to complete the story which began in Galilee, moved

south, then shifted back north to Galilee.18 Christ conquered death through His resurrection, and

He returned back to the place where He launched His ministry to deliver His final commission

for His disciples and for the church.19

Matthew 28:16: This verse transitions readers of Matthew’s Gospel from the post-

resurrection of Christ events into Christ’s “Great Commission” mandate to His disciples and, in

essence, to the church in general. One observation of note is that the use of the Greek particle de

in this verse may refer to more of a contrast between the “deceitful” Jewish leaders and the

obedient disciples of Christ than a formal transition.20 Matthew 28:16 culminates, summarizes,

14
Carson and Moo, 162-163.
15
Carson and Moo, 163–164.
16
Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 14–28, vol. 33B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated,
1998), 881.
17
Ibid.
18
R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 1107.
19
Ibid.
20
D. Edmond Hiebert, “An Expository Study of Matthew 28:16–20,” Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (1992): 339.
4
and finalizes all of the major themes throughout the book of Matthew, beginning with the

spreading of the Gospel message from exclusively to the nation of Israel now to the entire world,

the founding of Christ’s church, Christ’s commands to His disciples and their obedience to such

commands, and the promise of Christ’s presence to be with His disciples.21

Christ meeting with His disciples in Galilee was a “fitting” location, as the disciples were

from Galilee and would likely return there to their homes after the Passover in Jerusalem.22

Galilee was also associated with the Gentiles and would be the ideal context for Christ to

proclaim His “Great Commission” mandate to His disciples to evangelize all nations.23

Additionally, Galilee was the place where Christ had trained His disciples, and it is where much

of the ministry of Christ was spent.24 Galilee was also a safer environment for Christ’s disciples

to receive a message from the resurrected Christ, being a “land of refuge; it stands in opposition

to Jerusalem and offers protection from the Jewish leaders.”25

One question concerning the use of the term “the eleven disciples” in this verse is were

there other “disciples” in addition to “the eleven”? “The twelve disciples” has been reduced to

“the eleven disciples” in this verse due to the suicide of Judas in Matthew 27:5.26 A common

21
Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 1992), 429.

David L. Turner, Matthew, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI:
22

Baker Academic, 2008), 688.

23
Ibid.
24
Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, vol. 1, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 1077.

Ulrich Luz, Matthew 21–28: A Commentary, ed. Helmut Koester, Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical
25

Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2005), 621.

26
Nolland John, “Preface,” in The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International
Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2005), 1261.
5
interpretation concerning “the eleven disciples” in this verse shatters any notion of additional

“disciples” alongside “the eleven”. The argument is that Matthew “specifically limited the

number of people present to eleven” while not mentioning any additional present “disciples”.27

The other possibility is that additional “disciples” were present during this event, especially since

Christ met with “the eleven” already twice earlier in Jerusalem.28 This interpretation also argues

that it is likely that the women at the tomb accompanied the disciples, as the use of the second

person pronoun rendered “you” in Matthew 28:7 implies that they would also see Christ in

Galilee.29 The argument is the up to “five hundred” mentioned in other parallel passages could

have been present at this event.30 The best conclusion one can draw from this exegesis is that “the

eleven” were without a doubt present at this meeting, while there was a possibility that others

were present, although the text does not explicitly state this. How one interprets this verse will

determine how one interprets who was involved in the “doubting” of Matthew 28:17.

The other interpretative question in this verse is the identification of the “mountain” that

Christ had appointed His disciples to visit. One interpretation translates the term “mountain”

with the more generic phrase “into the hills”, stating that the disciples were not to visit a specific

mountain in Galilee, but they were simply to go to Galilee and await for Christ to appear to them

and meet with them.31 Tradition identifies this mountain with Mount Tabor.32 Another possibility
27
France, 1110–1111.
28
D. Edmond Hiebert, “An Expository Study of Matthew 28:16–20,” Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (1992): 341–
342.
29
Ibid.
30
Ibid.
31
France, 1110. The author’s argument stems from the text’s use of an adverb instead of a relative pronoun
in this phrase.
32
Hagner, 884.
6
is that this mountain is where Christ delivered His “Sermon on the Mount”, and while one can

draw some allusions to the same mountain from this verse, Matthew does not specifically equate

the two places.33 Other possible alternatives are the mount of transfiguration or the mountain

referred to in the third temptation of Christ.34 The mountain was likely a specified place the

disciples would have known about, and while either Mount Tabor or the location of the “Sermon

on the Mount” are likely candidates for such a mountain, it is unlikely to be the mount of

transfiguration since that mountain is too much far north.35 Jews believed that mountains or hills

were places of “divine revelation”, as well as this verse also pictures an Old Testament parallel

when Moses presented the law of God to the nation of Israel from Mount Sinai.36 Here Christ

gives His commission to His disciples from a mountain as well.

Matthew 28:17: The passage continues with the disciples seeing Christ and worshipping

Him. While the term “worship” here can involve bowing before someone, the sense that

embodies the term “worship” in its entirety is likely the recommended interpretation.37 The

disciples recognize that Christ is the Son of God, God-incarnate, and not merely human.38 The

term “worship” here is specifically used for the worship of God, but it is directed to Christ, God

33
John, 1261–1262.
34
Luz, 621–622.
35
Hiebert, 340–341.
36
Turner, 688.

Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series
(New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 884.
37
France, 1110. Logos Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon tags the following sense of the term “worship”
in this verse as: “to worship-prostrate: to prostrate oneself in the presence of the divine or supernatural as a sign of
deference and worship.”
38
Ibid.
7
the Son, versus solely to God the Father.39As those stemming from a Jewish background, the

disciples would have never worshipped a mere human being.40 Their worship of Christ in this

verse confirms His deity and their belief in His deity, and this worship prepared them to be His

servants.41

The major interpretative question of this verse is the use of the term “doubted” and who

was involved in those who “doubted”. A common interpretation of the use of the term “doubted”

is that it describes “uncertainty or hesitation”, and it was used when Peter walked on the water

toward Christ and wavered in his faith.42 Therefore, scholars commonly believe the context of

this term renders it to mean hesitation to worship Christ, not direct unbelief.43 However, the term

can still possibly be used to indicate actual doubt in some instances, as well as it can mean

“conflicted” or a “divided mind...stronger than mere hesitation”, so one should not be quick to

dismiss the possibility of actual doubt in this verse.44

The term “doubt”, if rendered “hesitation”, could denote that some of the disciples were

not positive if they were actually seeing Christ due to the fact that they possibly saw Him from a

39
Hiebert, 343. Many manuscripts including the Majority Text and Textus Receptus add the pronoun
translated “Him” after “they worshipped”, specifying that Christ was the object of their worship and not only God
the Father. It is likely this was textually-original, and many English translations, including some not translated from
the Majority Text/Textus Receptus, still include this pronoun. See Philip W. Comfort, New Testament Text and
Translation Commentary, Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 89-90.

40
Ibid.
41
Ibid.
42
Turner, 688. BDAG renders the term “doubt, waiver”. Logos Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon tags
the use of the term “doubt” in this verse as: “to doubt: to lack confidence in or have doubts about”.
43
Ibid.
44
Ibid.

Luz, 623.
8
distance at first (although they were expecting to see Christ when visiting Galilee).45 More likely

the disciples were not sure of their proper response to seeing the resurrected Christ.46 Earlier, the

disciples had abandoned Christ, but now they see Christ in His exalted glory.47 Other possibilities

are that their Judaism side was surfacing in a hesitation to worship anyone but God the Father

(unlikely), or more likely the disciples were wondering how to respond to an exalted being who

was recently resurrected from the dead.48

How one interprets how many “disciples” were present at this event in Matthew 28:16

determines how many were involved in the “doubting” in this verse. One interpretation states

that only the eleven disciples were present, that all of the eleven disciples worshipped Christ, and

that all of the eleven disciples were involved in the “doubting”, placing this “doubt”

simultaneous with their “worship” of Christ.49 Others interpret this verse to include that more

than the eleven disciples were present during this event (including the women who visited the

tomb), and that this passage clearly refers to a “subgroup” or “some” that doubted, but not

“all”.50 Others place those who “worshipped” and those who “doubted” into two distinct groups

of people, believing that some possibly had issues recognizing the glorified Christ after His

agonizing crucifixion, with others still having issues fully understanding Christ’s resurrection.51

45
France, 1111–1112.
46
Ibid.
47
Ibid.
48
Blomberg, 430.
49
Newman and Stine, 885.
50
John, 1262.
51
Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids,
MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 745.
9
Furthermore, those who adhere to this interpretation believe that it was clearly others (possibly

some of the “five hundred”) who doubted, not any of the eleven disciples.52 Overall, the most

common interpretation seen across commentators concerning this this passage (while certainly

not a consensus by any means) is that the term “doubt” used in this verse was not out of unbelief

but “hesitation”, and that at least “some”, if not “all” of the eleven disciples, not necessarily an

external group, were involved in the “doubting”.53 Why Matthew placed such a phrase in this

passage was for an application for his readers. While the disciples were worshipping and

wavering in this event, Matthew wanted to ensure that his readers had “confidence that Jesus is

Lord of all and present with them at all times”.54

Matthew 28:18: Christ begins proclaiming His “Great Commission” mandate to His

disciples, which extends through Matthew 28:20. Matthew 28:18 serves as a “prologue” or

“introduction” to the commands Christ follows with in Matthew 28:19-20. The term “all” is used

three times in the passage overall, with the term “alway” (KJV) used once as well in Matthew

28:20. Christ “passes the torch” to His disciples, and He issues this commission as one who is

fully God yet, at the same time, a distinct person of the trinity.55 The authority of Christ as deity

allows Him to issue His “marching orders” to His disciples, while at the same time empowering

them with His strength and presence to carry out His “Great Commission”.56

52
Morris, 745. Hiebert in Bib. Sac. 149 states that those who “doubted” were likely among the larger group
of “disciples” and not part of “the eleven” with the adversative particle contrasting “the eleven” with those who
“doubted”.
53
Osborne, 1077.
54
Hagner, 885.
55
Blomberg, 431.
56
Ibid.
10
 This “Great Commission” mandate, despite the belief of critical scholars, was likely

delivered as a single unit and not as a “series of themes” developed over time.57 Critical scholars

postulate such a “series of themes” theory on the basis of the use of the trinitarian formula in

Matthew 28:19 as being a later “addition” to the text (which is not likely). A closer examination

of this trinitarian formula will be examined further in this exegesis. This “Great Commission”

mandate of Christ was introduced by Christ coming to His disciples and alleviating them of their

fears, then Christ proceeding to speak with His disciples to issue His final commission to them.58

The phrase “All power is given unto me” finds an Old Testament parallel passage in

Daniel 7:14.59 Matthew’s passage extends the parallel in Daniel to include not only the entire

earth, but all of heaven as well.60 The passage also finds a New Testament parallel passage in

Matthew 4 concerning the temptation of Christ.61 Whereas Satan offered the “kingdoms of the

world” to Christ in exchange for Christ’s worshipping of Satan, Christ obediently refused Satan’s

offer, and through Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection and glorification, Christ’s

authority now includes not only all the “kingdoms of the earth”, but all of heaven as well.62 Some

scholars refute such a close parallel between this verse and Daniel 7:14, since Daniel 7 refers to

Christ’s “present Lordship over the world” and is not directly connected with the “Son of Man

57
Osborne, 1078.
58
France, 1112.
59
Ibid. Note that the NA28 ass the definite article rendered “the” before the term rendered “earth”.
60
Ibid.
61
Ibid.
62
Ibid.
11
parousia”.63 Such an argument is lacking, as one can clearly discern a parallel between Daniel

7:14 and this verse.

One other possible interpretation of “All power is given unto me” is this “power” (or

“authority”, more on this shortly) was always present with Christ but “re-affirmed” after His

rejection, death, and resurrection.64 Now that Christ has been “vindicated”, His authority can be

“freshly re-affirmed”.65 “Here the risen Jesus is not saying anything new to the readers; he is

simply reminding them of the Easter faith according to which Jesus at his resurrection has been

exalted and installed as Lord of the universe...Thus the entire world was turned upside down by

the resurrection of Jesus.”66

The term “power” in the verse is best translated “authority” from the Greek to ensure

clarity between this term used and another Greek term used in other passages generally rendered

“power”.67 This term refers to “position as well as function”.68 The Greek root this form is derived

from “relates most commonly to the Law and will of God”.69 The Greek lemma itself “denotes

ability to perform an action” instead of the other term used for “power” which means “intrinsic

63
Luz, 619.
64
France, 1113.
65
Ibid.
66
Luz, 623–624.
67
BDAG: “the right to control or command, authority, absolute power, warrant...of Jesus' total authority”.
Logos Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon tags the term “power/authority” used in this verse as: “ruling authority:
authority over a domain or sphere of influence; often pertaining to the political or religious sphere”. “All power is
given unto me” can also be rendered active instead of passive, as in “My Father has given me all
authority” (Newman and Stine).
68
Osborne, 1079.

Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New
69

Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 561.

12
ability”.70 However, this “authority” does need to be backed by "real power".71 Therefore, the

term “power” at times can be an acceptable translation (such as used in the KJV), although one

must know the difference in definition between the “authority power” of this term which denotes

“to obey commands” and the “external power” definition of the other term used.72 Adrian Rogers

stated it beautifully in his exposition on this passage by saying: “Plain English—He is Lord. God

has declared Him Lord; angels have announced Him Lord; we must own Him and crown Him as

Lord.”73 He goes onto say: “I've often heard people say, "Well, God said it, I believe it, and that

settles it." Ha, ha. Well, that sounds good, but God said it, that settles it, whether you believe it or

not. He is Lord. He is absolute Lord.”74 Silva summed it up this way: “God’s power is not

realized by violently subjugating the nations, but by the spread of the gospel, winning the world

to faith in Christ.”75

Matthew 28:19: This verse contains the first three commands of Christ given in His

“Great Commission” mandate to His disciples: “Go ye therefore...teach (make disciples of) all

nations...baptizing them”. Now that Christ has been glorified, He commands His disciples to

evangelize the world on mission. He also extends the command beyond presenting the Gospel

exclusively to the nation of Israel to include “all nations”. While some scholars interpret the

70
Kittel, Bromiley, and Friedrich, 562.
71
Kittel, Bromiley, and Friedrich, 563.
72
Ibid. The use of this term is close to the usage in the LXX. It “denotes the power of God in the spiritual
world...and especially the power or freedom given to Jesus, and by Him to His disciples”. It is “important in
understanding the person and work of Christ. It denotes His divinely given power and authority to act Jesus is to be
exalted as Christ and Lord in the Kingdom of God”.

Adrian Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons, (North Palm Beach, FL: Adrian Rogers
73

Foundation, 2011), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “Our Marching Orders”.

74
Ibid.
75
NIDNTTE, Accordance electronic ed.
13
phrase “all nations” to refer to “all Gentiles” to the exclusion of Jews, such an interpretation is

highly unlikely, if not impossible.76 A better interpretation is that the Gospel message is no longer

limited to the nation of Israel, but that Gentile nations now have a privilege in being reached with

the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to bring about the fulfillment of the “Great Commission”.77

Furthermore, the use of the term “all nations” in this verse likely refers to various “people

groups” consisting of various cultures and ethnicities than referring directly to “physical nations”

in general.78 Christ’s “universal authority makes possible the universal mission.”79

The main command (imperative) issued from Christ in this passage is to “make disciples

of all nations” (KJV “teach all nations”). The other commands (“Go ye therefore...baptizing

them...teaching them”) outline the process of how one is to “make disciples of all nations”.80

While the term “Go” coordinates with the main verb “make disciples”, elevating either of the

two verbs at the expense of the other is a serious error.81 Overly emphasizing the “going” to
76
Turner, 689.

France, 1114.
77
Ibid.
78
Craig S. Keener, Matthew, vol. 1, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1997), Mt 28:16.

The term “nations” refers to “all nations including Israel”. (NIDNTTE, TDNT) It also refers to “people
groups”. (Logos Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon)
79
Osborne, 1079.
80
Turner, 689.

France, 1114.
81
Blomberg, 431. The three “sub-commands” (“Go, baptizing, teaching” can be translated with imperative
force even though they are participles. (Newman and Stine). However, retaining “baptizing” and “teaching” as
participles is a more literal translation, such as one sees in the KJV and NASB. The participle “Go” should be
translated with an imperative force since it is the single circumstantial participle in this verse that is linked to the
main verb “make disciples”. “Go” is also known as a “contemporaneous participle”. A contemporaneous participle
“expresses action happening within the same time frame as the main action” (Lexham Glossary of Syntax). Logos
Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon tags “Go” as: “to go away: to move away from a place into another direction”

14
exclude evangelism efforts in one’s home area is one extreme, while over emphasizing “making

disciples” in one’s home area without extending discipleship to “all nations” is another seriously

erroneous extreme.82 One is to reach “all nations” for Christ, beginning in one’s home area and

extending to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The recommended translation for the imperative “teach all nations” (KJV) is “make

disciples of all nations” so as not to confuse this term with the other Greek term commonly

translated “teach” (which is used in Matthew 28:20).83 The “Great Commission” shifts missions

from centripetal missions (as in the case with the nation of Israel in which other nations were

drawn to the nation of Israel) to centrifugal missions (taking the Gospel message directly to “all

nations” with the launch of the church).84 Adrian Rogers stated it beautifully in his exposition

when he said: “It is every creature that must hear the Gospel. And, the Gospel of Jesus Christ

must conquer all barriers of language, culture, nationality, color, and rank. All of this world is the

subject of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus has unlimited power.”85 The command to “make
The term can be used to refer to the mission of Christ, and in this instance, it is used in Christ's mission to His
disciples. (TDNT)
82
Blomberg, 431.
83
The imperative “teach (make disciples of) all nations” is tagged in the Logos Bible Software Bible Sense
Lexicon as: “to disciple: to initiate or instruct a disciple in the ways or teachings of a specific teacher or leader”.
While the recommended translation from Greek is “make disciples” so as not to confuse it with the other Greek term
translated “teach”, “teach” is an acceptable translation here as well and is not inaccurate. BDAG: “make a disciple
of, teach”.
84
Osborne, 1079.
85
Adrian Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons, (North Palm Beach, FL: Adrian Rogers
Foundation, 2011), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “The Last Words of Jesus”. He went onto say this
powerful message: “My dear friend, I want to tell you that anybody on planet Earth who does not know Jesus Christ
as His personal Savior—any person of an age of accountability who dies without Christ—is going to die and go to
Hell—anybody. It bothers me to think about it. But, people without Christ are lost. I don't care who they are; I don't
care what religion they have. The Bible says: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life” (1 John 5:12). Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me” (John 14:6). In Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved.” People are saved by Jesus, or they are not saved at all. There is no
other way for people to be saved. If Jesus Christ is not the only way to Heaven, then Jesus Christ is none of the ways

15
disciples” goes beyond evangelism. Discipleship involves ensuring those who are evangelized

are grounded in the doctrine of Christ's teaching.86 One commentator said it this way: “The

emphasis in the commission thus falls not on the initial proclamation of the gospel but more on

the arduous task of nurturing into the experience of discipleship”.87 Adrian Rogers said it this

way: “On New Testament evangelism, they did not count decisions; they counted disciples.”88

The term “baptizing” used in this verse refers to immersion (not sprinkling), and it

pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.89 It is interesting to note that the term

“baptizing” precedes “teaching” in this passage. Matthew's order of the terms here illustrate that

baptism is to be meant more of an “initiation” into the family and people of God instead of

merely a “graduation” ceremony, and that after one is baptized into the family and people of

God, the new believer is to increase in learning leading to spiritual maturity.90 This practice of

water baptism was first mentioned in Matthew 3, and it was not mentioned again in Matthew's

Gospel until this passage. The reason for this is likely that the practice of water baptism for

Christians was familiar enough to readers of Matthew's Gospel to the point where Matthew did

to Heaven. If Jesus Christ is not the only way to Heaven, then He is a fake, a fraud, a liar, and an imposter, for He
Himself said that He is the only way to Heaven. So many people keep asking this question: “Oh, are the heathens
lost if they don't hear?” I'd like to turn it around and say, “Are we saved if we don't tell the love of the Lord Jesus
Christ?”
86
Osborne, 1080.
87
Hagner, 887.
88
Rogers, "The Last Words of Jesus".
89
Rogers, “The Last Words of Jesus”.“Baptizing” is used as an “instrumental participle” in this verse. An
instrumental participle is: “Use of a participle to express the instrument or agent by which an action is affected”.
(Lexham Glossary of Syntax) Logos Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon tags the term “baptizing” used in this
verse as: “to baptize: to momentarily dip someone into water as a cleansing, ceremonial, and initiatory rite”.
90
France, 1115–1116.
16
not need to spend a length of time discussing its background.91 Osborne mentions that baptism is

“an essential component of discipleship” and the “primary sacrament of initiation into the

Christian faith”.92 This is certainly a true statement, although one must be cautious not to equate

baptism with salvation when performing an exegesis on this passage, as well as one must not

place baptism as a requirement of salvation (Osborne would agree with this). Believers in Christ

should still follow through with baptism in order to be obedient to the commands of Christ,

although baptism itself has no saving effect on a person.

The term “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and and of the Holy Ghost” (The

term “Holy Ghost” in the KJV refers to the Holy Spirit, and the Greek word is best rendered

“spirit”) shares fascinating insights into trinitarian theology. Christ is making Himself equal with

God the Father, and He is the object of the disciples’ worship, coupled with the fact that all three

members constitute a single “name” (not “names”) points readers toward trinitarian theology

with God being in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).93

Matthew 28:20: The final command from Christ in His “Great Commission” mandate to

His disciples is given: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded

you”94. After the disciples are to go and to “make disciples” of all the nations and to baptize them

91
France, 1115–1116.
92
Osborne, 1080–1081.
93
France, 1118. Hiebert in Bib. Sac. 149 agrees with this interpretation that the usage of the singular term
“name” clearly alludes to trinitarian theology. John in NIGTC disagrees and states that the singular use of “the
name” is not technically “shared” among all three persons but should be rendered “in the name of the Father and the
name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit”. Such an interpretation seems highly unlikely. Osborne
(Zondervan) takes The term “in the name” to be rendered “into the name”, and instead of merely specifying the term
as a mere “baptismal formula”, it is better rendered as “into fellowship with” the trinity.
94
“Teaching” used in this verse is also an “instrumental participle” (Lexham Glossary of Syntax) Logos
Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon tags “teaching” used in this verse as: “to teach: to impart skills or knowledge
to”. This can refer to all of Scripture in this sense. (TDNT)
17
into the family and people of God, the disciples are then to teach the new believers obedience to

the commands of Christ. All of the previous discourses in the Gospel of Matthew culminate in

this passage as the content of what should be taught the newly made disciples.95 This teaching is

not mere information, but obedience to the commands of Christ, which includes Christ's

interpretation of the law of Moses delivered in His Sermon on the Mount.96 Just as God

commanded Joshua to obey all of His instructions (Joshua 1:7-8), Christ commands His disciples

to teach believers to obey all of His commands.

While Christ has been the teacher throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Christ now

commands His disciples to be the teachers who continue the spread of His teachings and His

commands.97 Their command to teach from Christ is not to deliver their own teachings, but they

are to teach the commands of Christ in the authority of Christ.98 While these commandments of

Christ are not directly opposed to the commandments of the Old Testament, Christ has offered

new interpretation on the commandments of the Old Testament (delivered in His Sermon on the

Mount), and salvation in the Christ is what leads an individual to salvation, with the obedience to

Christ’s commandments a result that comes out of an individual who has already been saved

through faith in Christ (shattering any notion of a “by works” salvation, Ephesians 2:8-9).99 “To

be a disciple is to obey Jesus' teaching”.100 “If non-Christians are not hearing the gospel and not

95
Turner, 690.
96
Ibid.
97
R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 1118.
98
Ibid.
99
Ibid.
100
Ibid.
18
being challenged to make a decision for Christ, then the church has disobeyed one part of Jesus’

commission. If new converts are not faithfully and lovingly nurtured in the whole counsel of

God’s revelation, then the church has disobeyed the other part.”101

These commands of Christ find a parallel passage in Matthew 5:19.102 “Being a disciple

involves linking up with a teacher from whom one is to learn...so there is a natural correlation

between discipling and teaching”.103 This “teaching” is to “both precede and follow baptism”.104

After disciples are brought into the family and people of God, there is still much to teach them105.

“The ‘school-days’ of a Christian are never over”.106 “It’s not enough that we dip them and drop

them; we must teach them.”107

The verse and passage as a whole ends with a promise from Christ to His disciples “Lo, I

am with you alway, even to the end of the world”.108 The “I am” used in this passage is emphatic

and alludes to Christ’s deity. The term “with you alway” (KJV) can literally be translated “with

you all the days”.109 The term “end of the world” (KJV) would best be translated “end of the age”

so as not to confuse with the more common Greek term for “world”, although its sense is close to

101
Blomberg, 432.
102
Hagner, 888.
103
John, 1270.
104
Hiebert, 352.
105
Ibid. The present participle in this passage indicates continuous teaching.
106
Ibid.
107
Rogers, “The Last Words of Jesus”.
108
Recommended translation for “Lo” (KJV) is “Behold”. KJV supplies the word “even”.
109
I read the Greek myself and rendered this translation without the help of textual commentaries or
lexicons.
19
the term “world”, rendering “world” an acceptable (not inaccurate although not as “precise”)

translation.110

The promise of Christ to be with His disciples is a comfort to them, knowing that He will

be with them until the end of the age. “Although their responsibilities are daunting, their

resources in Jesus' power and presence are more than adequate for the task”.111 While Christ is

physically leaving the disciples, the same Spirit that “empowered” Jesus during His earthly

ministry will now be with the disciples.112 The phrase “I am with you alway” (KJV) is more than

a promise.113 It is an “assertion of His personal presence with them”.114 When Christ promised His

disciples “I am with you always”, it finds a parallel in “Emmanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23,

Haggai 1:13).115 Adrian Rogers stated it beautifully when he said: “Think about this great

commandment that our Lord has given us. It is preceded by the promise of His power, and it is

followed by the promise of His presence. His power goes before us, and His presence goes with

us. His authority is behind us; Christ is within us.”116

110
TDNT.
111
Turner, 690. France argues that the phrase “I am with you always” possibly extends further than Christ
merely being with His disciples individually, but as a whole of a community that is fulfilling the “Great
Commission” commands mentioned above. The “Great Commission” mandate would be impossible to fulfill
without the presence of Christ.
112
Ibid.
113
Hiebert, 354.
114
Ibid.
115
Hagner, 888.
116
Adrian Rogers, “The Last Words of Jesus”.
20
 The term “end of the world” (KJV) or “end of the age” likely refers to the second coming

of Christ, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth, “the eschaton”.117 However,

some scholars have taken this phrase to simply mean “forever”.118

Readers of the KJV and NKJV will also see the word “Amen” end the verse. This is due

to the Textus Receptus and the majority of Greek manuscripts including the Greek term “Amen”

at the end of the verse, reflecting “the liturgical use of the text”.119

Theological Application

The book of Matthew centers on a high christology in its declaration that Jesus Christ is

the Messiah, sent by God, who is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.120 The Kingdom of

Heaven is another major theological theme in the book of Matthew. The Kingdom of Heaven is

the reign of God, through His Son Jesus Christ, over the entire world, and those who repent of

their sins and accept Christ as their Savior enter into this kingdom rule.121 While this kingdom

was inaugurated with the incarnation of Christ, it still awaits eschatological fulfillment and

consummation when Christ returns to earth.122

117
Matthew, 690–691. Note that I would still adhere to a pre-tribulational rapture of the church that
precedes the second coming of Christ to the earth even if this verse is taken to mean the second coming of Christ to
earth to usher in the Kingdom of God on the earth. However, that discussion is for a different paper.
118
Blomberg, 432.
119
Bruce Manning Metzger, United Bible Societies, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament,
Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (4th Rev. Ed.) (London;
New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 61. Older manuscripts (Alexandrian and Western textual families) do not
include this final “Amen”.
120
McKnight, 533.
121
McKnight, 535.
122
Ibid.
21
 A major theological application of the Gospel of Matthew and Matthew 28:16-20 is that

the Great Commission has been extended to include “all nations”, encompassing both Jews and

Gentiles. No longer was the Gospel message revealed only to the nation of Israel.123 The

resurrection is central to Christian doctrine, but the resurrection event is not only a mere

historical event without any lasting impact. The risen Christ is alive and has the authority over all

of heaven and earth to commission His disciples to spread the Gospel to all the nations constitute

a church in which the “gates of hell” cannot overcome (Matthew 16:18).124 Christ’s presence is

with His disciples and with Christians today through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew

24:14).125

The disciples worshipped Christ when they met with him in Galilee. As Christians who

encounter Christ on a daily basis, Christians need to continually and regularly worship Him.126

This worship extends further than simply the Sunday morning worship service at church. While

the Sunday morning church worship service should be the highlight of the Christian’s week,

worshipping Christ is a daily occurrence.

Even dedicated Christians who follow Christ will experience hesitation or even doubt at

times in the Christian walk. Matthew mentions other falters of faith in the disciples throughout

his Gospel, and he also mentions the hesitation and doubting of some disciples in this passage.127

However, remaining close to Christ and continuing to trust and worship Him despite hesitation or

123
McKnight, 535.
124
Hagner, 889.
125
Ibid.
126
Turner, 691.
127
Ibid.
22
doubts will ensure Christians can overcome these doubts and hesitations and remain strong in the

faith.128

Christ has authority over the earth and heaven. The power of God the Father is

manifested in the Son Jesus Christ.129 Christ has given this authority to His disciples and to the

church as it spreads His Gospel to the world. These disciples are to obey the commands of Christ

and be doers of the Word and not merely hearers (James 1:22).130 In addition to reaching the

world with the Gospel of Christ, it is important to not stop with simply evangelizing the nations

but to also disciple the nations, leading them to spiritual maturity.131 As all the nations are

reached with the Gospel of Christ, the mandate by God made at creation is finally fulfilled.

While the first Adam failed in the Garden of Eden, the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, succeeded in

resisting temptation and bringing about the salvation of the world.132 Matthew 28:16-20 also has

clear emphasis on the doctrine of the trinity. “All three members are distinct in their

personhood”, yet all are part of the Godhead.133

Adrian Rogers summed this passage up beautifully in these three quotes: “God is still

sufficient to send revival. Now times have changed, but God has not changed. God is not old.

God is not sick. God is not tired. God is still mighty to save. And God's grace is still

128
Turner, 691.
129
Ibid.
130
Ibid.
131
Osborne, 1084.
132
Turner, 691.

Wayne A. Grudem, Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know, ed. Elliot Grudem
133

(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 38. I have the complete Systematic Theology version of this resource, but
chose to cite the abridged edition for easier finding of the reference for readers of the paper.
23
sufficient.”134 “There is nothing that can stand between us and the Great Commission—except for

our disobedience”.135 “And so, this is our responsibility. It is our privilege. It is our joy. Let’s not

let the Great Commission be the Great Omission. Let’s let this church be a Great Commission

church. No church is worthy of the real estate that its buildings are built upon that is not

endeavoring to share the gospel with the whole wide world.”136

134 Adrian Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons, (North Palm Beach, FL: Adrian
Rogers Foundation, 2011), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “The Possibility of Revival”.

135 Rogers, “The Last Words of Jesus”.

136 Rogers, “Our Marching Orders”.

24
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Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2000.

Blomberg, Craig. Matthew. Vol. 22. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 1992.

Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. Second Edition.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.

Comfort, Philip W., New Testament Text and Translation Commentary. Accordance electronic ed.
Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. The New International Commentary on the New
Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007.

Grudem, Wayne A. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know. Edited by
Elliot Grudem. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.

Hagner, Donald A. Matthew 14–28. Vol. 33B. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word,
Incorporated, 1998.

Hiebert, D. Edmond. “An Expository Study of Matthew 28:16–20.” Bibliotheca Sacra 149
(1992): 341.

Keener, Craig S. Matthew. Vol. 1. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of
the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–.

Lukaszewski, Albert L. The Lexham Syntactic Greek New Testament Glossary. Lexham Press,
2007.

Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 21–28: A Commentary. Edited by Helmut Koester. Hermeneia—a Critical
and Historical Commentary on the Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2005.

McKnight, S. “Matthew, Gospel of.” Edited by Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight. Dictionary of
Jesus and the Gospels. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

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Meier, John P. “Matthew, Gospel of.” Edited by David Noel Freedman. The Anchor Yale Bible
Dictionary. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Metzger, Bruce Manning, United Bible Societies. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New
Testament, Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New
Testament (4th Rev. Ed.). London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel according to Matthew. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand
Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992.

Newman, Barclay Moon, and Philip C. Stine. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. UBS
Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1992.

Nolland John. “Preface.” In The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text, 1262.
New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B.
Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2005.

Osborne, Grant R. Matthew. Vol. 1. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.

Rogers, Adrian. The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons. North Palm Beach, FL: Adrian
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Silva, Moisés, ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis.
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Turner, David L. Matthew. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Academic, 2008.

Bible Used: The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized
Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009.

Datasets Used: Logos Bible Software Bible Sense Lexicon. Version Accessed: Logos Bible
Software 6.

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