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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Great Commission
Go ye therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19,20)
The Great Commission instructs the Lord's apostles to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to keep the Lord's commandments. We have changed the commission to mean every believer is to go into all the world and tell people they do not have to keep the Lord's commandments, just believe and they will go to Heaven when they die. This change in the meaning of the Great Commission is not insignificant. It has had a harmful effect on the Lord's intention.
The Change in the Commission
The smallest change in the wording or meaning of any verse of the Bible must be looked at carefully. Is it an innocent modification that preserves the original meaning and makes it clearer to a modern reader? Or is it a significant change that is harmful to God's intention?
It is our point of view that the change that has been made in the meaning of the Great Commission has brought harm to the Lord's plan to build His Church.
Let us look carefully at the Great Commission and see what the Lord Jesus actually commanded:
Go ye therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19,20)
Since most translations seem to prefer "make disciples" to "teach" we shall adopt this translation.
The Great Commission is to go forth and make disciples of the peoples of the nations, to baptize them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to keep all the commandments that the Lord Jesus gave while He was here.
Make disciples of the peoples of the nations.
Baptize the disciples into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Teach the disciples to keep all the commandments that the Lord Jesus gave while He was here.
The Great Commission has been changed to:
Go forth to all the nations and save souls.
Inform the believers they are saved by grace and it is not necessary that they keep God's commandments.
At first glance it may appear that the change is really no change at all. The changed version means the same as the original and fulfills the Lord's intention, or so it seems.
The truth is, the change is drastic and destroys the Lord's intention.
The Lord's Intention
The Lord did not direct us to present grace as an alternative to keeping God's commandments. The Lord directed us to make disciples and to teach them to obey His commandments.
Is there a difference between presenting Divine grace as an alternative to obeying God's commandments, and making disciples and teaching them to keep all the commandments that the Lord gave while He was here?
How do you feel about this?
To be continued.