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NASB | Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, |
Bible Question: What was the mission of the church in the first century? Has it changed: (a) according to biblical teaching? (b) in actual practice? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Greetings Hank! This is a great question. My short answer is that Mt. 28:19 tells us what the mission of the church was and should be for all time. There is only one command in Mt. 28:19. The English text obscures this point. "Make disciples" is the only command. The others, a) While going... b) Baptizing... and c) Teaching... are all participles which describe the process of making a disciple. Thus, a disciple is someone who has been won, baptized, trained, and then who goes out a repeats the process in the lives of others. Has this mission changed in actual practice? I would say yes. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |