All of Him Though Through Means The Lord instructs the saints to teach all nations. That word teach has in view the specific concept of making disciples of and teaching with the outcome of them actually learning. But what strength does a Christian have to CAUSE someone to learn or CAUSE them to become a disciple? None whatsoever (naturally-speaking)! This is why Matthew 28:19-20 should always be preceded by verse 18 all power is given unto [Christ] in heaven and in earth. Having waxed victorious in the atonement, all power has been given unto Christ. It is in light of His given power (His authority and might to carry out that authority) that He commisions His people to go forth and do. We would be powerless outside of our union with Him to fulfil his commands but, being in and with Him always, we can do what no man can naturally do. So long as God has ordained the doing, and carries it out in us, it will get done. So we see that though the Christian has no strength to make disciples of men, he nonetheless does so, because God works through our God-wrought faithful witness to make new disciples out of formerly unregenerate men. Now how are we to make disciples of all nations (i.e. out of men, women, and children of all nations)? The passage gives us the two means: 1. By Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and by 2. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever [Christ] has commanded [us] -- [and note that he reiterates the fact that he is with us always, even to the end of the world; He is saying that throughout time, He is with us to work out that which he commands of us]. For the first part, baptism, is this water baptism that is in view? Absolutely not! First, there is no mention of water here at all -and second - the Spirit of God (through John the Baptist) already specifically taught us in Matthew 3:11 that John indeed baptized with water unto repentance: but that the Christ shall baptize us with the Holy Ghost and [with] fire. The Baptism here in view is not related to physical water but to spiritual baptism -- the baptism that takes a sinner and -- washes, cleanses, whelms, and merses -- them into Christ and the Godhead whom He embodies. To be baptised in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is not to be dipped or sprinkled in water but to be thoroughly mersed into all that the Godhead is, did, and will do. It is to be made one with the Triune Godhead, through Christ, in all aspects of their Persons, Offices, Duties -- and the authority and power associated with them. Our Lord was no longer concerned with the symbolism of Johns baptism (which is what water baptism is even unto this day); He, as the great Antitype, already came and fulfilled the type so the symbolism can now be done away with altogether. Instead, Christ was concerned about the newness of life that is associated with the Baptism of the cross made real and applicable in the hearts of regenerate saints by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. He was instructing them concerning the substance and not the now obsolete symbol. Thus, if anyone thinks that we are to make disciples by sprinkling, pouring, or dunking in earthly water, that person has miss the point of this passage. So though we cannot spiritually baptise a person (any more than we can spiritually make disciples out of them) we do it nonetheless through the power of Christ who takes our faithful proclamation of Gospel truth and uses it to disciple men, washing them, cleansing them, and mersing/whelming them in the body of Christ. Moreover, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever [Christ] has commanded us - is another impossibility. We have no natural strength to teach someone (the Greek word here has, in the literal, the sense of teaching unto actually IMPARTING instruction and actually INSTILLING doctrine into one. Yet, when we make use of Gods Holy Word (and that, being willing to use all parts of it), God will take our faithful teaching and cause a disciple to learn to observe all that He has commanded us to do. Though the work is all of God and all of grace, because He works through us to accomplish such things, He speaks as if we are the ones who are to do it -- but it is a closed loop: He commands us to do it, gives us the ability to carry out our role, and then does the work in the hearts of the hearer to fulfill it -- clearly all of God and His effectual grace -- but via the saint as a means. Finally, note that a clear part of making disciples is to teach them to OBSERVE all things that Christ has commanded [literally, ordered, commanded, enjoined, charged]. If we are going about to make disciples of men but we have no heart, no desire, to teach them to observe ALL of the New testament (and non-abrogated Old Testament) imperatives -- we are not aptly making disciples of men. Some will object we cannot OBSERVE all of Christs commandments. The word observe does not equate to keep perfectly without fail. To observe means to attend to carefully, take care of; to guard (in our hearts). God is stating, as you disciple, instruct people to not only seek to know me (to be thoroughly baptised into me objectively and experimentally) but to also be diligent in seeking out my commandments with the intent of guarding them in your hearts to do them and to exhort others to keep and do them as well. Therefore, our inability to attain to manifest perfection in this life is no excuse to not seek out, guard, and strive to keep Gods law for us in our day -- not the Mosaic law (that is not for our day) but all that Christ instructs us to observe and do.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:04:37 +0000
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