QUESTION:
My grandson told me, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" Is that true?
ANSWER:
The above refers to the 'great' commission that Jesus gave to his disciples before His ascension. Please note that this is a commission that will be fulfilled by Jews during the Millennial Kingdom that Jesus establishes at His second advent. During this time the Jews will be preeminent in the kingdom; they will be the royal priesthood and holy nation as promised in Exodus 19:6. It is then that they will have received the new covenant blessings which includes the indwelling Spirit of God, and they will be able to take the word of the Lord out to the nations.
So, this commission, being for the Jews, is not for us today in the grace dispensation. We have a separate commission that was given to us by the risen Christ, who inspired Paul to write,
2 Cor.5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
What is the difference between the commission given to us versus to that of the Jews?
They both involve sharing the gospel, but unlike the Jews who shared the Kingdom Gospel, (which includes confession Christ as their Messiah, getting baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins, doing works to prove their faith, and enduring even to death in their faith), we, as grace believers, are to share the Grace Gospel, (which only involves responding in faith to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the cross we have forgiveness of sins and through Jesus' resurrection we are justified before God. Our gospel does not involve getting baptized in water, nor doing any form of works to prove our faith. See Ephesians 2:8–9).
It is through the grace gospel (1 Cor.15:1–4) that we reconcile people to God. So, to share the gospel verbally with others in a natural way, and to be an example in practical living, demonstrating true agape love and the fruit of the Spirit; these will work together to bring people to conviction as they witness your faith. This is our commission as members of the body of Christ as opposed to the commission of the Jews.
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