Matthew 28:19-20 TPT “Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
20 And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”
What is a disciple? The Old Testament is written in original Hebrew, while the New Testament is written in Greek.
From internet:
“The Greek word for “disciple” is mathētḗs (μαθητής), which means “one who learns through instruction from another”.
“The word mathētḗs is related to the verb manthanō, which means “to learn”. The idea of mathētḗs was deeply rooted in Jesus’ time, both in Jewish culture and in the Mediterranean as a whole. For example, a devout Jew would apprentice to a respected rabbi, living with him, sharing life with him, learning his teachings, and imitating his way of life.”
“The word is used for a person who submits to someone in order to be their student.”
In Western culture, the word disciple defaults to one who follows Jesus, but modern Western culture defines a Christian as one who acknowledges the existence of God. Many Christians do not know the Bible nor read the whole Bible and know little of Jesus’ teachings, but they define themselves as His people.
The directive to the higher authorities such as the apostles and prophets of the church in verse 20 is to teach ALL that Jesus had taught them baptizing them in the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But modern church has a book on “Christian Dummies – How to be a Christian for dummies.” It describes that in order to make them believe they are saved, to just say a sinners prayer, dunk them in water and return them back to their old world.
But the Bible warns us about making children twice the child of Hell. When you preach and evangelize from a position of a fraudster or hypocrite, great sorrow awaits you.
Matthew 23:15 TPT “Great sorrow awaits you religious scholars and you Pharisees—such frauds and pretenders! For you will travel over land and sea to find one disciple, only to make him twice the child of hell as yourselves.”
This is why we do not want to be evangelizing from our pride as we will make a person worse as they are exposed to God’s holiness. But the judgment is on the one who evangelizes in disobedience, and it is delayed as Jesus said, “What sorrow awaits!”
Additional Comments:
What happens if you refuse to learn everything Jesus is teaching to the Apostles?
It means you are not really following or believing, does it not?
You need to become one in authority and finish the school of discipleship, and be a disciple to others, or else you will make children destined for hell. And you cannot stay a student forever when you have been called to graduate.
So stop sleeping during the services! Stop being late on Sundays. Stop acting as though this is trivial. U cannot stay a toddler playing childish games, playing word games, and lying to your pastors and think you will still make it.
The Old Testament is written in original Hebrew, while the New Testament is written in Greek. Why is it written in Greek? Because, like today, when English is the dominant language of the world, Greek was the language of that time.
You cannot stay and act like some handicapped malfunctioning human who does not know how to clean, get a job, take care of your business, stop being lazy, thinking too highly of yourself when you are nothing like the rest of us, depending on free money from the government as a slave thinking you are entitled or owed, you are not yet the level of king and queen when tribute is brought to you so go to work, bottom feeding rather than reigning on the earth, eating like a wagyu cow raised to the slaughter rather than the owners of the farm, etc etc
What does it mean to you, “ I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!”
Will you prove God a liar?
Let us stop making God look bad!
It is only hard when you are a child who needs to grow up and become an adult. How can you deny the power of Grace in your life? Then you are rejecting Grace!
The directive to make disciples and spread the gospel was given to the apostles and not “disciples.”
Disciples cannot go disciple others. It is like a student trying to teach what a teacher is to do.
Unless you are directly led or given the directive, you may be moving in your flesh when it comes to evangelizing. Maybe someone just wants to talk to single men or women, using evangelism as an excuse.
Mark 16:15, 20 TPT “And he said to them, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race!
20 And the apostles went out announcing the good news everywhere, as the Lord himself consistently worked with them, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs that accompanied them!”
In verse 20, it is the Apostles who went out to announce the good news and not disciples who have yet to read, pray, and learn submission and obedience.
I want all to understand context. Please do not use my teaching and now say, “I am not an apostle, so I will never evangelize.”
The problem is that you need to get reborn and be led by the Holy Spirit rather than following your flatulence.
What is flatulence?
Go look it up
Pastor Steve Kim