Now we’re ready for the 8th appearance found in Matthew 28:16-20. We need to look at this in some detail, as it includes what is commonly called the Great Commission in verses 18-20. Verses 16-17 tell us the eleven disciples were in Galilee on a mountain where Jesus had apparently instructed them to go. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some “doubted” (from distazo, literally, to stand in two ways, used to illustrate hesitation or in this context, describing those who were still weak in their belief). This tells us that even after they had already experienced previous appearances, some were still skeptical of the fact that Jesus had actually risen from the dead, so they held back, not willing to commit themselves fully, while others worshipped.
Verses 18-20 record what was said here. “Then Jesus approached them and, dismissing the hesitation of some, said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have taught you. And I will be with you always, even to the end of this age.”
Let’s break this down a little by looking at a couple of key words. “Authority” is from exousia, a word that denotes freedom of action. Any time it refers to God, it is absolute or without restriction. When Jesus became a man, His authority was limited (Philippians 2:6-8). But after Jesus had completed all that was required for man’s redemption that authority was restored.
Then there is “disciple”, from mathetes, a learner. I have to note here that this is from the root math; a word that always indicates learning that is followed by action. Being a disciple of Jesus is not merely an intellectual pursuit; it must include actions that follow the learning process. You have only to read the red letters (the words of Jesus) in the Gospel accounts to see that He taught principles that encouraged the listeners to reject worldly things and ideas and embrace spiritual truths that were generally directly opposite. Becoming a disciple means we must forsake our human, fallen nature with all its weaknesses and failures and conform more and more both to His perfect, Godly character (who He is) and nature (what He does).
The next key word is “baptizing” from baptizo, from the root bapto, to dip. This is a word that is generally misunderstood. Let me give an example. The Greeks commonly used this word to illustrate the dyeing of a garment. The garment was dipped in dye, and the garment changed color. In Greek literature it is used as a metaphor to illustrate being overwhelmed or changed. It is assumed by most that Jesus was telling the disciples to go and immerse the new converts in water, a practice followed by most Christian institutions. However, it is simply misguided to put the emphasis on the process instead of the result!
We’ll see more about this as we go through the Book of Acts and into the epistles, then we will see that water baptism was only a temporary teaching tool used to instruct the apostles regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the time came when they did not practice it. But for now let me just say that in the context of Jesus’ instruction here, it is clear that He was not interested in making sure that new converts got wet. He wanted them to be changed, being overwhelmed by all that the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit implies. And I will remind you that “name” is onoma, is a word that stands for all that the name implies, character, authority, majesty, excellence, etc. Simply getting wet will not accomplish that. However, being a listener, then a doer, will (James 1:22-25). The last part of the sentence above, “teaching them to obey everything I have taught you” makes that clear.
Then, lastly, many translations at the end of verse 20 say, “even to the end of the world”. Here, “world” is from aion, which should be translated “age”. The end of this age is when Jesus returns to the earth. The “world” will never end, as God comes to the eternal earth to dwell with men forever, as Revelation 21 teaches.
Another account of what is recorded in Matthew 28 is also found in Mark 16:15-19 and needs some clarification as well. Verse 15 is a commission similar to the Matthew passage. Then verse 16 talks about believing and being baptized (the same meanings as above should be applied).
This brings us to verses 17-18, verses that do not appear in the earliest manuscripts and are not considered part of Mark’s original writing by most scholars. There are five things listed in these verses that have spawned various fringe groups over the years. They are: casting out devils, speaking in tongues, snake handling and drinking poison without harm and healing the sick.
Let’s take these one at a time, I’ll try to be brief. It’s true the Lord cast out demons, examples of that are not hard to find. He even gave the disciples the authority to do that on occasion (Matthew 10:8), yet at other times they could not (Matthew 17:19). In Matthew 12:25-29 Jesus tells the Jews, after they had accused Him of casting out demons with the help of Beelzebub, that Satan casts out his own – a deceptive ploy to convince religious zealots they have power they don’t really possess and produce a false sense of spirituality (see the article “This Evil Generation”).
In the case of speaking with new tongues, this is the “unknown” tongues of I Corinthians 14 where “unknown” is in italics, indicating it is not in the original, but inserted for clarity. However, clarity is not what it has produced. “Tongues” is from glossa, a known language that has not been learned by the speaker, a special dispensation of power or ability (see Acts 2:5-12). Even in the I Corinthians 14 passage, Paul says prophecy is more to be desired. And, let’s be clear, the meaning of propheteia is not foretelling future events, it has to do with interpreting the will and purpose of God, especially as it applies to His plan of redemption.
We’ll take the next two together, snake handling and drinking poison. Even if you accept this passage as valid, it does not instruct believers to practice it as proof of their faith. In the context of verse 15 it infers that if, in the course of preaching the gospel, one accidentally drinks poison or is bitten by a poisonous snake, no harm will come to them (see Acts 28:1-5 for an example).
The last is laying hands on the sick to affect their recovery. Again, many examples can be found in scripture of Jesus or the disciples healing the sick. And, no doubt others can offer anecdotal evidence of their own experiences with healing. God can and does heal. However, the problem here is that it is not up to any individual to determine on his own when he can cast out demons, speak in a language they have never learned, drink poison or get bitten by a poisonous snake without harm or even heal the sick whenever they choose.
I know those who have had demons supposedly cast out and their condition soon worsened (Jesus explains why this happens in Matthew 12:43-45). I don’t know of anyone who has spoken the Gospel in a language they have not learned, though I’m not saying that it is not possible. However, I do know many who take great pride in speaking in their so-called unknown tongue. There are many examples of those who have died trying to prove their spirituality by drinking poison or handling snakes. And, if it was up to the individual to decide who could be healed or that they could heal anyone on demand, then we would have no need for doctors, hospitals or a healthcare system. And there are those who have been “healed” of various conditions many times in church meetings, yet their condition remains.
The point is, and my sense tells me, these things can be a sign of the power of God and could happen at His direction. But they were never intended to be a sign of anyone’s spirituality, carried out at their whim, direction or timing.
The next appearances are only briefly mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians 15:5-7. In verse 5 He appeared to the twelve. This would have included Matthias, the one appointed to take Judas’ place (Acts 1:26). In the next verse he says Jesus showed Himself to over 500 brethren at one time, the majority of whom still live, yet some have died. Then in verse 7 Paul says he appeared to James, the half brother of Jesus (called a half brother, as they had the same mother, but the father of Jesus was God, the father of James would have been Joseph). This is the same James that authored the Book of James.
The final appearance in verse 7 says only “then all of the apostles”. This final appearance is recorded in Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:9-12. And, though these accounts vary in detail, the one consistent event recorded in each is Jesus’ ascension. As we progress into the Acts of the Apostles, we will look at Acts 1:9-12 and Jesus’ ascension in some detail.