19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
20. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and loe, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 is clear — but do modern translations give many believers an incomplete or even incorrect understanding of what He meant? And if so, could Christians unintentionally be falling short of what it means to follow Christ? To fully understand Jesus’ words, we must lean on the original Greek text.
One of the most noticeable differences between the Greek text and some English translations is this: the word “make” is not in the Greek text.
So Jesus could not have said “go and make disciples of all nations.” Furthermore, you cannot turn a nation into a disciple. This English translation is not only confusing, but also not linguistically nor practically possible. But, for the English lexicon, along with the authority given to the disciples, adding the word make, makes it make sense.
Jesus did say, “Therefore having gone, disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you.” Here we see the challenge the translators faced — the Greek phrasing that states, “disciple all nations”, which sounds confusing in English. We are back at the same problem — you cannot turn a nation into a disciple.
But the King James translators resolved this by understanding the use of the Greek word matheteúsate (“disciple”) and translating it correctly into English. They recognized that disciple is being used as a verb meaning teach. Jesus was not referring to people as disciples in this phrase — He was referring to the act of discipling, the act of teaching. He was telling His followers to go and teach — to instruct or train people from every nation in the way of Christ by guiding them into His truth, helping them grow a desire to obey everything He commanded.
It is also worth noting that “mathétés” is the noun form of the word disciple, and it simply means learner or pupil. The Twelve should be held in high regard because Jesus chose them to walk closest to Him. But we should not disregard the fact that they were still learners of His way, just like the other 70 that were sent out on missions, and like those of us that follow Him today. Like us, they were sinners, and they stumbled to follow Him like we do today. They were learning the same Word we are learning, and teaching the same truth we teach — ordinary people following an extraordinary Savior, just as we do today.
I fear that modern translations have made many Christians unworthy of the exact duty that Jesus commands all of His followers to fulfill — not because they lack spiritual understanding, but because wording and teaching makes them believe they must “make disciples” in a way that makes them feel unqualified. Jesus knows every believer is a worthy disciple, fully capable of teaching His way as they learn from Him — just as the Twelve did. Jesus simply called them to teach His way. And this is one of the very reasons the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer: to lead us to the truth, remind us of who we are in Christ, and to empower us to be models to others as we grow in Christ ourselves.
Paul warned to not be taken captive by “vain philosophies” in Colossians 2:8 — wise-sounding theology that often overshadows the simplicity of Scripture. Yet today, equal if not greater authority is given to theological systems built by men such as Calvin (Calvinism) or Arminius (Arminianism). Such philosophies, have in many instances twisted Scriptures and made them feel beyond common understanding. And when human philosophies rise to the level of Scripture, God’s Word can feel distant or too complicated to comprehend. This can lead believers into false teachings or away from the Word entirely.
Does this mean we should eliminate preachers, pastors, and ministers? God forbid! Preachers with the gift to deliver messages that form the foundation of a believer’s week are priceless — when those messages are rooted in Scripture. Pastors who nurture spiritual growth can be vital to both a church and its community. And the guidance, structure, and care provided by ministers is a special gift of its own.
But the disciple is one who reflects the church as the body of Christ, outside of and beyond the church building — not just on Sunday’s, but every day. A disciple walks like Christ at home, work, in public, and in their relationships. Others sense the love of Jesus in them, hears the truth of Jesus from them, and see the character and integrity of Jesus in them wherever they go. Just like church leaders — but without the obligation to the church organization. A disciple’s identity is simply a follower of Christ, and is not tied to a pulpit, program, or ministry schedule.
Jesus called all who followed Him disciples. The challenge for them remains the same for us today — to continue learning from Him, and to apply what we are learning to how we live. We are all New Testament disciples once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and yield to His ways. And as His disciples we are expected to provoke others to emulation through both teaching and example. This is exactly what Jesus did with His earthly ministry: He carried out the instructions of the Father, and we are given the same instructions because we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. Amen