A. As risen Messiah of the end-time with universal sovereignty
granted by God himself, Jesus sends out the 12 to bring all
nations into discipleship to him.
B. The inclusive scope: all authority;
all the nations;
all I commanded;
all the days.
C. “All authority given” (see Daniel 7:13-14).
D. The commission: “going, make disciples” bring the people
into submissive relationship with Jesus the risen Messiah.
1. Two participles elaborate on disciple-making.
a. Baptizing.
(1) “Into the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit”.
(a) No example of Trinitarian formula in
Acts; unexpected in this “Jewish”
Gospel.
(b) Might reflect Matthean practice
(Antioch?) or perhaps simply
theological reflection.
(2) Importance of expression “into the name of”.
(a) Greek background (eis to onoma)
appropriation, dedication. Papyri: of
payments “to the account of.”
(b) Hebrew background (leShem) “with
respect to.”
(b1) Matthew 10:41; Matthew 18:20
(b2) Rabbinic (Strack-Billerbeck)
examples:
(b2a) Heathen slaves in Hebrew
house baptized leShem of
slavery; of freedom.
(b2b) Offering slaughtered
leShem of six things
(offering, offerer, God,
altar fires, sweet savor,
good pleasure).
(b2c) Israelites can circumcize
Samaritans but not vice-versa,
because Samaritans do so
leShem of Mt. Gerazim.
b. Teaching (all that Jesus has taught).
E. Jesus promises his personal presence each day on this mission:
“I am with you all the days, even to the consummation of the
age.”
II. Mark 16:15-18.
A. The risen Jesus charges the unbelieving 12 to tell the world
the message they have been so slow to accept, with the
assurance that believing messengers will have his powerful
presence and believing hearers will receive salvation.
B. Note the apostles’ own slowness/lack of faith in context.
Can they find the faith to tell anyone else what they
scarcely believe?
C. Jesus sends them out to preach the gospel in all the world
and to baptize believers.
1. Hearers have two options: to believe or not to believe.
a. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.
b. Those who disbelieve will be condemned.
2. Our primary task is to preach the gospel (God’s saving
work in Jesus), not to baptize (1 Cor. 1:17).
3. However, when Jesus is preached and received, baptism
is expected to follow (Acts 8).
4. This is how believers express their faith: by being
baptized.
D. Jesus promises his own powerful presence: the “signs
following those who believe” (will the apostles fit this
description?) attest to that.
III. Luke 24:46-47.
A. Jesus who was slain and is risen has thus fulfilled the
ancient Scriptures; the 12 are to proclaim repentance for
forgiveness in his name to Jews and the Gentile nations alike.
B. Context: verses 25-27, 44-45.
C. Suffering and risen Messiah fulfills Moses, prophets and
Psalms.
D. God will forgive those who truly repent, for the sake of
Jesus and on the basis of what he has accomplished.
1. Luke 3:3 – John preached a baptism of repentance for
forgiveness of sins.
2. Acts 2:38 – Peter commanded repentance and baptism
for forgiveness of sins.
3. Acts 3:19 – Peter announced repentance and wiping away
of sins, as the prophets said.
4. Acts 10:43 – Peter declared that all the prophets
attest that whoever believes on Jesus receives
forgiveness of sins.
5. For Luke, faith/baptism so obviously accompany
repentance as to make their mention unnecessary.
IV. Summary Quotation.
A. “Finally we should observe that the authority of Christian
Baptism is of the weightiest order. It rests on the command
of the Risen Lord after His achieving redemption and
receiving authority over the entire cosmos; it is integrated
with the commission to preach the good news to the world,
and it is enforced by his own example at the beginning of
His messianic ministry. Such a charge is too imperious to
be ignored or modified. It behoves us to adhere to it and
conform to it as God gives grace.” G.R. Beasley-Murray,
Baptism in the New Testament (Paternoster/Eerdmans 1962,
1983), p. 92.
B. The Apostles carried out Jesus’ commission: preaching the
gospel to all their world, baptizing those who believed,
then teaching them all that Jesus said. Jesus fulfilled
his promise to be with them in power as they accomplished
this task.
1. Acts 2- Pentecost pilgrims.
2. Acts 8- Samarians, Ethiopian.
3. Acts 10- Cornelius’ household.
4. Acts 16- Lydia, Philippian warden.
5. Acts 18- Corinthians.
6. Acts 22- Saul of Tarsus.
nations into discipleship to him.
B. The inclusive scope: all authority;
all the nations;
all I commanded;
all the days.
C. “All authority given” (see Daniel 7:13-14).
D. The commission: “going, make disciples” bring the people
into submissive relationship with Jesus the risen Messiah.
1. Two participles elaborate on disciple-making.
a. Baptizing.
(1) “Into the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit”.
(a) No example of Trinitarian formula in
Acts; unexpected in this “Jewish”
Gospel.
(b) Might reflect Matthean practice
(Antioch?) or perhaps simply
theological reflection.
(2) Importance of expression “into the name of”.
(a) Greek background (eis to onoma)
appropriation, dedication. Papyri: of
payments “to the account of.”
(b) Hebrew background (leShem) “with
respect to.”
(b1) Matthew 10:41; Matthew 18:20
(b2) Rabbinic (Strack-Billerbeck)
examples:
(b2a) Heathen slaves in Hebrew
house baptized leShem of
slavery; of freedom.
(b2b) Offering slaughtered
leShem of six things
(offering, offerer, God,
altar fires, sweet savor,
good pleasure).
(b2c) Israelites can circumcize
Samaritans but not vice-versa,
because Samaritans do so
leShem of Mt. Gerazim.
b. Teaching (all that Jesus has taught).
E. Jesus promises his personal presence each day on this mission:
“I am with you all the days, even to the consummation of the
age.”
II. Mark 16:15-18.
A. The risen Jesus charges the unbelieving 12 to tell the world
the message they have been so slow to accept, with the
assurance that believing messengers will have his powerful
presence and believing hearers will receive salvation.
B. Note the apostles’ own slowness/lack of faith in context.
Can they find the faith to tell anyone else what they
scarcely believe?
C. Jesus sends them out to preach the gospel in all the world
and to baptize believers.
1. Hearers have two options: to believe or not to believe.
a. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.
b. Those who disbelieve will be condemned.
2. Our primary task is to preach the gospel (God’s saving
work in Jesus), not to baptize (1 Cor. 1:17).
3. However, when Jesus is preached and received, baptism
is expected to follow (Acts 8).
4. This is how believers express their faith: by being
baptized.
D. Jesus promises his own powerful presence: the “signs
following those who believe” (will the apostles fit this
description?) attest to that.
III. Luke 24:46-47.
A. Jesus who was slain and is risen has thus fulfilled the
ancient Scriptures; the 12 are to proclaim repentance for
forgiveness in his name to Jews and the Gentile nations alike.
B. Context: verses 25-27, 44-45.
C. Suffering and risen Messiah fulfills Moses, prophets and
Psalms.
D. God will forgive those who truly repent, for the sake of
Jesus and on the basis of what he has accomplished.
1. Luke 3:3 – John preached a baptism of repentance for
forgiveness of sins.
2. Acts 2:38 – Peter commanded repentance and baptism
for forgiveness of sins.
3. Acts 3:19 – Peter announced repentance and wiping away
of sins, as the prophets said.
4. Acts 10:43 – Peter declared that all the prophets
attest that whoever believes on Jesus receives
forgiveness of sins.
5. For Luke, faith/baptism so obviously accompany
repentance as to make their mention unnecessary.
IV. Summary Quotation.
A. “Finally we should observe that the authority of Christian
Baptism is of the weightiest order. It rests on the command
of the Risen Lord after His achieving redemption and
receiving authority over the entire cosmos; it is integrated
with the commission to preach the good news to the world,
and it is enforced by his own example at the beginning of
His messianic ministry. Such a charge is too imperious to
be ignored or modified. It behoves us to adhere to it and
conform to it as God gives grace.” G.R. Beasley-Murray,
Baptism in the New Testament (Paternoster/Eerdmans 1962,
1983), p. 92.
B. The Apostles carried out Jesus’ commission: preaching the
gospel to all their world, baptizing those who believed,
then teaching them all that Jesus said. Jesus fulfilled
his promise to be with them in power as they accomplished
this task.
1. Acts 2- Pentecost pilgrims.
2. Acts 8- Samarians, Ethiopian.
3. Acts 10- Cornelius’ household.
4. Acts 16- Lydia, Philippian warden.
5. Acts 18- Corinthians.
6. Acts 22- Saul of Tarsus.