Matthew 28:19 19Therefore, going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
The grammatical construction of verses 19-20 is built upon the main verb make disciples (mathēteusate). The central mission is to imitate what Jesus did. Three adverbial participles are dependent and linked to this main verb: going, baptizing, and teaching. There are two primary ways to interpret these participles. They could be taken temporally, meaning that their action is done before or during the action of the verb. Or, they could be interpreted instrumentally, meaning that they describe how the action of the verb is to be carried out.
The first participle is in the aorist tense, indicating that the going precedes the disciple making. Matthew has used a common pattern throughout his gospel of using a participle before the main verb. Most English translations interpret this first participle as a verb; thus the common translation of this verse is “go and make disciples,” making the participle a command like the main verb. However, that translation misses the nuance of the grammar. A temporal interpretation suggests that we cannot make disciples until we have gone out into the world. So the translation would be “after or when you go out into the world, then you must make disciples.” An instrumental interpretation would mean that we make disciples “by going out.” If we do not go, we cannot make disciples. We can make disciples sitting in our living room doing nothing. We have to be with people, planting seeds and proclaiming the good news of Jesus.
The second has a stronger instrumental sense by describing how to make disciples: by baptizing. Baptism is the confirmation of a person’s faith in Jesus. It symbolizes the washing away of sin and the cleansing of sanctification. It is the acknowledgment that one has joined the family of God and been incorporated into the Body of Christ, the church. We help others in following Jesus by confirming their faith by baptizing them. Faith is always the prerequisite for baptism in the New Testament. Baptizing is part of discipleship because it helps people testify to their faith and helps them experience physically what they have spiritually.
The trinitarian formula shows the key relationship that results with discipleship. To be baptized in the name shows identification. New disciples have a new identity that is not of this world but as God’s children. From the earliest days, Christians have wondered and debated about the Trinity. Matthew’s recounting of Jesus’ words is simple and straightforward. All three persons of the Trinity were mentioned in this Gospel and in Jesus’ teachings. The Trinity remains to a large degree a mystery to be pondered. Rather than making it abstract, we can approach this topic experientially as the Father being the source and origin of salvation, the Son being the means of salvation, and the Holy Spirit being the appropriation of salvation. The Father sent the Son to make salvation possible. The Father and Son sent the Spirit to make it possible for any person with faith to receive and experience salvation. Baptism is the testimony that this salvation has been accepted.
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