Matthew 28:20 AV
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen.
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Other translations
New International Version
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
New Living Translation
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
English Standard Version
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Berean Study Bible
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Berean Literal Bible
teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age.”
King James Bible
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
New King James Version
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
New American Standard Bible
teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
NASB 1995
NASB 1977
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Amplified Bible
teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually — regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
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Two solemn farewells we find our Lord Jesus giving to his church; and His parting word at both of them is very encouraging;
▪︎ one was here, when he closed up his personal converse with them, and then His parting word was, Lo, I am with you alway; I leave you, yet still I am with you.
▪︎ The other was, when He closed up the canon of the Scripture by the pen of His beloved disciple, and then His parting word was, Surely I come quickly. I leave you for awhile, but I will be with you again shortly. (Revelation 22:20).
By this it appears that His love to His church continues the same, though she is deprived of His visible and bodily presence; and that it is His will we should maintain both our communion with Him, and our expectation of Him.
Teaching them
This is teaching in the more usual sense of the term; or instructing the converted and baptized disciples, to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I—The “I” here is emphatic. It is enough that I am with you alway.
Teaching them to observe all things
Here we have:
First: The duty of the apostles and ministers of Christ, which is, to teach His disciples to observe all things that He has commanded;
that is, they must instruct them in all the doctrines and precepts taught by the Christ, and inculcate upon them the necessity of understanding and believing the former, and obeying the latter;
and they must assist them in applying Christ’s general commands to particular cases.
They must teach them, not their own or any man’s fancies and inventions, but the truths and institutions of the Christ; to them they must religiously adhere, and in the knowledge of them must train up his followers.
As Christ does not here command any thing to be taught which He himself had not taught, we may infer that every thing fundamental and essential to salvation may be found in the gospels, and that even the apostles themselves had not a right to teach any thing as necessary to salvation which Christ himself had not asserted to be.
Secondly: The duty of Christ’s disciples, of all that are dedicated to Him in baptism;
They must observe all things whatsoever that He has commanded, and in order thereto, must submit to the teaching of those whom he sends.
Our admission into the visible church is in order to something further; namely, our being prepared for and employed in His service.
By our baptism we are obliged,
1st, To make the doctrines of Christ the rule of our faith, and His commands the directory of our practice. We are under the law to Christ, and must obey, and in all our obedience we must have an eye to the command, and do what we do as unto the Lord.
2nd, To observe all things that He has commanded without exception; all the moral duties, and all the instituted ordinances.
Our obedience to the laws of Christ is not sincere if it be not universal; we must stand complete in His whole will.
All things whatsoever I have commanded you
The words obviously point, in the first instance, to the teaching of our Lord recorded in the Gospels:
▪︎ the new laws of life, exceeding broad and deep, of the Sermon on the Mount,
▪︎ the new commandment of Love for the inner life (John 13:34),
▪︎ the new outward ordinances of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.
But we may well believe that they went further than this, and that the words may cover much unrecorded teaching which they had heard in the darkness, and were to reproduce in light (Matthew 10:27).
And lo
And this exceeding great and precious promise he ushers in with, Lo! or behold!
To strengthen their faith and engage their regard to it. As if he had said, Take notice of this; it is what you may assure yourselves of and rely upon. I am with you;
Lo, I am with you
That is, by my Spirit, my providence, my attending counsel and guidance.
I will strengthen, assist, and direct you.
This also proves that Christ is divine.
If He was only a mere man, or a creature, though of the highest order, how could He promise to be “with” his disciples “always,” or at all?
They would be scattered far and wide.
His disciples would greatly increase. If He was “with them” always, He was God; for no finite creature could thus be present with many people scattered in different parts of the world.
I am with you alway.
Literally, all the days, or, at all times; the words emphasising continuity more than the English adverb.
The “days” that were coming might seem long and dark and dreary, but He, their Lord, would be with them, in each of those days, even to the far-off end.
With His words “I am with you alway” our Lord gives His apostles, and all the ministers of his gospel, truly sent by him, an assurance of His spiritual presence with them in the execution of this commission unto the end of time.
- I, the eternal Son of God;
- I, who have the angels at my command, and make the devils tremble by my frown;
- I, who in your sight have caused the storms to cease, the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dead to rise, only with the word of my mouth;
- I, who have all power in heaven and earth committed to me
I am with you; not, I will be with you, but, I am with you, and that alway, all the days, or every day: Wheresoever you are, and whensoever you do any thing toward the executing of the commission which I have given you, I am with you in the doing of it, and that too to the very end of the world: that is, so long as I have a church upon earth, which shall be till my coming again to judge the world, all this while I promise to be with you, and consequently as long as the world shall last.
Some would translate εως της σοντελειας του αιωνος, until the conclusion of the age; understanding by the expression the dissolution of the Jewish state. But as Christ’s presence with his surviving apostles and other ministers was as necessary after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the overthrow of the Jewish commonwealth, as before these events, nothing can be more unreasonable than to limit these words by such an interpretation.
Nor indeed can they with any propriety be interpreted in any other than the most extensive sense; the influence of Christ’s Spirit being essentially necessary to the success of the gospel in every age and nation; and our Lord, in the last discourse which he delivered to his disciples before his passion, having graciously promised it, saying, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter to abide with you; εος τον αιωνα, for ever.
Our Lord could not mean that this other Comforter should abide merely with the persons to whom He then spoke, they being to die quickly; but that He should abide with them during their lives, and with their successors afterward; or with them and all the ministers of the gospel in the several ages of the church; with all to whom this commission extends; with all, that, being duly called and sent, thus baptize and thus teach.
Am with you alway
That is: all the days; that is, till making converts, baptizing, and building them up by Christian instruction, shall be no more.
Even unto the end of the world.
Literally: the end of the age.
The phrase is the same as that in Matthew 13:39-40, 49; 24:13.
In Hebrews 9:26 it is used of the time of the appearance of Christ in the flesh, as the beginning of the last age of the world.
Like all such words, its meaning widens or contracts according to our point of view.
Here the context determines its significance as stretching forward to the end of the age, or aeon, which began with the first Advent of the Christ and shall last until the second.
We ask, as we close the Gospel:
▪︎ Why does it end in this way?
▪︎ Why should there not be a record of a fact so momentous as the Ascension?
The question is one which we cannot fully answer.
There is an obvious abruptness in the close of the book as a book.
• It may be that it was left unfinished.
• It may be that the fact of the Ascension entered into the elementary instruction of every catechumen, and was therefore taken for granted;
• or that it was thought of as implied in the promise of Christ’s perpetual presence;
• or, lastly, that that promise seemed, in its grandeur and its blessedness, to be the consummation of all that Christ had come to accomplish, and therefore as the fitting close of the record of His life and work.
When the end of the world is come, and the kingdom is delivered up to God even the Father, there will then be no further need of ministers and their ministration; but till then they shall continue, and the great intentions of the institution shall be answered.
This is a most encouraging word to all the faithful ministers of Christ; that what was said to the apostles was, and is, said to them all.
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
May this gracious promise cause us to gird up the loins of our minds, and increase our zeal, fervour, and diligence; inducing us to account no labour too great, no service too much, no suffering too severe, so that we may but finish our course with joy, and fulfil the ministry we are engaged in!
This glorious Commission embraces two primary departments, the Missionary and the Pastoral, with two sublime and comprehensive Encouragements to undertake and go through with them.
First, The Missionary department (Matthew 28:18):
“Go, make disciples of all nations.” In the corresponding passage of Mark (Mark 16:15) it is, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
The only difference is, that in this passage the sphere, in its world-wide compass and its universality of objects, is more fully and definitely expressed; while in the former the great aim and certain result is delightfully expressed in the command to “make disciples of all nations.”
“Go, conquer the world for Me; carry the glad tidings into all lands and to every ear, and deem not this work at an end till all nations shall have embraced the Gospel and enrolled themselves My disciples.”
Now, Was all this meant to be done by the Eleven men nearest to Him of the multitude then crowding around the risen Redeemer? Impossible.
Was it to be done even in their lifetime? Surely not.
In that little band Jesus virtually addressed Himself to all who, in every age, should take up from them the same work.
Before the eyes of the Church’s risen Head were spread out, in those Eleven men, all His servants of every age; and one and all of them received His commission at that moment.
Well, what next?
Set the seal of visible discipleship upon the converts, by “baptizing them into the name,” that is, into the whole fulness of the grace “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” as belonging to them who believe. (See 2 Corinthians 13:14).
This done, the Missionary department of your work, which in its own nature is temporary, must merge in another, which is permanent. This is the Pastoral department.
Second, The Pastoral department (Matthew 28:20):
“Teach them” — teach these baptized members of the Church visible — “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” during the three years you have been with Me.
What must have been the feelings which such a Commission awakened?
▪︎ We who have scarce conquered our own misgivings;
▪︎ we, fishermen of Galilee, with no letters, no means, no influence over the humblest creature, conquer the world for Thee, Lord?
Third, The Encouragements to undertake and go through with this work.
These are two; one in the front, the other in the rear of the Commission itself.
First Encouragement:
▪︎ “All power in heaven” — the whole power of Heaven’s love and wisdom and strength,
▪︎ “and all power in earth” — power over all persons, all passions, all principles, all movements — to bend them to this one high object, the evangelization of the world:
All this “is given unto Me.” as the risen Lord of all, to be by Me placed at your command — “Go ye therefore.” But there is more:
Second Encouragement:
“And lo! I am with you all the days” — not only to perpetuity, but without one day’s interruption, “even to the end of the world,”
The world
The word rendered “world,” here, sometimes means “age or state” and by some it has been supposed to mean, I will be with you until the end of this “age,” or during the continuance of the Jewish state, to the destruction of Jerusalem.
But as the presence of Christ was no less necessary after that than before, there seems to be no propriety in limiting the promise to His own age.
It may therefore be considered as a gracious assurance that he would aid, strengthen, guide, and defend all His disciples, and His ministers, to the end of time.
Amen
The “Amen” is of doubtful genuineness in this place. If, however, it belongs to the text, it is the Evangelist’s own closing word.
The word amen, with which this gospel concludes, is missing in four manuscripts, and in the Vulgate, Coptic, and Armenian versions.
It is probable, however, that it was inserted by the evangelist, not only as an intimation of the conclusion of his book, but as an asseveration of the certain truth of the things contained in it.
And, considering the connection of the word with the preceding promise, which was undoubtedly the greatest strength and joy of Matthew’s heart: “it is very natural,” says Dr. Doddridge, “to suppose that it has some such reference as this to that promise: ‘Amen! Jesus, — so may it indeed be; and may this important promise be fulfilled to us and to our successors to the remotest ages, in its full extent!’
John uses the like term in more express language, in the last verse but one of the Revelation: Surely I come quickly, Amen! Even so come, Lord Jesus.”
Greek
Teaching ☆ διδάσκοντες (didaskontes) ☆ Verb – Present Participle Active – Nominative Masculine Plural ☆ To teach, direct, admonish. A prolonged form of a primary verb dao; to teach.
Them ☆ αὐτοὺς (autous) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural ☆ He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
Observe ☆ τηρεῖν (tērein) ☆ Verb – Present Infinitive Active ☆ From teros; to guard, i.e. To note; by implication, to detain; by extension, to withhold; by extension, to withhold.
All ☆ πάντα (panta) ☆ Adjective – Accusative Neuter Plural ☆ All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
That ☆ ὅσα (hosa) ☆ Personal / Relative Pronoun – Accusative Neuter Plural ☆ How much, how great, how many, as great as, as much. By reduplication from hos; as As.
Commanded ☆ ἐνετειλάμην (eneteilamēn) ☆ Verb – Aorist Indicative Middle – 1st Person Singular ☆ To give orders (injunctions, instructions, commands). From en and the base of telos; to enjoin.
You ☆ ὑμῖν (hymin) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Dative 2nd Person Plural ☆ You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.
And ☆ καὶ (kai) ☆ Conjunction ☆ And, even, also, namely.
Lo ☆ ἰδοὺ (idou) ☆ Verb – Aorist Imperative Active – 2nd Person Singular ☆ See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!
I ☆ ἐγὼ (egō) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Nominative 1st Person Singular ☆ I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
Am ☆ εἰμι (eimi) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 1st Person Singular ☆ I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
With ☆ μεθ’ (meth’) ☆ Preposition ☆ (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.
You ☆ ὑμῶν (hymōn) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive 2nd Person Plural ☆ You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.
Alway / always ☆ πάσας (pasas) ☆ Adjective – Accusative Feminine Plural ☆ All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
τὰς (tas) ☆ Article – Accusative Feminine Plural ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
ἡμέρας (hēmeras) ☆ Noun – Accusative Feminine Plural ☆ A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.
To ☆ ἕως (heōs) ☆ Preposition ☆ A conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until.
The ☆ τῆς (tēs) ☆ Article – Genitive Feminine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
End ☆ συντελείας (synteleias) ☆ Noun – Genitive Feminine Singular ☆ A completion, consummation, end. From sunteleo; entire completion, i.e. Consummation.
The ☆ τοῦ (tou) ☆ Article – Genitive Masculine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Age ☆ αἰῶνος (aiōnos) ☆ Noun – Genitive Masculine Singular ☆ From the same as aei; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication, the world; specially a Messianic period.
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