[217 words]
“…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:20).
Known as the Great Commission, this passage at the end of Matthew is often used, and rightly so, to speak about our core value of evangelism. We understand that the implication to seek and to save the lost is for us and not just for those those gathered on that day that the resurrected Christ ascended into heaven. But, slipped into it also is the call for us to teach. Making disciples is essential and certainly some teaching is involved for them to obey the gospel, but the teaching that we’re called to do here continues as the Christian grows in his or her faith. All that Jesus has commanded us is a lot, and certainly those there couldn’t retain all of it to pass on until the Holy Spirit was given and reminded them of all of it. Then, through the Spirit, many of these same men and others would write all He commanded into the pages that would become our New Testament. It is the building up in continual studies, conversations, and Bible classes; it comes from the Christian attending worship with the body and members of the body spending time in fellowship with the Christian. It is edification.
Do you edify?
Doug Kashorek
Plattsburgh church of Christ
Plattsburgh, NY