Tool Beta
The Ancient World Behind the Text
Pick a passage anywhere in the New Testament. See the customs and ideas a first reader knew without being told.
Matthew 28:16-20, Make disciples of all nations
On a mountain in Galilee the risen Jesus claims all authority in heaven and on earth and sends the eleven to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them.
Matthew 28:16-20, in every translation this tool compares.
The eleven meet the risen Jesus on a mountain in Galilee, and they worship him, though some hesitate. He tells them he now holds every kind of authority across heaven and earth, and sends them to every nation to make followers, baptize them in the threefold name and teach them his commands. He promises to stay with them until the close of history. The scene recalls Daniel's vision of a figure given rule over all peoples.
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/son-of-man\/","n":"The Son of Man","s":"Plain Aramaic for a human being, and also the figure in Daniel 7 who comes on the clouds and receives a kingdom. It is Jesus' favorite way of speaking about himself in the Gospels.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/following-a-teacher\/","n":"Following a teacher","s":"A disciple walked behind his teacher, lived with him, learned his ways and carried his reputation. Jesus chose his own, which only radical teachers did.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/gentile-lands\/","n":"Gentile territory","s":"Across the lake and to the north lay Greek-run cities with pagan temples and pig herds. Jesus crossed into them more than once.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/proselyte-baptism\/","n":"Ritual washing and convert immersion","s":"Jews washed often for purity, but one immersion happened only once: the bath a Gentile took on becoming a Jew. John's baptism and the church's took that shape.","r":""}
God had often revealed himself on mountains, above all to Moses (Keener). Some may have doubted because the dead were expected to rise together at the end, not the Messiah first (Keener). The claim to all authority echoes Daniel 7:13-14, in which a figure like a son of man is given rule over every people (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes). Only God was thought to be everywhere present, so the promise to be with them always speaks as God speaks (the cultural backgrounds notes). Wilkins notes that Jewish baptism was never performed in a person's name.
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Matthew 28:16, 28:17, 28:18 and 28:19-20
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, notes on Matthew 28:18, 28:19 and 28:20
- CSB Study Bible, note on Matthew 28:19
- ESV Study Bible, study note on Matthew 28:19
- Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, on Matthew 28:19
