Matthew's gospel ends with the command Christians call "The Great Commission."
Mat 28:18 İsa yanlarına gelip kendilerine şunları söyledi: "Gökte ve yeryüzünde bütün yetki bana verildi.
Mat 28:19 Bu nedenle gidin, bütün ulusları öğrencilerim olarak yetiştirin; onları Baba, Oğul ve Kutsal Ruh'un adıyla vaftiz edin;
Mat 28:20 size buyurduğum her şeye uymayı onlara öğretin. İşte ben, dünyanın sonuna dek her an sizinle birlikteyim."
The general is on the battlefield, directing every operation. He already has complete jurisdiction everywhere ...
- Gökte ve yeryüzünde bütün yetki bana verildi. -- In heaven / and / on earth / all / authority / to me / has been given.
Our sphere of operation is as large as the created universe. The subset we need to focus on, however, is the nation, the cohesive ethnic group. Every nation. The Greek phrase,
πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, all the nations, includes the root of our word ethnic. Let's take a look hear at our task for the nation, including Turkey:
- Bu nedenle gidin, bütün ulusları öğrencilerim olarak yetiştirin; -- For this reason / go, / all / the nations / my disciples / make / to attain, arrive, catch up.
- onları Baba, Oğul ve Kutsal Ruh'un adıyla vaftiz edin; -- Them / Father / Son / and Holy Spirit / in the name of / baptize.
- size buyurduğum her şeye uymayı onlara öğretin. -- to you / my commands / every / thing / adaptation. conformity. fit. respect. agreement. accommodation. adherence. compliance. conformance. conformation. deference. observance / them / teach.
- İşte ben, dünyanın sonuna dek her an sizinle birlikteyim."-- Behold / I / the earth's / end / until / every / moment / with you / I am.
And the moral of this story is, beware of aiming too low. Yes, we can bring massive resources to bear on "converting" individual souls. Human beings are not, however, self-contained units. We are also members of families and tribes. A gospel that has the best interests of entire tribes at heart is more interesting to those who take their families seriously.
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