How does Acts 10:48 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19? A Snapshot of Both Passages • Acts 10:48: “And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.” • Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Shared Themes: Baptism and Mission • Both verses hinge on baptism as the public sign of new life in Christ. • Each text presents baptism as inseparable from disciple-making. • Obedience flows directly from the words of Christ: Peter in Acts lives out what Jesus instructed in Matthew. The Scope: From Jerusalem to the Nations • Matthew 28:19 sends disciples to “all nations.” • Acts 10 showcases the first Gentile household (Cornelius) fully welcomed through baptism, proving that the universal scope has begun in practice (cf. Acts 1:8; Ephesians 2:13-16). Authority and the Name • “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) highlights the Triune authority behind the ordinance. • “In the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:48) emphasizes Christ as the focal point of saving authority (cf. Acts 4:12; Colossians 2:9). • The two phrases are complementary: invoking the Son’s name presupposes the unified authority of the Godhead revealed in Matthew. Continuity of Command and Practice • Jesus gives the command—Peter carries it out. • The same sequence appears repeatedly (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 19:5), demonstrating that the apostolic church treated baptism as an immediate, non-negotiable response to faith (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 6:3-4). Practical Takeaways for Today • Baptism remains the first act of obedience for every new believer. • The gospel invitation is truly for all people, without cultural or ethnic barriers. • Proclaiming Christ’s name and baptizing in Trinitarian authority belong together; neither should be minimized. Acts 10:48 is the lived-out fulfillment of the Great Commission. The command of Jesus becomes the obedient action of the church, proving that Scripture’s mandate to “make disciples … baptizing them” is as active and literal today as it was in the first century. |
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