How does Acts 10:42 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Setting the Scene • Acts 10 records Peter in Cornelius’s house, breaking new ground as the gospel crosses ethnic lines. • Matthew 28 captures Jesus’ farewell charge to His disciples on a Galilean mountain. • Both texts come after the resurrection and hinge on Jesus’ authority. The Passages • Acts 10:42 – “And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.” • Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Key Phrases that Link the Two Passages • “He commanded us” (Acts 10:42) parallels “Go…make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). • “Preach…testify” lines up with “teaching…observe.” • Both place Christ at the center—“He is the One” (Acts) and “in the name of the Father, Son, Spirit” (Matt.). Shared Mandate: Proclaim and Teach 1. Verbal proclamation – Acts 10:42 stresses preaching and testifying. – Matthew 28:20 highlights teaching. – Together they form a full-orbed ministry: declare the gospel and instruct converts. 2. Disciple-making focus – Peter’s sermon leads Cornelius’s household to faith and baptism (Acts 10:47-48). – The Great Commission commands ongoing discipleship, not mere decisions. Emphasis on Jesus as Judge and Savior • Acts 10:42 identifies Jesus as “judge of the living and the dead,” underscoring accountability. • Matthew 28:18 prefaces the Commission with “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” • The message we carry is authoritative because the risen Christ will one day judge every person (John 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Universal Scope: All Nations, All Peoples • Cornelius is a Gentile; Acts 10 inaugurates the gospel’s reach beyond Israel. • Matthew 28:19 explicitly widens the field to “all nations.” • The two passages together cement the church’s global calling (Acts 1:8; Revelation 7:9). Empowered Witness: The Holy Spirit’s Role • Acts 10:44-45 shows the Spirit falling on Gentile hearers, authenticating their inclusion. • Matthew 28:20 promises Christ’s continual presence, implicitly through His Spirit (cf. John 14:16-18). • The Commission is impossible without divine enablement, and Acts demonstrates that enablement in action. Practical Takeaways for Today • Let the content of our witness match Peter’s: Christ crucified, risen, and appointed Judge. • Evangelism and discipleship remain inseparable—conversion followed by teaching obedience. • No ethnic, social, or cultural barrier exempts anyone from hearing the gospel. • Confidence flows from Christ’s authority and presence; reliance rests on the Spirit’s power. • Faithfulness means making the Great Commission our personal “Acts 10:42”—obeying the command to preach and testify until He returns. |
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