How does Acts 18:5 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? The Texts Side by Side • Acts 18:5: “When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was wholly absorbed with the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.” • Matthew 28:19-20: “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Key Connections • Same mission focus – Matthew: “make disciples of all nations.” – Acts: Paul “testifying… that Jesus is the Christ,” actively disciple-making in Corinth. • Same method – Matthew: “teaching them to observe.” – Acts: Paul is “wholly absorbed with the word,” centering discipleship on Scripture. • Same message – Matthew: baptism “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” – Acts: proclamation that “Jesus is the Christ,” the heart of Trinitarian gospel truth. • Same promise of divine partnership – Matthew: “I am with you always.” – Acts: Paul’s boldness follows the arrival of ministry partners—an earthly reminder of the Lord’s continual presence (cf. Acts 18:9-10). Paul’s Example of Obedience • Shift to undivided devotion – Until Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul supported himself by tent-making (Acts 18:3). – Their arrival supplied what was lacking (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:9), freeing Paul to live out the Great Commission full-time. • Team disciple-making – Silas and Timothy embody the “all nations” teamwork the Commission anticipates. – Paul multiplies leaders, later writing, “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men” (2 Timothy 2:2). • Perseverance amid opposition – The Commission implies worldwide resistance; Acts 18 records Jewish opposition, yet Paul presses on (Acts 18:6-7), mirroring the Commission’s call to steadfastness. Supporting Scripture Links • Acts 1:8—power to witness “to the ends of the earth.” • Romans 1:16—gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.” • 1 Corinthians 9:16—“Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” • 2 Timothy 4:2—“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.” Implications for Us Today • Great Commission obedience isn’t abstract; it looks like Paul in Corinth—Scripture-saturated, Christ-centered proclamation. • Ministry partners and practical provision free believers to devote themselves fully to disciple-making. • Opposition is expected, yet the Lord’s promised presence empowers perseverance. • Every believer can join Paul’s pattern—absorbed in the Word, boldly testifying that Jesus is the Christ, trusting that the risen Lord is with us “to the very end of the age.” |
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