How does Acts 22:21 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Paul’s Personal Commission: Acts 22 : 21 “Then He said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” Side-by-Side with the Great Commission 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 obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” One Lord, One Mission • Same Speaker – The risen Jesus speaks in both passages. • Same Action Verb (“Go”) – Greek poreuō: move out with purpose. • Same Scope – “All nations” (Matthew 28) equals “the Gentiles” (Acts 22). • Same Dependence on Christ’s Presence – Matthew 28 : 20 “I am with you.” – Acts 22 : 21 “I will send you,” implying His ongoing direction. Paul as a Living Illustration of Matthew 28 • Acts 9 : 15—the Lord calls Paul “My chosen instrument… to carry My name before the Gentiles.” • Acts 26 : 17-18—the commission restated: open eyes, turn from darkness to light. • Romans 1 : 5—Paul says he received “grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to obedience that comes from faith.” Paul embodies the outward-facing flow of the gospel commanded in Matthew 28. From Promise to Fulfillment • Genesis 12 : 3—“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” • Isaiah 49 : 6—“I will also make You a light for the nations.” Jesus’ instructions connect the Abrahamic and prophetic promises to the church’s world-wide mission; Paul’s sending in Acts 22 : 21 is a milestone in that fulfillment. Practical Threads for Today’s Disciples • Christ still does the sending; believers do the going. • Every “Go” is backed by Christ’s authority and presence. • The gospel is for every ethnicity, culture, and language—no exceptions. • Personal testimonies, like Paul’s in Acts 22, remain powerful tools for opening doors to the nations. Summary Snapshot Acts 22 : 21 shows Jesus personally dispatching Paul to the Gentiles, echoing and advancing the universal mandate first laid down in Matthew 28 : 19-20. One command, one gospel, one global mission—carried out then, carried on now. |
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