How does Acts 8:25 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Scriptural Foundations • Acts 8:25: “And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.” • 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.” • Acts 1:8 underscores the same mandate: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Key Parallels between Acts 8:25 and the Great Commission • Geographical reach – Matthew 28:19-20 calls for discipling “all nations.” – Acts 8:25 displays obedience by moving beyond Jerusalem into Samaritan villages—bridging historic hostility and proving “all nations” includes nearby but often-avoided neighbors. • Proclamation and teaching – Jesus’ command: “make disciples … teaching them.” – Peter and John “testified and spoke the word of the Lord,” fulfilling the teaching element in real time. • Ongoing movement – The Great Commission envisions a continual, outward-moving mission. – The apostles “returned to Jerusalem, preaching” along the way, showing a lifestyle of mission rather than a single event. • Dependence on Christ’s presence – Jesus promised, “I am with you always.” – Acts presents the risen Christ working through His Spirit-empowered witnesses, validating that promise (see also Acts 4:31; 13:2-4). Seeing the Great Commission in Action Step-by-step obedience appears in Acts 8: 1. Reception of the Spirit (Acts 8:14-17) equips believers, paralleling Matthew 28:20’s assurance of divine presence. 2. Testimony about Jesus (verse 25a) mirrors “baptizing” and “teaching,” central acts of disciple-making. 3. Extension to Samaria (verse 25b) aligns with “all nations,” demonstrating crossing cultural and ethnic boundaries. 4. Return to Jerusalem while evangelizing “many villages” shows repetition and multiplication of the Commission. Practical Takeaways for Today • The Great Commission is not completed in a single geographic push; it is lived out wherever believers travel. • The gospel reaches near and far, including culturally uncomfortable places, just as Samaria was for first-century Jews. • Effective disciple-making unites verbal testimony, consistent teaching, and Spirit-empowered boldness. • Every believer inherits the same mandate modeled by Peter and John: continual proclamation until “the very end of the age.” |
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