p. 2 | 3843 - Baptism

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 3, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 34.

3843 — Baptism

Does God ever use the participle in giving a command? Is the word "baptizing" included in the commission? Please analyze or diagram this 19th verse of the 28th chapter of Matthew.

The participle is often used in the Greek. The Interlinear New Testament, by Hinds & Noble, gives the following literal rendering of the passage: "Going therefore, disciple all the nations, baptizing them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you." It is impossible to separate the participial clause from the main sentence. In the Revised Version there are two verbs, "go" and "make"—"Go ye therefore, and make disciples." The literal Greek implies that they are going, will go in the very nature of things, but "going, disciple all the nations," or make disciples of all the nations,—that is, from among all the nations,—and having made them, will baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It is just as much a part of the command as teaching is. Baptizing them, teaching them, properly follow the making of disciples. Making disciples is the first thing, that is the essential thing, that is precedent to the baptizing; but having made disciples, baptize them. And the teaching is all-inclusive,—"teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you." We do not know that it needs more analysis than this. Mark 16:15 reads, in the Revised Version, "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation." But the Interlinear Greek reads, "And He said to them, Having gone into all the world, proclaim the glad tidings of all the creation." There we have the participle "having gone," instead of "go" in our common English version. There will be found many cases of this kind in the Scripture. We have the command to the believer, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you." This must imply a corresponding duty on the part of Christ's servants who baptize.