Word study. Eleven disciples had an appointment with Jesus in a mountain. They saw Him and some doubted. See that word? Therefore, because some were doubting, Jesus said unto them, “You don’t need to be doubting. I have all the power. I will go with you.”
So, the word actually right here, teach all nations. We’re going to hit and go to the interlineary. See right here, it says, “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations.” We’re going to go to this word, teach, and we’re going to study it. Okay?
First, we’re going to listen to it. Strong’s G3100, Matheteuo. Matheteuo. Matheteuo. To be a disciple, we knew that. To follow His precepts and instructions. Okay? Be a follower.
Here’s the second meaning though. In this particular verse it says, “Go ye therefore and teach.” So now we’re going to... and what a lot of modern translations do is put the word “make” and “disciple.” They’re like, “Well, what it really means is to make a disciple.” Okay, it does mean to teach, to instruct, and to help others become a disciple. See, intransitively means to become a pupil. But when I’m doing the actual transition, it means to enroll scholars.
I like that. To sign up students.
To disciple someone is the process of instructing, guiding, teaching, helping them get to class. Right? So we’re going to go into the transitive. To make a disciple.
Now, here’s the thing. Actually a dad joke. The word disciple means disciplined one. One who has discipline. And the goal there is intrinsic, internal discipline. Like to help someone develop good habits until they have good habits and can continue on.
Um, so we’re going to go to let Scripture define Scripture. It’s used in four verses. Here it says, “Therefore every scribe which is instructed.” This means that scribes have received instruction, right? They’ve achieved a level of education.
Then here, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus. He was disciplined enough to show up on schedule, receive instructions, write it down, understand, and be able to explain to others what he had learned.
Here’s the word in context that we’re focusing on. Go and inform, compel, train, teach, enroll, invite, equip, educate, inform about the Gospel. See?
Step one to getting to know God is to understand God’s definition of God. To let God become clear, distinctive, not foggy. We get to our understanding of God by approaching God through the Gospel. The good news of salvation, deliverance. We can then receive His gift, which includes the indwelling of the Teacher, capital T. The indwelling of the anointing, the Spirit, which then illuminates our new understanding. The eyes of our heart being enlightened.
So teach them the Gospel. After they hear the Gospel, then there’s an outward symbol of what already has happened internally. And then we continue to teach them in all things.
Here we see, “When he had preached the Gospel in that city.” After the Gospel, then he teaches. Same root word. How do you pronounce it? Matheteuo. Preach the Gospel. Get them deliverance. Truth through Christ. New birth. After new birth, then growth, spiritual, intellectual. He had taught many.
See, the thing is, you don’t necessarily make a disciple. When the other languages and the other versions and other denominations really like to focus on, “Let’s make disciples.” Okay. Jesus says, “Come unto Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” So He says if you follow My pattern, you’ll eventually be reaching out and helping other people come to Me.
But do we really make people attend class to become a student of Christ, or do we offer to them the opportunity of enrolling in a course? Called first, evangelism. Understanding salvation. Understanding the offer, the security, the transfer, the new birth. Then, is it believable enough where you develop an appetite?
Because is not Christ Himself the one for whom the appetite is fostered? Like, why would people want to sign up for this class? Like, literally, what is the purpose?
Well, you get to know God the right way.
That’s pretty awesome. And you get to have some rhythm, some cadence, some classroom time. You know, we are creatures of absorption. We like to learn and grow. And what better area to learn and grow in our knowledge of the divine. To get to know the genuine nature of our Father and our Brother and His Spirit and the purpose, the meaning of the words.
Now, if we tap, if we scroll up here, the root word, the history, where did it grow from? It came from this word, which is the word, a learner, a pupil, a disciple, a student. A student who’s consistent, self-disciplined variations.
One who follows the teachings. And they’re excited about it. They have a good attitude. And they like the teaching so much that they’re aspiring to become a teacher. They might even teach others on the weekends.
In a wide sense, in the Gospels, those who favored Jesus of any ethnicity. It wouldn’t matter what ethnicity they came from. They joined His party, became His adherents, and followed on to know the Lord. I love it.
Most especially, the 12 apostles embodied what it meant to be a disciple, or a follower, a listener.
All those who confess Christ as the Messiah, those who are followers after Christ.
