The Word and the Spirit (1)
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
The word power there is the word ‘exousia’ in the Greek, it connotes authority – the ability to do something. The authority will be seen in the instruction in verse 19 – the authority of salvation, getting men saved: the authority of the kingdom.
Mark 16:15
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
A side note – the word baptism should not be given a blank check; we have to ask, ‘baptism of what?’ The baptism as used in verse 16 will connote identification (showing that this person is saved – the emphasis is on those who have believed).
Luke 24:47
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Jesus commissioned them to preach repentance and remission of sins, and we see that neither Jesus nor his disciples taught about man’s kingdom. True teachings of The Scriptures are to separate God’s kingdom from man’s kingdom.
Matthew 28:20
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The word teach is the word ‘matheteuo’ in the Greek which means to enroll someone as a scholar – it is a word used for a pupil. Thus, what we are to do is to enroll men in the school of the word (Matthew 13:52, 27:57, Acts 14:21). The essence of preaching the gospel is to the end that men are discipled – and this should be because of the passion for God’s kingdom. Discipleship is the centre for ministry (Matthew 28:19). Discipleship never ends, it’s not a school we graduate from – it involves teaching, and through this teaching, we discover what we have and can do by the spirit.
Read John 21:12-17;
Jesus was talking to Peter and the emphasis was on ‘feed’, the sheep must be fed. The Pastor must always realize that the members of the local church are God’s flock, and he’ll account to God.
See Jesus’ actions in Acts 1:1 ‘…to do and to teach…’
After teaching for 40 days, Peter couldn’t possibly be confused about what Jesus meant by ‘feed my sheep’. Teaching is paramount in the church.
1 Timothy 3:15 – But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Paul calls the church the house of God. As the house of God, in our gatherings, and as an act of our will, we can put the spirit within among us – that is, we can manifest the activities of the Spirit. The church is the ground and pillar of truth, meaning that the church is the mainstay of truth, a teaching school where the word of God is taught.
Daily Bible Reading Plan:
Bible Reading – Psalms 144-150
TEACHING OF THE DAY
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