17. 18. καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς d Ch, vi. 10; ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς, λέγων, '΄ Ἐδόθη pot πᾶσα ἐξουσία “ἐν οὐρανῷ 1g. πορευθέντες οὖν ®
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καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτόν, προσεκύ-
Xvi. 19; xviii. 18 (similar phrases).
padntevcate πάντα τὰ ἔθνη/
επι της γης in BD (W.H in brackets), $A and other uncials omit (Tisch.).
Vv. 18-20. The final commission.— Ver. 18. προσελθὼν, approaching; the speech of Jesus is majestic, but His bear- ing is friendly, meant to set them free from doubt and fear.—éAddnoe: this may seem a word not sufficiently digni- fied for the communication made, But it is often used, especially in Hebrews, in reference to divine revelations (vide, e.g., Chap. i. 1).---ἐδόθη pot, there was given to me; the aorist as in xi. 27, the thought of which earlier text this utter- ance reiterates and amplifies. The refer- ence may be to the resurrection, and the meaning that that event ipso facto placed Jesus in a position of power. Cf. Rom. i, 4.--πᾶσα ἐξουσία, every form of authority ; command of all means neces- sary for the advancement of the King- dom of God.—év οὐρανῷ: this points to session on His celestial throne at the right hand of God. Jesus speaks as one already in heaven. There is no account of the ascension in Mt. It is conceived as involved in the resurrection. —éi γῆς : upon earth, the whole earth. The two phrases together point to a universal cosmic dominion. But so far as earth is concerned, the dominion is only a matter of right or theory, a problem to be worked out. Hence what follows.— Ver. 19. Ἠπορευθέντες οὖν: the οὖν omitted in many texts aptly expresses the connection. The commission to the Apostles arises out of the power claimed = all power has been given to me on earth, go ye therefore, and make the power a τεα]1έγ.---μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη: make disciples (act., cf. at xxvii. 57) of all the nations (cf. x. 5, “go not into the way of the Gentiles ”’”).—Bamrio- αντες: baptism the condition of disciple- ship = make disciples by baptising; the sole condition, circumcision, and every- thing particularistic or Judaistic tacitly negatived. Christian baptism referred to here only in this Gospel.—aitois refers to ἔθνη, a constr. ad sensum, as in Acts xv. 17; Rom. ii. 14. In the anabaptist controversy αὐτοὺς was taken
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e Acts viii. 16; Xix.5. α Rom. vi. Tou 3