基督教的特點之一是基督教是全世界性的宗教。我的意思是基督徒想要傳耶穌基督的名字和真理給全世界上的每一個人。動機是什麼?
動機之一是主耶穌基督自己說的一句話，也剛好是我今天要跟您談的經文。主耶穌告訴他的使徒的臨終遺言是這一句，耶穌說：“天上地下所有的權柄、都賜給我了。所以你們要去、使萬民作我的門徒、奉父子聖靈的名、給他們施洗。凡我所吩咐你們的、都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在、直到世界的末了”（馬太福音28:18-20）。
耶穌如此教導他的門徒往外傳福音，他們也如此作了，一直到今天。耶穌釘死十字架，復活了，是因為上帝特愛全世界的每一個人。因此，耶穌為您我設想，為我們建立了教會，使得萬人、萬民、萬族，都能夠獲得救恩，成為基督徒。
請讓我們把耶穌說的這句話，講仔細一點，好嗎？
耶穌說，“天上地下所有的權柄、都賜給我了，”意思是因為他已經從死里復活了，所以他才有權丙，只有他才有資格講下面他所說的話。
“所以你們要去、使萬民作我的門徒…”耶穌下令告訴他的使徒要到全世界去傳揚福音，傳講救恩之道。
耶穌還告訴使徒，當去的時候，當傳揚福音之時，怎麼樣讓人們成為基督徒。耶穌說，要“奉父子聖靈的名、給他們施洗。”不但要為人施洗，“…凡我所吩咐你們的、都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。”
基督徒都知道，耶穌說的這句話很重要。多年來，基督徒把這句話形容為“大使命”或“偉大的使命。”從這“偉大的使命”中可知，傳福音的過程中包括“施洗”一事。傳福音和“施洗”是分不開的。“奉父子聖靈的名”和“施洗”是分不開的。“…凡我所吩咐你們的、都教訓他們遵守…”和“施洗”是分不開的。耶穌的門徒遵守耶穌臨終遺言時，必須為人“施洗；”“洗禮”是非基督徒成為基督徒不可缺少的一點。
最後，耶穌基督給他門徒一個應許，說，“我就常與你們同在、直到世界的末了。”耶穌可與誰同在呢？不是那些聽從耶穌偉大的使命，傳揚福音，為人施洗，而教導他們遵守耶穌的訓誨嗎？又是那些接受耶穌的邀請，時常遵守耶穌的真理，而受洗成為基督徒的人嗎？
歡迎您如此行！
【洗禮】十七：“使萬民作我的門徒”
“Baptism” 17: “Make Disciples of All Nations”
作者：謝德華 ©y Edward Short
Baptism: “Make Disciples of All Nations”
Matthew 28:18
One thing that makes Christianity unique is that it’s a universal religion. By universal, I mean that Christians want to spread to all people the name of Jesus Christ, and the truths that he taught. What is the motivation for this?
One motivation is something that Jesus Christ said, and it also happens to be the Scripture that I want to share with you today. One of the final statements that Jesus made to his apostles was, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [Matthew 28:18-20, NRSV].
Jesus instructed his disciples to take his gospel everywhere, and so they did, and so they still do, even today. Jesus was nailed to a cross, and then was resurrected from death because God loves every person in the world. This love caused Jesus to think of you and me. This love caused Jesus to establish his church, and enable all people from every nation and ethnic group to receive God’s grace and become Christians.
Let’s look a little more closely at what Jesus said.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” means that because Jesus had risen from the dead, he had received special authority, and consequently only he was qualified to say these things that he said next.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Jesus commanded his apostles to go into all the world and spread the gospel, the way of salvation.
Jesus also told the apostles that when they went and spoke forth the gospel, this is how they were to make Christians out of people. Jesus said that they were to go “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Not only were they to go baptizing, but also, “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
All Christians know that this was a very important statement, thus, for many years now, Christians have referred to this statement as “the Great Commission.” We know from this “Great Commission” that the process of preaching the gospel includes baptism. Evangelism and baptism are inseparable. “…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” and baptism are inseparable. “…teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you…” and baptism are inseparable. In obeying these final instructions of Jesus, his disciples had to baptize people; baptism cannot be omitted when a non-Christian becomes a Christian.
Finally, Jesus gave his disciples a promise, he said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” With whom can Jesus be together? Is he not with those who obey the Great Commission, who teach the gospel to others, baptize them, and teach them to obey what Jesus taught? Is Jesus not also with those who receive the invitation of Jesus, who obey him by being baptized and becoming Christians?