John Calvin Commentary Matthew 28:19

"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:" — Matthew 28:19 (ASV)

Go out, therefore, and teach all nations. Though Mark, after relating that Christ appeared to the eleven disciples, immediately adds the command to preach the gospel, he does not speak of these as an unbroken series of events. We learn from Matthew's account that the latter event did not take place before they had gone into Galilee. The meaning is essentially this: by proclaiming the gospel everywhere, they were to bring all nations to the obedience of the faith, and then they were to seal and ratify their doctrine by the sign of the gospel. In Matthew, they are first taught simply to teach; but Mark specifies the kind of doctrine—that they should preach the gospel. Shortly afterwards, Matthew himself adds this limitation: to teach them to observe all things whatsoever the Lord has commanded.

Let us learn from this passage that the apostleship is not an empty title but a laborious office. Consequently, nothing is more absurd or intolerable than for this honor to be claimed by hypocrites who live like kings at their ease and disdainfully cast aside the office of teaching. The Pope of Rome and his faction proudly boast of their succession, as if they held this rank in common with Peter and his companions; yet they pay no more regard to doctrine than did the Luperci or the priests of Bacchus and Venus.³²⁴ With what audacity, then, do they claim to be the successors of those who, they are told, were appointed to be preachers of the gospel?

But though they are not ashamed to display their impudence, still, for every reader of sound judgment, this single point is sufficient to demolish their absurd hierarchy: no one can be a successor of the apostles who does not devote his services to Christ in the preaching of the gospel. In short, whoever does not fulfill the duties of a teacher acts wickedly and falsely by assuming the name of an apostle. What is more, the priesthood of the New Testament consists in slaying men as a sacrifice to God by the spiritual sword of the word. From this it follows that all who are not devoted to the office of teaching are merely pretended and spurious priests.

Teach all nations. Here Christ, by removing the distinction, makes the Gentiles equal to the Jews and admits both indiscriminately to participation in the covenant. Such is also the meaning of the term "go out"; for the prophets under the law had limits assigned to them, but now,

the wall of partition having been broken down,
(Ephesians 2:14)

the Lord commands the ministers of the gospel to go to a distance to spread the doctrine of salvation in every part of the world. For though, as we have recently suggested, the right of the first-born at the very beginning of the gospel remained with the Jews, the inheritance of life was still common to the Gentiles. Thus was fulfilled that prediction of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:6) and others of a similar nature, that Christ was

given for a light of the Gentiles,
that he might be the salvation of God to the end of the earth.

Mark means the same thing by every creature; for when peace has been proclaimed to those who are within the Church, the same message reaches those who are at a distance, and were strangers (Ephesians 2:17, 19). How necessary it was for the apostles to be distinctly informed of the calling of the Gentiles is evident from this: even after receiving the command, they felt the greatest horror at approaching them, as if by doing so they would pollute themselves and their doctrine.

Baptizing them. Christ commands that those who have submitted to the gospel and professed to be his disciples shall be baptized. This is partly so that their baptism may be a pledge of eternal life before God, and partly so that it may be an outward sign of faith before men. For we know that God testifies to us the grace of adoption by this sign, because He grafts us into the body of His Son, so as to count us among His flock. Therefore, not only our spiritual washing, by which He reconciles us to Himself, but also our new righteousness, are represented by it. But just as God by this seal confirms His grace to us, so all who present themselves for baptism do, as it were, by their own signature, ratify their faith.

Now, since this charge is expressly given to the apostles along with the preaching of the word, it follows that no one can lawfully administer baptism except those who are also ministers of doctrine. When private persons, and even women, are permitted to baptize, nothing can be more contrary to the ordinance of Christ, nor is it anything but a mere profanation.

Furthermore, because doctrine is placed first in order, this points out to us the true distinction between this mystery and the illegitimate rites of the Gentiles, by which they are initiated into their sacred mysteries; for the earthly element does not become a sacrament until God gives it life by His word. Just as superstition improperly imitates all the works of God, foolish men invent various sacraments at their pleasure; but because the word, which is the soul, is not in them, they are idle and meaningless shadows. Let us therefore hold that the power of the doctrine causes the signs to assume a new nature; just as the outward action involving the flesh begins to be the spiritual pledge of regeneration when it is preceded by the doctrine of the gospel. This is the true consecration, instead of which Popery has introduced to us the enchantments of sorcery.

Accordingly, it is said in Mark, He that shall believe and be baptized shall be saved. By these words Christ not only excludes from the hope of salvation hypocrites who, though lacking faith, are puffed up only by the outward sign; but by a sacred bond He connects baptism with doctrine, so that doctrine is nothing more than an appendage to baptism. But since Christ commands them to teach before baptizing, and desires that only believers shall be admitted to baptism, it would appear that baptism is not properly administered unless it is preceded by faith.

On this pretext, the Anabaptists have vehemently opposed infant baptism. But the reply is not difficult if we consider the reason for the command. Christ orders them to convey to all nations the message of eternal salvation and confirms it by adding the seal of baptism. Now, it was proper that faith in the word should be placed before baptism when dealing with the Gentiles, since they were altogether alienated from God and had nothing in common with the chosen people. Otherwise, it would have been a false symbol, offering forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit to unbelievers who were not yet members of Christ. But we know that by faith those who were formerly despised are united with the people of God.

It is now asked, on what condition does God adopt as children those who were formerly aliens? Indeed, it cannot be denied that when He has once received them into His favor, He continues to bestow it on their children and their children’s children. By the coming of Christ, God revealed Himself as a Father equally to the Gentiles and to the Jews. Therefore, that promise, which was formerly given to the Jews, must now also be in force for the Gentiles:

I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee,
(Genesis 17:7)

Thus we see that those who entered by faith into the Church of God are counted, along with their posterity, among the members of Christ and, at the same time, are called to the inheritance of salvation. And yet this does not involve the separation of baptism from faith and doctrine; because, though infants are not yet old enough to be capable of receiving the grace of God by faith, God still includes them when addressing their parents. I maintain, therefore, that it is not rash to administer baptism to infants, to which God invites them when He promises that He will be their God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This passage shows that the full and clear knowledge of God, which had been but dimly foreshadowed under the Law and the Prophets, is finally fully revealed under the reign of Christ. True, indeed, the ancients would never have ventured to call God their Father if they had not derived this assurance from Christ their Head; and the Eternal Wisdom of God, who is the fountain of light and life, was not wholly unknown to them. It was even one of their acknowledged principles that God displays His power by the Holy Spirit. But at the beginning of the gospel, God was far more clearly revealed in Three Persons; for then the Father manifested Himself in the Son, His living and distinct image, while Christ, illuminating the world with the full splendor of His Spirit, presented to human understanding both Himself and the Spirit.

There are good reasons why the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are expressly mentioned. There is no other way for the efficacy of baptism to be experienced than for us to begin with the unmerited mercy of the Father, who reconciles us to Himself by the only begotten Son. Next, Christ comes forward with the sacrifice of His death. Finally, the Holy Spirit is also added, by whom He washes and regenerates us (Titus 3:5) and, in short, makes us share in His benefits. Thus we perceive that God cannot be truly known unless our faith distinctly conceives of Three Persons in one essence. We also see that the fruit and efficacy of baptism proceed from God the Father adopting us through His Son, and, after cleansing us from the pollutions of the flesh through the Spirit, creating us anew for righteousness.

³²⁴ The God Pan, in honor of whom the grossest indecency was practiced at the festival of the in honor of whom the grossest indecency was practiced at the festival of the Lupercalia, — — Bacchus, the patron of drunkenness, — and the patron of drunkenness, — and Venus, the patroness of licentiousness, — recall to every one who is familiar with classical literature the degraded state of morals into which Rome had sunk amidst the proudest triumphs of civilization. Ancient Heathenism, like the Braminism of modern Hindostan, offered a ready apology for every species of crime, and associated with the history of its gods, and with the most sacred duties of religion, scenes so utterly impure, and so much fitted to inflame the basest passions, that the bare recital of them would offend a modest ear. By the present allusion, Calvin means something more than meets the eye, and reminds us that the Pope and his clergy not only “paid as little regard to Christian doctrine as the priests of Pan, and Bacchus, and Venus,” but that they too closely resembled them in the flagrant immorality of their lives. Above all, he points to the refinements of casuistry, the shocking disclosures of the confessional, and the profligacy of monastic life, in all of which, under the cloak of religion, practices, the patroness of licentiousness, — recall to every one who is familiar with classical literature the degraded state of morals into which Rome had sunk amidst the proudest triumphs of civilization. Ancient Heathenism, like the Braminism of modern Hindostan, offered a ready apology for every species of crime, and associated with the history of its gods, and with the most sacred duties of religion, scenes so utterly impure, and so much fitted to inflame the basest passions, that the bare recital of them would offend a modest ear. By the present allusion, Calvin means something more than meets the eye, and reminds us that the Pope and his clergy not only “paid as little regard to Christian doctrine as the priests of Pan, and Bacchus, and Venus,” but that they too closely resembled them in the flagrant immorality of their lives. Above all, he points to the refinements of casuistry, the shocking disclosures of the confessional, and the profligacy of monastic life, in all of which, under the cloak of religion, practices, of which it is a shame even to speak, ((Ephesians 5:12,) received the most direct encouragement. — ,) received the most direct encouragement. — Ed.