"THE GREAT COMMISSION", AN ADDITIONAL TRANSLATION

Matthew 28: 18 - 20 has been frequently referred to as "The Great Commission".

For your consideration, I would like to give you an additional possible translation that I have drawn from the word choices in the original Greek.  This could enable you to see some of the potential richness, greater accuracy, greater depth, and greater correlation to other scriptures that may be found in a scripture by drawing on the original languages.

Matthew 28: 18 - 20 NIV (New International Version): "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go 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 I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"

Matthew 28: 18, 19, 20 Alternate translation for your consideration: "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Going then, taught by practice with all the nations, immersing them [as in a dye to change a fabric's color] in the nature/character/identity of the Father and the Son and of The Set Apart/Unique Breath/Spirit, teaching/directing/admonishing them to keep watch over/guard/protect/preserve everything that I have commissioned you to proclaim. And lo!  I am with you all of the days until the completion of the age.'"

Comment: The word "age" above is "aeonos" in Greek.  It is very commonly mistranslated "eternity" or "eternal" in many scriptures used to support the horrendous concept of "eternal punishment" or "eternal damnation", which is accurately translated from kolasin aionion as "pruning [which produces greater productivity in a vine] for an age" (Matthew 25:46)

June