David Anguish
Although we should do what we can to present God's word simply (remembering that we are sharing the mind and revelation of an infinite God - cf. Isaiah 55:8-9), there is a difference between simple and simplistic. A standard dictionary distinguishes between the two as follows. To simplify is "to make simple or simpler: as
a: to reduce to basic essentials
b: to diminish in scope or complexity: STREAMLINE
c: to make more intelligible: CLARIFY - simplification."
In contrast, when we make something simplistic, we engage in "the act or an instance of oversimplifying; esp: the reduction of a problem to false simplicity by ignoring complicating factors" (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1974 edition, p. 1082). Notice the word "false" in the definition. Try too hard to simplify and you can distort. Let the distortion remain unchecked, and it develops into something taught or believed as truth which in reality is false.
Among various examples of this problem is a popular application of Matthew 28:18-20. We asked a class to tell us the main command in this text and were told that it is "Go!" Though going is an essential part of the great commission, and though preachers and teachers need to exhort many to go or support going who have never committed to such work, to say that this text is only about going is a simplistic distortion of Jesus' words.
There are four verbs in Jesus' commission. "Make disciples" is the main verb. The other three are participles. A participle does not function in a sentence as the main action-carrying verb, but explains something about that verb. In our text, the main action Jesus commands (and note that it is a command, not an option) is to "make disciples." How this is to be done is explained by the participles = "going, baptizing, and teaching."
There is a difference in the tense Matthew uses for these words. "Going" is the Greek aorist tense. An aorist participle generally is "used of action which took place before the action of the main verb," although sometimes it is used of "action identical to that of the main verb, but described from a different point of view" (H. P. V. Nunn, A Syntax of New Testament Greek, 124). So, those translators who have rendered the verse as if it contained two active verbs ("Go...and make disciples") have helped us see something of what Jesus intended. Disciple-making is not accidental. Different body members will have different parts to play in the process (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31; Eph 4:11-16), but there is no question that Jesus expects his body, the church, to use its collective abilities to actively seek to influence others to follow him.
But disciple-making is not finished at the point of going. Baptizing and teaching, present participles which describe action taking place at the time of disciple-making or action identical to it described from a different point of view (Nunn, 123), are also part of the process. We do not so much wonder whether we understand this as we wonder if we consistently show our understanding by our action. We must be cautious lest we expend so much energy on urging Christians to be going, or even baptizing, that we do not also urge the teaching of "all that I commanded you."
As his body, let us deploy our various talents to see that we complete all parts of the disciple-making process. To do otherwise is to be only partially obedient.