Making Many Disciples with Jesus
The Mission of FBC Afton • Sermon • Submitted
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ME: Intro
ME: Intro
I want to start this morning by sharing this meme I remember seeing once.
Slide
As a person in full-time ministry,
I found it hilarious when I saw it.
If you can’t tell what it says.
The man in the picture asks,
“Who said ministry was stressful?
I’m 35 and I feel great!”
The reason this joke is so funny is because ministry can be difficult,
Not just for pastors,
But for every Christian who is making disciples.
Slide
One Christian who went through a long list of terrible challenges and trials is the Apostle Paul.
Most of Acts narrates Paul making disciples.
Acts 18:1-22 is no different.
But while Paul is in a new city,
He has more stress added to his already stressful ministry.
So, Jesus rejuvenates him by reminding him that Paul is not making disciples in his strength.
But Paul is Making Many Disciples with Jesus.
The disciples Paul makes are Christ’s people.
So, Jesus blesses Paul’s ministry,
He gives Paul assurance by His presence,
And He fulfills promises in the midst of trial.
If you feel tired, stressed, or weary trying to live for Jesus,
Our passage this morning is one of incredible hope for you.
Because Jesus has spoken to us through His Word,
Just as He spoke to Paul.
And in His Word,
We see how His presence in Paul’s ministry strengthened Paul when Paul was stressed or weary.
Slide
So, what we see in our passage is...
Jesus Promises Safety and Disciples (vs. 1-11)
Safety Delivered (vs. 12-17)
Disciples Delivered (vs. 18-22)
Don’t be afraid to make disciples because Jesus is with you and He has many disciples.
Ch. 18 continues the historical narrative of the early church,
With Paul arriving in the infamous city of Corinth.
This was his last major stop on his second missionary journey.
In Corinth, he meets and develops a close working relationship with Aquila and Priscilla.
And Silas and Timothy also rejoin him while he is knee-deep in ministry.
As usual, his ministry begins in the synagogue,
But he meets much opposition,
So, he turns his focus to the Gentiles,
And he lets the Jews know why.
Despite the opposition he receives,
Many disciples are still made,
And Jesus Himself encourages Paul to continue making disciples,
By telling Paul that He has many people in Corinth,
Who have just yet to believe.
So, Paul ends up staying in Corinth for a year and a half,
Before concluding his second missionary journey by returning to Antioch.
WE: Jesus Promises Safety and Disciples (vs. 1-11)
WE: Jesus Promises Safety and Disciples (vs. 1-11)
In the first half of Acts,
Jerusalem and Antioch become the key centers of Christian activity.
But in the second half of Acts,
Three other cities become key to the fulfillment of the disciples being Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Those cities are Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome.
So, we follow Paul as he begins his ministry in the first of these cities.
Again, Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half.
The only place Paul stayed longer during his journeys was Ephesus.
It is this time commitment that helps us to understand the depth of knowledge Paul had regarding the issues he addresses in 1 and 2 Corinthians.
Slide
As we turn our attention to Paul’s ministry in Corinth,
I would like to introduce 5 elements we learn from this chapter.
First, in Corinth we learn that Paul makes money as a tentmaker.
He was bivocational,
He worked to earn a living alongside his call to ministry.
Second, he continues to follow his pattern of preaching to the Jews first, then Greeks.
Third, the continued rejection in synagogues gives a clear indication of the early church’s pattern of meeting in houses.
Fourth was already touched on, Paul stays in this city for an extended period of time.
And fifth, Roman authorities still see Christianity as a part of Judaism.
It is important we understand the historical importance of this fifth one.
Because the distinction between Judaism and Christianity does not become fully understood to those outside of the church,
Until after the first century.
So, in Acts, we really see the trajectory for the beginning of this distinction.
In the early chapters of Acts,
The church first separated from Judaism by literally going from Jerusalem,
And spreading to places like Antioch,
Now Corinth,
And soon, Ephesus, then Rome.
Along the way,
The church also separated from Jewish synagogues,
To meet as house churches in different cities.
Those who were not a part of the church during the first century,
Really did not notice this slow distinction being made between Christianity and Judaism.
But after the time frame of Acts,
As the church continued to spread to the ends of the earth,
The distinction became much more evident to the world.
So, to people like the Roman officials during the first century,
This distinction between Christianity and Judaism seemed like a minor squabble about tradition.
But the world would come to know,
That this distinction is the difference between trusting or rejecting the Savior of the world.
Slide
So, the stage is now set for us to once again join Paul,
As he travels from Athens to Corinth in vs. 1,
To make disciples of Jesus in this new city.
Remember, Paul’s journey to Corinth is near the end of his second missionary.
Which he had been called to by the Holy Spirit.
Back when Paul arrived in Athens,
He still proclaimed the gospel there,
But it was definitely treated as more of a stop along his way to Corinth.
Likely because Corinth was a busy center of culture and commerce that received large crowds who would serve well as audiences to the gospel.
Now, Corinth became the capital of Achaia in 27 BC.
It was about 45-50 miles west of Athens.
And early on,
Corinth experienced much prosperity.
Due in large part to the quality of bronze from the city.
This prosperity was transferred in 338 BC when Philip II of Macedon captured the city.
Then in 196 BC, it was captured by the Romans.
For 50 years following it’s capture,
The people of the city continuously tried to revolt against Roman rule.
So, in 146 BC Roman rulers decided to just destroy the city,
Leaving nothing but devastation and wreckage,
Bringing the city to it’s lowest point.
This lasted for about 100 years.
Until Julius Caesar restored it by building a new Corinth on top of the city,
And sent many former slaves,
And even some members of his own family.
This resettlement provided a fresh beginning for the inhabitants,
And for the city as well.
The closest thing in modern history to relate this to would be like the San Francisco gold rush.
Over the next century,
The new Corinth prospered in many worldly ways,
Becoming the largest and most cosmopolitan city in Greece.
With population estimates as high as 750,000 people by the time Paul arrives.
And the inhabitants of the city were very diverse,
You had Greeks, Italians, Roman military veterans, businessmen and women, government officials, Near Easterners, many Jews, and many slaves as well.
And because the city was rebuilt under Roman rule,
It remained culturally Roman in many ways.
A big reason for the city’s prosperity is because it was located on both land and sea trade routes.
So, they levied taxes on these trade routes.
But one of the most notorious aspects of this city’s reputation was it’s immorality.
Like other Greek cities,
It had many temples,
And at the highest point,
It had a fortified area that included a temple to Aphrodite.
But perhaps the best way to understand this reputation is by the ancient expression,
“To Corinthianize” meant being sexually immoral.
Timothy Keller wrote a book on evangelism,
Where he compared the ancient cities in Acts to modern day cities.
And the comparisons are very helpful.
He says where Athens was like Boston.
This historical city that is also considered an intellectual center,
Where scholars and philosophers gather.
Corinth is more like New York City.
It is a very commercialized center where much trade and money goes through because of it’s ideal location.
When Paul gets there,
The new Corinth is still relatively young.
So, he has all these factors we just talked about that made ministry in this city challenging.
It would require intentionality,
Both for Paul,
And for those who become a part of the church.
The immoral identity of this city was the essence of what it meant to be a Corinthian.
Yet, Paul goes and makes disciples in this challenging and stressful city,
Because God led him there,
And because it was a strategic city to continue advancing the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Later, Paul would write to the church he plants in Corinth.
In this letter, he expresses how he did ministry in Corinth.
Slide
Listen to what he wrote in 1 Cor. 2:1-3,
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
This both raises questions and offers great comfort.
The questions are related to what could possible cause such weakness and fear?
We could assume the immorality of the city had a part.
Sin was out of control in Corinth.
Similar to Athens,
There was much idolatry.
Perhaps the arrogance of the people there who were proud of their wealth played a part.
But if we take a step back,
And consider the cumulative effect of all the trials Paul has already faced along his journeys.
It is not hard to imagine the emotional toll he has taken by the time he arrives in Corinth.
And yet,
The great comfort that comes from his confession,
Is that regardless of what caused this weakness and fear,
Paul did not try to be a superhero to the people of Corinth with his own charismatic abilities or knowledge.
The weakness and fear and trembling caused by the ceaseless presence of persistent evil,
Is remedied by the the cross of Christ, right?
That is what Paul said.
That is the message he carried with him to Corinth.
That is the solution to all the evil in the city of Corinth.
And that remains the solution to all the evil in the world today.
So, that is the message we proclaim.
The all-sufficient, self-sacrificing cross of Jesus Christ.
We do not proclaim this message with arrogance,
We proclaim it with desperate reliance on Christ,
Who promises to be with us to the end of the age.
This weakness and fear and trembling Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians,
Sets the background for the Promise of Safety & Disciples Jesus gives in vs. 1-11.
Slide
In vs. 2 Paul meets a Jew from Pontus named Aquila,
Who is married to Priscilla.
Interestingly,
These two are referenced later in Acts,
As well as in Romans and 2 Timothy.
But in those later references,
Priscilla is listed first.
It could be because she had a higher social status than her husband.
Or perhaps she was more prominent in their tent-making business.
It is not made clear why this is,
But it is an interesting and unique distinction that happens in Scripture.
Vs. 2 also tells us that Aquila and Priscilla are new to Corinth.
They had recently come to the city from Italy because Claudius,
The emperor, ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
Historical records indicate that Claudius did this in AD 49.
Slide
Even as new residents of Corinth,
Priscilla and Aquila established a tentmaking business,
Which, vs. 3 shows us,
Happened to be Paul’s career as well.
This shared work experience created an instant bond between Paul and Aquila and Priscilla.
After travelling from unfamiliar place to unfamiliar place for such a long time,
Paul comes across these fellow Jews in Corinth who share the same profession as him,
This familiarity draws him to them.
We can relate to this.
Whenever we meet someone who has the same job as us,
We share an instant bond because we have shared experience.
Speaking personally,
When I meet another pastor,
I know that they understand what being a pastor is like better than most.
This is true regardless of what your job is, right?
So, Paul is initially drawn to Aquila and Priscilla based on this natural connection.
Then Paul leverages his own skills as a tentmaker to work with them.
He would build and mend tents out of leather and goat hair to earn a living during his ministry in Corinth.
Slide
While staying with Priscilla and Aquila,
Vs. 4 says, Paul continued his usual pattern of reasoning in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks who converted to Judaism.
As always, he is seeking to convince them to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
Using the OT Scriptures as evidence of this truth.
Slide
While Paul was teaching in the synagogues each week,
Vs. 5 shows his ministry companions,
Silas and Timothy, who originally stayed back in Berea,
Finally reunite with Paul in Corinth.
When they show up,
It says, Paul remains fully preoccupied doing what he does best,
Engaging others with the gospel,
Testifying that Jesus is the Messiah.
Remember, Paul has been doing this in every city he goes to,
And as he does,
He received his fair share of persecution and attacks.
Slide
So, it should be no surprise in vs. 6 when the Jews oppose and revile Paul.
What is a little more surprising,
Is Paul’s harsh response.
Which is interesting,
Because he was so respectful to the idol-worshipping Athenians in ch. 17.
So, why is Paul’s response so harsh here?
This is not the first time Paul speaks so harshly.
Not coincidentally,
Every other example so far in Acts have been when he is speaking to similarly hard-hearted Jews.
So, what gives?
Well, Paul is simply embodying what Jesus meant when Jesus said,
“To whom much is given, much is expected.”
Paul knows these people have been given God’s Word.
So, he reasons with them from the OT,
Showing how Jesus is the fulfillment of it all,
He is their Messiah!
So, because they have been given much,
Paul expects much from them.
And when they continue to reject Christ,
He makes it clear that they are responsible for their own sins in two ways.
First, he shakes out his clothes at them,
A symbol of their condemnation for their unbelief.
Then, he makes it clear that he is done prioritizing them,
By saying,
"Your blood remains on your own heads.”
In other words,
Their sacrifices do not make them innocent.
He just told them that only Christ can remove their guilt.
And since they continue to reject it,
Paul says he is now concentrating on the more fruitful harvest of the Gentiles.
Paul did his job.
He faithfully brought the gospel to them.
They are responsible for their continued unbelief,
And they will be judged for it.
Slide
After Paul makes this clear to the Jews in the synagogue,
He walks out in vs. 7,
And immediately goes to the house of a man named Titius Justus.
Justus was a Gentile who worshiped God,
Meaning he adhered to Jewish law as a proselyte who converted to Judaism.
He was likely one of the Greeks in the synagogue that Paul was reasoning with back in vs. 4.
However, he was clearly not included among the people Paul rebuked back in vs. 6.
Because Justus trusted in Jesus Christ in response to Paul’s teaching.
And he happens to live in a prime location,
Right next door to the synagogue.
So, he opened up his home to Paul.
Which was the typical meeting place for the early church,
Houses.
His house would become the first meeting place of the Corinthian church.
At first,
By going from the synagogue to a person’s house,
It seems like the church may be experiencing a setback.
But that is not the case.
Slide
Vs. 8 introduces us to a man who demonstrates this is no setback.
Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue,
Would have been in charge of all the arrangements for the synagogue services,
And would be well-esteemed by the community.
He and his entire family believe in Jesus.
But it does not stop there,
It says many other Corinthians hear the gospel,
Believe,
And get baptized.
Slide
And even though the Corinthian church is born.
Our passage implies that Paul was struggling to keep going and making disciples.
So, why does he end up staying a year and a half?
Because of the Word he receives from the Lord Jesus Christ in vs. 9-10.
It should not be surprising that Paul would be struggling.
Think about all the trouble he had gone through in his most recent visits:
He was imprisoned in Philippi,
Had to sneak out of Thessalonica at night to avoid a mob,
That then followed him to Berea,
Where again he fled,
Ending up in Athens,
Which was a far less hostile place,
But still a painfully idolatrous place,
And he was still met with much resistance there.
Then when he first got to Corinth,
The Jews and Greeks in the synagogue rejected Paul and the gospel message.
So, it seems by the time we get to vs. 9-10,
Paul is down,
Not wanting to go on speaking about Jesus.
So, Jesus speaks to him,
With a beautiful allusion to multiple OT passages in this incredible vision,
Where God speaks to His people.
Slide
For example,
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
This is the most frequent command in the Bible,
“Do not fear.”
Slide
Instead, Jesus follows up with a second command for Paul,
To keep on speaking about Him being the Messiah.
Then, Jesus gives three incredible promises attached to this command.
First, for Christ is with Paul.
And because Christ is with Paul,
Second, no one will be able to hurt Paul.
And third, for Jesus has many people in this city who will believe in Him.
Jesus does not give Paul a list of who all those people are.
But He encourages Paul to keep persevering because His people are there.
Likewise for us,
Jesus does reveal the specific who and when and how,
When it comes to who His people are.
But the Bible is clear,
Jesus knows the who and when and how.
And He tells us to trust Him and be faithful to keep speaking about Him.
This should motivate us to make disciples.
Jesus guarantees that our faithfulness to being His witnesses is purposeful.
That is what He is telling Paul here,
Because, He says, there are many in the city that God has appointed to eternal life.
Even though they do not yet believe the gospel,
Many of them likely have not even heard it yet,
God still knows every one of them personally!
And they are, without a doubt, His!
Therefore, Paul must stay in Corinth,
And proclaim the gospel with confidence.
Because the Bible teaches that God appoints people to salvation,
And it says people are saved by hearing and believing the gospel.
This is the ever-present mysterious relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
We cannot fully comprehend that both these facts are equally true.
God is sovereign in who is saved,
And humans are responsible to trust in Christ.
While this truth is mysterious,
It is also our source of confidence to keep proclaiming the gospel regardless of circumstances.
Don’t be afraid to make disciples,
Because Jesus is with you,
And He has many people in this world.
This is our main takeaway from this passage.
Because this is what Jesus tells us in His Word,
And this is what He tells Paul in His Word to Paul.
Jesus assures Paul that his ministry in Corinth has a purpose.
Slide
So, what happens?
With this assurance from Christ’s Word,
Paul obeys Christ’s command,
He stays in Corinth for a year and a half after that,
Teaching the Word of God without fear.
GOD: (vs. 12-17)
GOD: (vs. 12-17)
Slide
After those 18 months,
Paul’s time in Corinth comes to an end in a bit of an uproar,
With Paul being brought before the current proconsul named Gallio.
And yet, in vs. 12-17 we see Safety Delivered,
Just as Jesus promised.
Slide
But first, look at this picture,
This is an inscription archaeologists found in Delphi, Greece.
Included on this inscription is the information that a man named Gallio was the proconsul in Corinth from AD 51-53.
Remember, Corinth was the capital of the province Achaia.
The proconsul governed the entire province,
But he would stay in the capital,
Which is Corinth.
Slide
So, this inscription says the same thing that Acts 18:12 in the Bible says.
Now, we don’t need this evidence from outside the Bible to know that its true.
But very specific information like this is evidence of the historical reliability of the Bible.
Vs. 12 says when Gallio was proconsul,
The Jews united together to take action against Paul bringing him before Gallio’s judgment seat.
Making it seem as if Jesus’ promise that no one will harm Paul is in question.
Although the Jews do not physically harm Paul,
They are hoping the Romans will,
Similar to the way Jesus was brought before the Romans.
Slide
They need a crime to accuse Paul of,
So, in vs. 13 they claim Paul is teaching Christianity which breaks the law.
The law they are referring to is not Jewish law,
It is Roman law that forbids practicing any religion not approved by Rome.
Slide
As Paul was about to open his mouth to defend himself,
God’s sovereignty delivers Christ’s promised safety.
Before Paul can speak,
Gallio speaks.
And he basically does not care about this issue.
He does not take Paul’s supposed crimes serious,
Saying if they were serious enough,
Then it would be reasonable for him to put up with the Jews.
Slide
Judaism is a legal religion in Rome,
So, to Gallio, Paul’s supposed crimes are questions about Jewish law,
Not Roman law.
Therefore, Gallio refuses to judge such things,
Telling them to judge this for themselves.
Then he drives them out of the tribunal,
Without Paul being harmed.
Confirming Christ’s promise to keep Paul from harm.
Slide
But just because Christ promised to keep Paul from harm in this specific instance,
Does not take away Christ’s teaching that His people will face persecution of various kinds.
In vs. 17, it seems the Jews didn’t get the satisfaction of seeing Paul arrested or beaten,
So, out of spite,
They seize Sosthenes,
The ruler of the synagogue,
And beat him instead.
Sosthenes likely took over for Crispus after Crispus became a Christian.
But then Sosthenes presumably became a Christian as well.
Because of this persecution,
Our hope must be in Christ,
Not anything else.
Not even our own governments.
For example, Sosthenes is beaten within the sight of the tribunal.
So, Gallio saw this, but it did not matter to him,
He paid no attention.
It is interesting,
He was perceptive enough to not judge the matters that were brought to him in vs. 14,
But he was also negligent enough to not be concerned with the beating of Sosthenes.
He really reflects Rome as a whole.
At this time, they are indifferent toward Christianity.
And the Jews have been the primary source of persecution thus far in Acts.
But church history reveals that Jews, Gentiles, governments, other religions, and more all become sources of persecution against the church.
YOU: (vs. 18-22)
YOU: (vs. 18-22)
Slide
After this, Paul’s second missionary journey comes to a close,
With a subtle conclusion to the fact that in vs. 18-22, Jesus’ promise of Disciples is Delivered.
Vs. 18 says that Paul stayed in Corinth for some time longer,
Before saying farewell to the disciples there.
So, this is the final word about Paul’s time in Corinth.
Jesus told Paul He has many people in this city.
Before sailing away to Syria,
The last thing Paul does,
Is say farewell to those very people Jesus promised were in the city.
These brothers are the people Jesus told Paul to teach the gospel to.
So, in Corinth,
Jesus’ promise of disciples is delivered.
Then, Paul sets sail for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila,
Whom he likely lived with during his time in Corinth.
They will prove to be important companions on the journey that follows.
But the last part of vs. 18,
Alludes to the OT,
Saying he shaved his head because of a vow.
Some have thought the “he” is referring to Aquila.
But the most natural reading seems to be talking about Paul.
So, there is some uncertainty in interpretation here.
But if it is Paul,
There are two primary ideas as to what this vow could be.
First, some think this is suggesting that Paul took a Nazarite vow.
Which comes from the OT law and required rigorous ceremonial purity.
The issue however, is how incredibly impractical it would have been for him to keep this Jewish vow as he is trying to reach the Gentiles.
So, the other possibility is that Paul simply made a private vow that our author did not know about.
It was a vow between Paul and God,
That was only known by him shaving his head.
If this were, in fact, a private vow,
It would be very similar to a biblical oath.
Which is a formal promise that confirmed the truthfulness of a person’s word.
An oath imposed a great sense of obligation,
Because God is the guarantor of an oath.
So, a person would not make an oath lightly.
It was virtually unthinkable to break an oath.
Because breaking an oath meant breaking faith with God.
Now the key difference with a vow,
Is that a vow is initiated by a person and directed toward God.
Slide
Tony Cartlege explains;
“Vows are always conditional promises to God, to be fulfilled only when and if God answers the petitioner’s request.”
So, part of Paul’s private vow would have included him allowing his hair to grow.
And the fulfillment is marked by cutting his hair.
In other words,
His gratitude for God’s faithfulness is shown by cutting his hair.
So, because there are no details about this vow,
The only conclusion we can make is that Paul chose to make this vow for personal reasons.
And this by no means contradicts what he has been teaching about the old covenant.
Slide
After his hair cut,
We move quickly through Paul’s final stops.
First, in vs. 19,
Paul and his companions basically pit stop at Ephesus on their way back to Antioch.
It is a short visit,
Yet Paul still goes straight to the synagogue once again to reason with the Jews.
Slide
According to vs. 20,
Some people seem to immediately believe the gospel.
Because they ask him to stay longer.
Although Paul declines to stay longer,
He reassures the new believers in Ephesus,
That he would come back again if God wills.
Which, ch. 19 reveals, he does.
But Paul’s acknowledgment of God’s will speaks to the dynamic nature of how Paul fulfills his calling.
Throughout Acts, Paul has been led by the Spirit,
Directed through visions,
And guided by God’s will everywhere he goes.
He has clearly entrusted His entire life to God’s control.
Slide
Acts continues moving quickly in vs. 22.
When Paul gets back to Caesarea,
Paul first goes up to greet the believers at the church in Jerusalem.
This was where the church first got planted,
It is where James, the brother of Jesus was at.
From there,
Paul completes his second missionary journey.
Once again returning to his sending church,
The church in Antioch.
WE: Conc.
WE: Conc.
So, this morning,
Let’s conclude by taking a step back,
To really trace the trajectory of this passage,
And see what application we get from it.
Slide
In Corinth,
Paul began his usual custom of going to the Jews first,
Reasoning with them in the synagogue.
But they rejected the gospel.
So, Paul turns his attention to the Gentiles,
But not before a worshiper of God,
The ruler of the synagogue,
His family,
And many other Corinthians believe in Jesus.
Despite all this,
Paul seems to be dismayed.
So, Jesus speaks to Paul in a vision,
Commanding Paul to keep proclaiming the gospel,
Promising Paul that no one will hurt him,
And that Jesus has many people in Corinth.
So, Paul stays for another year and a half to teach the Word.
Until he faces potential physical punishment when he is brought before the Roman proconsul by the Jews.
He is ready to defend himself,
But before he can,
Jesus defends him,
Fulfilling the promise to keep Paul from harm.
And when Paul leaves Corinth,
He says farewell to the disciples in Corinth,
Proof that Jesus fulfilled the promise that He had many people in the city.
Now picture what that is like.
Imagine you are living in a place that is resistant to the gospel.
Pretend that God has told you not to fear,
That He is with you,
And that He has commissioned you to make disciples,
Because He has told you that He has many people who will believe in Him.
Our situation is not all that different from Paul’s, is it?
We have received the same command,
We have received the same promises.
So, the question is,
Like Paul,
Do the Lord’s promises give us assurance to obey His command to go and make disciples?
No opposition can stop God’s work through you.
Jesus is with you,
And all of God’s people who have yet to believe will believe.
So, don’t be afraid.
Go.
Make disciples.
Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded you.
And He will be with you always,
Even to the end of the age.
Pray.