Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition - Mentor's Guide

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“make disciples” among the nations (Matt. 28.16-20; see Gentiles). The obvious meaning of “making disciples” is to proclaim the gospel message among those who have not yet received forgiveness of sins (Luke 24.46-47; John 20.21; see Forgiveness of Sins). The command finds remarkable verbal fulfillment in the activities of the early Church (e.g., Acts 14.21), where disciples went from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria (see Samaritans), to the ends of the earth proclaiming the message of Jesus and making disciples. In the early Church to believe in the gospel message was to become a disciple (cf. Acts 4.32 with 6.2). The injunction of the Great Commission is given at least to the eleven remaining disciples (cf. Matt. 28.16), but in their own role as disciples they are paradigms for all disciples. As Jesus addresses the disciples and commands them to “make disciples of all the nations,” Jesus is telling them to continue the work he began with them. This challenge to the original Apostles is likewise a clarion call of the Lord to the entire generation of Christians in this age to go to the ends of the earth and testify to every people the good news of the Gospel. The Apostles reveal in this passage their uncompromising commitment to be faithful to the Commission, regardless of the opposition, whatever price that must be paid. This is where urban mission and ministry begins: an unconditional availability to do the will of Christ, whatever it takes. ~ J. B. Green. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. (electronic ed.) Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997. p. 188. Pay careful attention to the contact sections in these lessons. These portions are specifically designed to “prime the intellectual and spiritual pumps” of your students, to get them ready to consider the biblical content of the lesson, and the corollary implications connected to that content. Be careful that you guide your time well in your use of the contact information; although the incidents and ideas covered are intriguing, they can take a large amount of your lesson time, depending on how you have allocated your time for the lesson.

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