18 And approaching Jesus asserted to them saying: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 As you go,*The familiar ‘therefore’ is found in perhaps 5% of the Greek manuscripts. make disciples in all ethnic nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;*Our Lord defines the Trinity here. According to Greek grammar the use of ‘and’ plus the definite article with items in a series makes clear that the items are distinct entities. So "the Father" is different from "the Son" is different from "the Holy Spirit". So we have three persons. But He also said, "in the name", singular, not ‘names’. So we have only one name. God is one ‘name’ or essence subsisting in three persons. 20 teaching them to obey everything that I commanded you;*The ‘you’ here refers to the eleven (see verse 16), so they were to pass down all the commands that Jesus had given them. To be a disciple of Jesus you have to do everything that Jesus had commanded the eleven to do—this includes healing and casting out demons, as well as preaching the Gospel. and take note, I am with you every day, until the end of the age!"*Since the age has not ended, Jesus is still with us. Praise God!

Amen.