In the sermon on Sunday, my pastor said that the command in the Great Commission is actually "make disciples", since "go" is really better translated "as you go" or "having gone", with the idea of "as you are going along in life". In the verses leading up to the Great Commission (vs 16-17), it shows that availability and worship are important to fulfilling the mission. And vs 18 tells us that we are able to do it, because of His authority.
A disciple is a believer and learner (a learning believer and a believing learner). A disciple is baptized (identified with Christ) and taught to obey His commands. "Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" references the Trinity; for "name" is singular; but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are plural - one God, Three Persons. The NT talks about three types of baptism: 1) John's baptism, which was a baptism of repentance in preparation for the Messiah, 2) Jesus's baptism for which He fulfilled righteousness not for Himself, but for us, and 3) believer's baptism, which is confessional to declare identification with He death, burial, and resurrection; and with His righteous life. We are not "done" when we believe and are baptized; we need to continually obey His commands until He comes again, when we are like Christ is His fullness. When Christ said "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age", the "Telos" or "end" is the consummation when He returns. This shows us that the presence of the resurrected Christ in our lives is essential to fulfilling the Great Commission. "We are called by Him Who has ALL authority to reach ALL nations to teach ALL commands for ALL time."
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