Scriptures Plain & Simple (Matthew 28:16-20)

Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 28:16-20:

After Jesus had been raised from death,
he instructed eleven of his leading followers
              to meet him on a mountain in Galilee.

Jesus appeared to them and said:

              I have been given absolute authority
                     in heaven and on earth.
              Now I am sending you to make followers
                     of people in nations everywhere.
              Baptize them in the name
              of the Father, the Son,
                     and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have taught you.
              Remember, I will always be with you, no matter what.

Sung version of Matthew 28

Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).

For more information, see here .

Translation commentary on Matthew 28:18

Jesus came translates the same verb used of Jesus in 17.7. Good News Translation renders it as “drew near,” which is more natural in English.

All authority … has been given to me may need to be reformulated as an active construction with God as the expressed agent: “God has given me all authority” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Or, on the basis of verse 19, it may be even better to render “My Father (in heaven) has given me all authority.”

Jesus first declares his authority in 7.29; see discussion there for the other places where similar declarations are made of Jesus. All authority in heaven and on earth may need to be expressed as “complete authority over all (living) creatures in heaven and on earth.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .