Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This verse presents Christ’s Great Commission, the divine message by which the Church’s universal mission began. “Go and make disciples of all nations” means that salvation is no longer limited to one nation; it is open before all peoples. Here the limitation of the old covenant comes to an end, and the worldwide expansion of the new covenant begins. The call “make disciples” includes not only teaching, but also a transformation of life: to repent and become a follower of Christ. It is a call not merely to accept faith, but to discipleship—to live in obedience to the Lord’s word. Baptism “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” affirms the mystery of the Triune God, the Holy Trinity. Here, for the first time, the name of the Trinity is spoken in full, as the expression of one power and one saving will. Through baptism a person is not only cleansed from sin, but also enters into new life, being united with Christ’s death and resurrection. It confirms the believer’s new identity as a child of God and a participant in the new covenant. In this word the heartbeat of the Church’s mission is summed up: to go, to teach, to baptize, and to make disciples, with Christ’s authority and presence. This is not only a command, but a call to continue the work that the Lord Himself began.