Mt 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 28:20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

What should we make of the fact that, in the original Greek, the word translated ‘go’ is a participle – ‘going’?

Murray Harris (Navigating Tough Texts, p24) comments that the Greek grammar here is often misunderstood.  It is said that there is no command to ‘go’, but only a participle, ‘going’.  The implication might be that making disciples should be what we do, day by day, as we go through life.  Alternatively, we might be tempted to link this entire string of participles (going, baptizing, teaching) with the assurance of Jesus’ presence in v21 (it is only as we do these things that we can expect Christ to be ‘with us’).

Most scholars (and non-scholars, for that matter) rightly avoid making too much of this.  But the contibutor to the Bible Knowledge Background Commentary wades in:

‘The imperative make disciples is the main verb in the commission. What is translated “Go” is in fact a participle, that simply assumes that the disciples will go forth—throughout Israel itself and eventually throughout the whole world. The commission is not so much fulfilled in the going, but in the disciple-making.’

Wiersbe, similarly:

‘The Greek verb translated go is actually not a command but a present participle (going). The only command in the entire Great Commission is “make disciples” (“teach all nations”). Jesus said, “While you are going, make disciples of all the nations.” No matter where we are, we should be witnesses for Jesus Christ and seek to win others to Him (Acts 11:19–21).’

Jon Courson is another who takes a rather naively literal view of the grammar:

‘The word “go” is a participle and literally means “as you are going.” In other words, “As you are going to the grocery store, as you are going to school, as you are going to Mexico—wherever you’re going—share the gospel.” In this light, the Great Commission takes on a much broader perspective. We’re to be sharing and teaching wherever we’re going, whatever we’re doing.’

There’s nothing heretical here, of course.  But, as Harris notes –

‘In the Greek language, when someone wants to express two commands in succession, such as “Go and see,” they usually decide which is the main command and express that by the imperative (= command) mood, while using a participle to express the subsidiary command.’

Another example of this construction is found in Mt 28:7 (“Go and tell”).

Harris also says that the aorist tense of the command to ‘make disciples’ does not imply a single action.  Rather, ‘All the aorist signifies here is that the whole process of making disciples is being considered as a unit.’

See also this, by Bill Mounce.

The NET Bible, in a translation note:

‘“Go … baptize … teach” are participles modifying the imperative verb “make disciples.” According to ExSyn 645 the first participle (πορευθέντες, poreuthentes, “Go”) fits the typical structural pattern for the attendant circumstance participle (aorist participle preceding aorist main verb, with the mood of the main verb usually imperative or indicative) and thus picks up the mood (imperative in this case) from the main verb (μαθητεύσατε, mathēteusate, “make disciples”). This means that semantically the action of “going” is commanded, just as “making disciples” is. As for the two participles that follow the main verb (βαπτίζοντες, baptizontes, “baptizing”; and διδάσκοντες, didaskontes, “teaching”), these do not fit the normal pattern for attendant circumstance participles, since they are present participles and follow the aorist main verb. However, some interpreters do see them as carrying additional imperative force in context. Others regard them as means, manner, or even result.’ (Quoting Dan Wallace’s Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics)

Carson (EBC), on the other hand, thinks that there is ‘something’ in the view that:

‘Jesus’ commission is simply to make disciples “as we go” (i.e., wherever we are) and constitutes no basis for going somewhere special in order to serve as missionaries.’

But with the following caveats:

• Such a grammatical construction ‘frequently gains some imperatival force’, as in Mt 2:8, 13; 9:13; 11:4; 17:27.
• While the primary command is to ‘make disciples’, it is natural to suppose that, since this extends to ‘all nations’, the participle ‘going’ has imperatival force.
• The missionary aspect of the Great Commission is preserved in other, complementary versions of it: see Lk 24:45–49; Jn 20:21; Ac 1:8; also Mt 4:19; 10:16–20; 13:38; 24:14.