Thread by @JoLuehmann

Ok for the purpose of education, let’s do this:
(1)

Let’s begin by setting the record straight, Jesus never proselytized; he spoke of his faith (which was against religious norms of the time, he made religious ppl uncomfortable, sound familiar?). Sharing of your faith (in deed preferably) has nothing to do w/proselytizing.
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Proselytizing means you are seeking to convert another, which assumes you think their beliefs are less valuable. That’s violent against another person’s agency and tradition.

More on that here:instagram.com/p/By2xRw6JcMv/…
(3)

Now unto Matthew 28:19a “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

This is not an invitation to proselytize at all. The word disciple used here is the word μαθητεύω (mathēteuō) and it is mentioned only 5 times in the whole Bible,
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three of those times in the book of Matthew, because it was a book written with a Jewish audience in mind. As is most of the Bible FYI.
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Jewish people of the time of Jesus understood that making a disciple meant teaching someone about the law. (Any Jewish scholars can of course correct me here, this is from studying but I don’t claim to know the Jewish faith).
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Rabbis had talmidim (disciples) that learned the law from rabbis for the purpose of becoming rabbis themselves. Jesus said the law was summarized in 2 commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40),
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and he exemplified that as he broke societal barriers and touched people who were considered unclean, stood with marginalized people, and called out the powerful on their abuse.
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So making disciples is not at all an invitation to proselilyze, it’s an invitation to teach all to love God and love others by standing with the marginalized and challenging the powerful.
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And because I’m not a lousy teacher there is more on The Great Commission here: instagram.com/p/B55zcbXlJZx/…

Here: instagram.com/p/B59CAT8FcZY/…

And here: instagram.com/p/B6CdfKmllRO/…