The Great Gospel Commission recorded in Matt. 28:18-20 is directed toward the disciples of Christ; after all, Jesus commands them to make new disciples. However, the followers of Jesus are not the only focus of the text. Two-thirds of the Great Commission is about Jesus—not about His followers.
Here’s the text. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (Matt. 28:18-20).
Notice that Christ’s disciples are to be completely dependent on Jesus’ authority, His teachings, and His continued presence. His followers are not central. If faithful, they represent Christ who walks among them. They have no inherent authority to move one stone from the foundation of truth determined by Christ. His followers must teach what Jesus taught. No more, no less.
Everything that makes the followers of Jesus authoritative and powerful is derived from Jesus. Disciples that stray from the authority of Jesus, to claim their own authority, to claim to be the presence of Jesus, are false disciples, ravenous beasts out to destroy the Church from within. Disciples are sinful human beings, saved by grace. For them to live is Christ!
According to the Bible, Babylon is the great pretender to the throne of heaven, claiming the right to be worshiped, to change the law of God, and to introduce the doctrines of devils to deceive God’s people.
Spiritual Babylon doesn’t teach what Jesus taught. Instead, Babylon brings spiritualism into the Church by absorbing many pagan teachings and substituting Sunday observance for the Sabbath of God, all based on traditions. In fact, Babylon, or papal Rome, claims to be God.
Rome crushes its enemies and sheds their blood. Imagine Jesus doing what Rome did, and will do in the future! During all the centuries since His ascension, Jesus Himself has been present through the Holy Spirit, manifested in His faithful people in and out of Rome. He was not, He is not in the Roman papacy.
Would Jesus have destroyed the lives of heretics? Would Jesus have forced any person to worship Him? Never! Yet the Church did and will do what Christ would never do. Rome is the antichrist power because she acts against the Christ present among His people to this day.
Antichrist stalks the world. Christian nationalists (apostate Protestants and the Roman papacy) imagine that they are acting in the place of Christ by working toward compelled worship. They want to restrict religious liberty and freedom of conscience. They want to destroy the separation of church and state and rebuild the United States on the model of Rome!
Jesus says today, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well (John 14:6-7). And of Jesus, the Father says today, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). Rome blasphemes the Son by claiming what He claims. Thereby, Rome blasphemes the Father who sent Him.
It is time for America to awaken to this false system. It is time to resist the coming religious oppression.
It is time for you to follow Christ and His Word no matter the cost. You must put on the whole armor of God, for the battle is not against mere mortals, but against the darkest powers in heavenly places—the devil and his angels. Be sure that you have on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness to spread the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Only then will you be safe. (See Eph. 6:10-18.)
Remember that all authority belongs to Christ alone and that He has promised to be with His people right to the end of all things. God’s true children are in all the churches of Babylon today, but Jesus calls, “Come out of her, my people” (Rev. 18:4).
[Corrections and additions made on Feb. 9, 2026, UTC 22:00.]
Marcus Sheffield