What Did Jesus Mean by All Things Whatsoever I Have Commanded You?
Short answer
In Matthew 28:20, 'all things whatsoever I have commanded you' refers to the whole body of Jesus' commands, and the verse asks disciples to keep them. The phrase closes the Great Commission, where disciples make other disciples, baptize them, and teach them to observe what Jesus commanded. Readers differ on whether the phrase points mainly to the Sermon on the Mount, the love commandments, or the whole of Jesus' teaching in Matthew, and the verse does not rule out any of these.
In Matthew 28:20, 'all things whatsoever I have commanded you' means the full range of Jesus' commands, and the verse asks his followers to keep those commands rather than only learn them. At Find A Prayer, we write scripture-backed prayers for specific moments. The verse sits in the last chapter of Matthew's Gospel.
It is short, but it raises three questions: how wide the word 'all' reaches, what the verb 'observe' requires, and which commands Jesus had in view. The sections below take those questions in order and show where Bible readers differ.
All Things Whatsoever: How Wide the Command Reaches
The phrase 'all things whatsoever' sets the scope of the command. It is not limited to one commandment, and the verse does not single out one command as the one to teach. The wording covers everything Jesus commanded.
The phrase does leave one question open. Readers differ on whether 'all things I have commanded' points mainly to the Sermon on the Mount, to the love commandments, or to the whole of Jesus' teaching in Matthew. Those three readings are covered in a later section, and the verse does not rule out any of them.
The Verse in Its Context
Matthew 28:19-20 is the Great Commission. It begins with the word 'Go' and then gives the disciples their work. The King James Version reads: 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.' The commission sits in the last chapter of Matthew.
The verse pairs the command with a promise. Jesus says, 'lo, I am with you alway,' so the instruction to observe his commands comes with his presence attached. That promise has its own answer on this site, so this section stays with the command itself.
Three Actions That Follow the Word Go
After 'go', the verse lists three actions. The first is to make disciples, which the King James Version renders as 'teach all nations'. The second is to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The third is to teach them to observe all things Jesus commanded.
Disciples make disciples, baptize them, and then teach them observance. In the verse's order, the teaching of observance comes after baptism. The third action asks believers to live what Jesus commanded.
Observe Means Keeping the Commands
The verb 'observe' in this verse is about keeping or obeying. The phrase 'teaching them to observe' describes teaching people to keep what Jesus commanded, and not only to know it. The verse names observance, not only knowledge, as the aim.
Other passages press the same point. John 14:15 says, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.' James 1:22 warns, 'But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.' Matthew 7:24 says that whoever hears Jesus' sayings and does them is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. In two of these passages, hearing is joined to doing.
Matthew 5:3 begins the Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew 5 to 7 is commonly read as the core of Jesus' teaching in this Gospel. A reader who wants a starting point for what to observe can begin with those chapters, while keeping the verse's wider scope in view.
Which Commands? Three Common Readings
Readers differ on what 'all things whatsoever' includes, and the verse itself does not settle the question. The first reading points mainly to the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5 to 7 is commonly read as the core of Jesus' teaching in this Gospel, so a reader who holds this view looks there first when asking what to observe. The second reading points mainly to the love commandments.
Matthew 22:37-40 records Jesus calling the love of God the first and great commandment, and the love of one's neighbor the second. John 13:34 adds a new commandment that disciples love one another as Jesus loved them. The third reading points to the whole of Jesus' teaching in Matthew. This view takes the phrase at full width, so every command in the Gospel falls under it.
The three readings are set side by side here, and the verse does not rule out any of them. A reader may hold more than one.
Love as the Summary of the Commands
Matthew 22:37-40 ties the commands together. Jesus says the second command is like the first, and he states that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Read this way, 'all things whatsoever' may be shaped by love for God and love for neighbor. John 13:34 presents love for one another as a new commandment.
John 14:15 says, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.' Together they link love for Jesus with keeping what he commanded. This does not reduce the command to love alone. The verse still says 'all things whatsoever.' The love commandments give a reader a clear place to begin, while the wider phrase keeps the rest of Jesus' teaching in view.
Putting the Commission Into Practice
Start with one command from the passages above. Matthew 22:37-40, John 13:34, and John 14:15 are brief passages. Choose one, and decide one concrete act that follows from it during the coming day.
Read the command in its setting before you act on it. James 1:22 warns against being hearers only, so the test is what changes in your conduct. Matthew 7:24 uses the picture of a house built on a rock for the one who hears and does.
Then bring the command into prayer. Ask for the courage to do it, and trust the promise in the same verse that Jesus is with his people always. Pick one command this week and decide what keeping it looks like on an ordinary day.
Key Bible verses
- Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. — Matthew 28:19-20
- Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. — Matthew 22:37-40
- A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. — John 13:34
- If ye love me, keep my commandments. — John 14:15
- But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. — James 1:22
Frequently asked questions
What did Jesus command in Matthew 28:20?
Matthew 28:20 does not list the commands. It refers to 'all things whatsoever I have commanded you,' which sets the scope of the command. Readers differ on whether the phrase points mainly to the Sermon on the Mount, the love commandments, or the whole of Matthew's Gospel, and the verse does not choose among them.
What does observe all things mean in Matthew 28:20?
To observe means to keep or obey. The verse uses the word to describe teaching people to keep what Jesus commanded, not only to know it. The scope is 'all things whatsoever,' so the command is not limited to one teaching.
Is the Great Commission only for pastors and missionaries?
The verse names no office or job. It tells the disciples to go, to make disciples of all nations, to baptize, and to teach observance. The wording itself does not limit the command to one class of believer.
What commandments of Jesus should Christians teach?
The verse says 'all things whatsoever' Jesus commanded, so it does not pick out one command for teaching. Readers who treat the love commandments as the center point to Matthew 22:37-40 and John 13:34. Readers who treat the Sermon on the Mount as the core point to Matthew 5 to 7.
What is the difference between knowing and observing what Jesus taught?
Knowing is learning what Jesus taught. Observing is keeping it in practice, and the verse names observance as the goal of teaching. James 1:22 warns against being hearers only, and Matthew 7:24 describes the one who hears and does.
How can I start obeying Jesus' teaching today?
Start with one command Jesus gave, such as the love command in John 13:34, and decide on one concrete act that follows from it during the day. James 1:22 frames the test as doing, not hearing only. Ask for the courage to do it, and trust the promise in the same verse that Jesus is with his people always.