In the last paragraph of the Gospel of Matthew, the risen Jesus is “worshipped” by his disciples, whom he sends into the world to baptise new disciples “in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:16-20). This has been a foundational text both for global mission (the “Great Commission”) and for the doctrine of the Trinity.

I think that the Greek church was bound to resolve the Father, Son and Spirit conundrum on Greek terms, and that the global mission was inevitable. But I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. The theological reinterpretation of scripture should not be done at the expense of the work of reconstructing historical perspectives.