A unified biblical ethic helps us see a fuller picture of the human struggle and the only solution, and it also drives us again and again to the character and works of God, who is the one who grounds righteousness and truth as the “antidote” to our deceitful desires.

Christian ethics often draws on a myriad of texts in the New Testament to help us understand ethics. However, we often pluck these verses out of the broader story they are a part of, and in doing so we miss some of the deeper connections, motivations, and explanations. In what follows, we are going to process through several examples of texts, highlighting ways that approaching biblical ethics with an expectation of a unified voice can help us hear and see more of what God reveals and its impact on ethics.

Matthew 28:19–20

“Go, therefore, 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 observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Great Commission identifies evangelism as a key priority of Christians, but in it Jesus describes evangelism in a way that draws biblical ethics close to it. Verse 20 makes it clear that part of the task is “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” Locating this passage within its canonical redemptive context helps us notice three truths.

First, the message of the gospel ties directly into right living. Grammatically speaking, the “teaching” is expanding on “make disciples,” not adding optional detail. The idea that the Bible does not have a consistent ethic or that ethical issues are minor issues in comparison to the “big-picture agreement” around the gospel does not fit with this basic statement that Jesus makes.

Second, Jesus did not shy away from the language of “commands.” While the New Testament certainly identifies virtues (or, more precisely, fruits of the Spirit), Jesus still uses the language of “commands” here. If biblical ethics backs away from actual commands, making the faithful life of the Christian something vague and self-determined, it fails to obey Christ here.

Third, biblical ethics is something that can (and must) be taught. Ancient traditions such as virtue ethics emphasized that becoming a virtuous person happens through practice. Do just acts; become a just person. While Christianity certainly identifies faithful practices, Jesus did not go so far as to say that “ethics is only something you can learn through practice.” He expected his followers to teach obedience, to teach ethics, as part of basic discipleship from the place of a transformed heart.

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