What is the GREAT COMMISSION?

Many today when asked this question will immediately reference Matthew 28:19 – “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”. Additionally, it is also intimated by many that this commissioning is a command to ALL believers. The question is – who made this verse to be the great commission? In this blog, I will address these fundamental questions: 1) What is the definition of commission 2) What are the final commands by Jesus in each of the gospels and who was Jesus addressing when He gave the directive 3) Are all apostolic commands binding for every believer 4) Is there a universal and timeless commission commanded by the Lord 5) Has it been fulfilled and how should the Church respond to or apply Matthew 28:19?

First and foremost, the term “great commission” is NOT found in scripture! The term is credited to the editors of the King James Version of the Bible who sought to clarify the content of verse(s) referenced in this popular phrase (Arias, 1991). The World English Dictionary (2009) defines the word commission as “a duty or task committed to a person or group to perform.” Was this task committed to a few or to ALL believers in Christ? I shall address this in greater detail later. It is important in the principles that govern biblical interpretation that we explore the full account of the so-called commission from each of the four gospels beginning with Matthew’s account. The underlined words in the following verses make it impossible or at the least very difficult for every believer to accomplish:

- Matthew 28:19,20

o Go and make disciples of all nations

o Baptize the new disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

o Teach them to observe all things that I (Jesus) have commanded you

- Mark 16:16-18

o Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone

o Baptize those who believe

- Luke 24:48

o You are witnesses of my suffering, death, and resurrection

o Preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem

o Stay in the city until the promise of the Father comes upon you

- John 20:21-23

o Receive the Holy Spirit

o I (Jesus) give you power to forgive and to retain people’s sins

Who was Jesus addressing when He gave these commands? Matthew 28:16-18 clearly indicates He was speaking to the eleven (minus Judas the betrayer); Mark 16:14, Luke 24:33 and John 20:19 indicate the same. Can we naturally assume that every command given to the Apostles are binding for us as well? Read Matthew 10:5-14 point for point:

o Jesus sent out the 12

o Do NOT preach to the gentiles or Samaritans (WHAT?)

o Preach to the Jews only (REALLY!)

o Heal the sick (CAN I DO THAT?)

o Raise the dead (YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING)

o Cleanse the lepers (ARE YOU FOR REAL?)

o Cast out demons (I’M COOL WITH THIS, SEEN IT DONE MANY TIMES IN MY PENTECOSTAL UPBRINGING)

o By the way, leave your wallet at home; don’t take any money, extra clothes or shoes with you (HOW DO I PAY FOR GAS OR FOOD?)

o Leave a blessing of peace for those who receive you in their house and take it back for those who do not

A cursory look at the previous points proves without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus cannot be talking to every believer in every generation each time he addresses or commands His special group of twelve apostles. Who, other than the Apostles were used to raise the dead, heal the sick and cleanse lepers? I’m sure there are cases in history where God moved through select individuals to accomplish these great feats, but we all must agree that such giftedness is not normative for the church at large.

Is there however, a universal commission every believer has been given? The short answer is a resounding yes! Let me explain! First of all, it is the opinion of this author that any command binding for the Catholic (Universal) Body of Christ is restated or mentioned in the epistles which were written mainly to gentile converts. The gentiles were not privied to the law, covenants, and teachings of Christ including His commands. Therefore, it is necessary for those Apostles given the awesome task to write scripture to regurgitate to the gentiles the NECESSARY information and truth pertinent to their salvation and living. Never in scripture, post-ascended Christ, is there any command to go anywhere! We do read in many places the requirement to live holy and righteous before God and man. However, there is one command that seems to be a common thread throughout the epistles including the teachings of Christ and that is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Here are a few:

- John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

- John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

- Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

- Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

- 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently:

- 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

- 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

- 1 John 4:16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

- 1 John 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

- 1 John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

My brothers and sisters, herein lies the true “GREAT COMMISSION”, that we LOVE ONE ANOTHER and BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS! Everyone do NOT have the capacity or gifts to do everything the Apostles were called to do, but we sure can love one another as scripture commands in multiple places listed in scripture!

So what about Matthew 28:19, 20? Has it been fulfilled and how are we to apply this scripture today? The author believes that the traditional understanding of the great commission was indeed fulfilled by the Apostles and we see this clearly in the twenty-eight chapters of the ACTS of the APOSTLES! However, the church’s posture or a continuation of ACTS is clearly outlined in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul propounds the idea of each individual using their gifts as the Spirit enables them seeing that we DO NOT all have the same gifts or calling on our lives. It will be wrong for leaders or congregations to REQUIRE every believer to go an “evangelize” in a traditional sense. There will be many called to be evangelist or missionaries; others will be called to leadership, exhortation, helps, giving, teaching, pasturing, singing, etc… When believers operate within their gifts and calling, they are evangelizing! God has many ways to reveal the gospel to people and it may not be from street witnessing, missionary trips overseas or such like; but God will use each of us in His own way to prick the hearts of unbelievers each time we avail ourselves to the Holy Spirit by using our gifts and talents to serve God and our fellow-man.

In conclusion, the Great Commission should be changed to the Great Commandment which is to love God with the tangible proof of loving one another. Is it wrong or counterproductive to evangelize, do door to door witnessing or street preaching? Absolutely not! It is wrong however to make it a requirement based on Matthew 28 as I have attempted to prove from this blog. The Apostles never taught the new gentile or Jewish converts to go ye anywhere, but they did place great emphasis on loving each other and living holy. It is the only duty or task I see as a common thread throughout the epistles and this, my friend, is the true definition and proliferation of the “Great Commission”!