Found in Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission famously includes Jesus’s words “Go and make disciples of all nations.” We hear about it often when we discuss the missions movement and the foundation of many ministries. While its words are familiar to many churchgoers, we often hold myths and misconceptions surrounding its meaning and application. Here are five Great Commission misconceptions that we should correct.
The Great Commission Is Just About Evangelism.
We often hear about the Great Commission when the church discusses overseas missions or local outreach. Making new disciples is indeed part of the Great Commission, as the command includes baptizing them. But the Great Commission is not limited to evangelism. Included in Jesus’s command is that his disciples teach other disciples to obey everything–all of his commands (Matthew 28:20). Knowing and obeying the teachings of Jesus is a significant part of discipleship.
During the time of Jesus’s earthly ministry, a disciple was a follower of a teacher, called a Rabbi (John 1:38). The disciple was called to obey and imitate the Rabbi (John 8:31, 13:14, 34-35). The decision to observe the Rabbi’s commands was meant to be lifelong (Luke 9:24, 62). Discipleship was drastic, costly, and permanent. Disciple-making goes beyond evangelism, which is bringing people to the initial decision, and includes teaching and reminding for a lifetime.
Therefore, if you teach children about the words of Jesus in Sunday School or VBS, you are fulfilling the Great Commission. When you send a sister an encouraging note reminding her of Jesus’s promises, you are fulfilling the Great Commission. When you urge a brother to submit his decision-making to the directions of Scripture, you are fulfilling the Great Commission.
The Great Commission is Optional.
The Great Commission is not a suggestion, but a command. The words of Jesus in Matthew 28 include Jesus having all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). We must never forget that Jesus is the King, and we who follow him are his subjects. The Great Commission is Jesus’s command to his followers, and it requires an active response.
While the Great Commission is a command, it is specifically a commission. In this way, it is a special command to act on behalf of Jesus Christ. When an influential figure commissions an architect or an artist, it is an order to make something on the figure’s behalf. In commanding his disciples to make disciples, Jesus charged them to make more disciples of him. He assures that he will be with them (Matthew 28:20) and sends the Holy Spirit to empower them.
The Great Commission Occurs Only in Matthew.
The call to make disciples is not just isolated to a single saying. While “The Great Commission” typically refers to the words occurring at the end of Matthew, there are references to the disciple-making mandate throughout the Scriptures. Sayings of Jesus regarding his disciples bringing the gospel to all nations are found in Mark 13:10 and 14:9, Luke 24:45-49, John 19:21-23, and Acts 1:8.
Beyond the words of Jesus, we see the Great Commission throughout the New Testament, especially from the apostles. For example, the apostle Peter called his hearers to repent and believe (Acts 2:38) and wrote about proclaiming and defending the message (1 Peter 2:9, 3:15). Quoting the prophet Isaiah, the apostle Paul wrote about the necessity of preaching the good news to people so that they would believe (Romans 10:14-15). He urged the church in Corinth to imitate him, and his ministry included disciple-making (1 Corinthians 4:15-17). John records his vision of heavenly creatures declaring that the Lamb’s death redeems people from tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9).
The Great Commission Was Only Given to the Apostles.
While the immediate hearers of Matthew 28:19-20 were the eleven disciples (see v. 16), the Great Commission is not just limited to them. Multiple points of evidence support the Great Commission being for all disciples of Jesus. First, the command was given to the eleven as disciples (v. 16), which suggests that this injunction is for all disciples. Second, the eleven were charged with, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Everything includes the command that Jesus was giving at the moment, to make disciples. Therefore, every disciple of Jesus is called to make disciples. Third, Jesus promises that his presence would be with the disciple-makers, not just to the end of their lives, but to the end of the age (v. 20). During this age, those who make up the church follow Christ and await his second coming.
The Great Commission Teaches Us All to Go Overseas as Vocational Missionaries.
The Great Commission is often highlighted when the local church discusses worldwide missions. While overseas mission is a big part of the Great Commission, not every disciple of Jesus will go overseas. Missionaries need local churches to send them and walk with them during their time in the field. Upon seeing the shepherdless people, Jesus charged his followers to pray for workers to be sent to the field (Matthew 9:37-38). It was the church in Antioch that sent out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), who then returned to Antioch to give a report (14:27). Paul expressed gratitude to the church in Philippi for their financial gift towards his ministry (Philippians 4:15-16). Not everyone will go overseas, but everyone can be involved in fulfilling the Great Commission through prayer, sending, and giving.
Also, the command to “go” in Matthew 28:19 is not limited to going overseas. The same verb occurs in verse 16 (“went”), and it communicates intentional movement. While the command involves making disciples of “all nations,” it refers to people groups, not just countries. The command to make disciples of all people groups demonstrates that discipleship is not just limited to Israel. With many people groups within our local churches, neighborhoods, and cities, the Great Commission involves intentionality in making disciples, whether abroad or near home. The command to “go” requires us to be purposeful, not passive.
As the word “Christian” has lost much of its meaning in our society, perhaps we should use the term the Bible uses: disciple. As lifelong learners and imitators of Christ, we are commissioned to make more disciples. The command is for every follower of the King, and we can be involved in different aspects: evangelism, baptism, teaching, sending, and reminding. The Great Commission is a worldwide movement, and it starts at home.
Photo Credit: Marc Olivier Jodoin