As a lifelong Southern Baptist church member, there are certain texts that have been permanently etched into my mind. Matthew 28:18-20 is certainly one of those texts. In my experience, it is the one that preachers like to whip out when their congregations aren’t evangelizing as much as they would like. Sometimes it is used to inspire a boost in baptisms across the denomination’s churches. It also has served as a motivational text to twist the arms of church members when they have failed to volunteer for the new and exciting ministry programs. I have sat in services where you can almost tangibly feel the collective eyerolls of the congregation when the preacher/speaker reveals that he is speaking on the Great Commission. They know what’s coming. They are about to be told that they are not telling people about Jesus enough. They are not inviting enough people to church.
Is that what it all boils down to? Just handing out tracts and inviting people to church?
I believe the standard modern handling of the Great Commission has been problematic. In order to address this, I would like to take a brief walk through the text. This is part one of that walk.
Drawing a Comparison
In Matthew 28:11-16, there is a comparison drawn which shows us what set apart the recipients of the commission. At first, we hear of the soldiers and the chief priests working out a complicated arrangement in order to serve their own interests. The soldiers obeyed the voice of the Jewish leaders. Their arrangement was filled with bribery, self-preservation, deceit, falsehood, and slander. This is a perfect picture of how the wicked world works. This is how the lost world pursues their goals.
After this, we are given the simple account of the disciples’ behavior. It is meant as a contrast, which is why the verse (v. 16) begins with the conjunction, “But.” The disciples obeyed the voice of Jesus. While wicked men were slandering them and spreading falsehood, they were simply obeying their Lord. This will help later with our understanding of what it means to “make disciples.” Disciples obey Jesus.
The Great Commission is entrusted exclusively to disciples. Camp there for a second. It is the practice of many modern churches to “commission” anyone who is willing. After all, ministries need volunteers and outreaches need participants. Did Jesus go around to all the towns and villages with a sign-up form asking people to participate? He gave His commission to eleven men whom He called, and who obeyed His voice.
When new converts come into our fellowship, we should not be too hasty to put them to work. Let us first train them up in obedience to Christ. It is healthy for them to be excited about their new life and to tell others about it. But it is not healthy to rush them through a spiritual gifts survey and throw them directly into a role.
This sounds odd to many evangelicals today. Many of us were raised with the assumption that the entire purpose of the Christian life is to get other people saved. If there is no more than that to the Christian life, then what could “training them up in obedience to Christ” even mean? If there is no more than that to the Christian life, then did Adam and Eve live a purposeless existence in the garden before the fall? There were no lost people to tell.
One prerequisite we should have before putting people in ministry roles is growth in Christian obedience. Of course, it takes time to cultivate that in the new convert. And, of course, every believer will continue cultivating it throughout their days.
Commissioning the Worshippers
Jesus commissioned obedient disciples. He also commissioned worshippers. Matthew 28:17 shows us the posture of the disciples right before the giving of the commission. They were worshipping Jesus. Before we challenge Christians to do something, we need to challenge them to be something. The seeker-driven environment in modern evangelicalism is filled with restless messaging. “If you’re not going on the trip, then you’re disobeying. If you’re not serving at the outreach, then you’re failing. If you’re not chasing lost people and ministry opportunities 24/7, then you’re not pleasing Christ.” And we wonder why the faithful remnant of the saints that are left today are so weary. They ran the rat race. They did what we told them to. Now they are exhausted.
It is ok for the saint to just “be” for a season. Be a disciple and a worshipper. That is enough. You don’t always have to be “doing” something. In fact, it is sometimes necessary for the weary saint to take a break from what they are doing for Christ’s kingdom in order to remember who they are in Christ the King.
Who Does the Great Commission?
This one’s important. The Great Commission was not given, in context, to every disciple of Christ at the time. If so, where was Joseph of Arimathea? Nicodemus? Where were the women? I think you get the point. Why did Jesus commission these specific eleven men? These were not just any disciples. They were soon to be the apostles of the Church, making up the foundation upon whom Christ would build His Church.
The Great Commission is the authoritative mission of Christ’s Church throughout time. Individual believers do not bare the weight of fulfilling the entire commission. Individual believers are not even expected to do everything in the commission. Otherwise, every church member would be responsible for performing baptisms.
It is the Church who does the Great Commission. Every believer, by way of being part of the Church, plays a part in it. But it should be understood that not every believer will do everything in it. Some will play their part in the more “radical” ways that have been popularized, like going on mission trips and serving in inner cities. Most will play their part by living a faithful life right where they are. In both cases, Christ is honored and His kingdom is advanced.
Modern evangelicals have hyper-individualized the Great Commission. But the Great Commission was given to the Church as a whole via the apostles. Therefore, if you are obeying Christ, worshipping Him, and taking part in the life of your local church, then you are faithfully taking part in the Great Commission.
Stay tuned for part two.