The Great Commission - Given to you?

[mark s]

Matthew 28:16-20
(16) Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
(17) When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
(18) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
(19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
(20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

One interesting this in this passage is the statement that "some doubted". Even after seeing Jesus personally alive after His resurrection, after touching Him, watching Him eat, being with Him, some doubted?

It is possible that this may be the time Paul mentioned:

1 Corinthians 15:6 "After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep."

Perhaps it was among these over 500 who were the doubters?

I mention this because we need to know who Jesus was physically addressing. There are of course many important factors to consider when interpreting and applying a passage of Scripture.

One fact is the fact that the 12 Apostles didn't actually go, at least, not at first. And some, never.

Some did go, at least, out of Jerusalem, after Stephen's murder:

Acts 8:1 "Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles."

However, the apostles remained.

This word for "scattered" is the word used for scattering seed, btw.

Now, it seems to me that the majority of teachers I heard believe this instruction is meant for us today. So I ask . . . how many who believe this, have gone?

"Go", He said. So, have you gone?

Are we being told to leave our homeland, and go to other countries, to make disciples of them?

That is, after all, the instruction.

Should we "spiritualize" it, say, well, it can mean, "stay, and make disciples were we are". OK, I believe that is something that many of us are called to do, but that's different than what Jesus said.

Should we say, as some do, "I 'go' metaphorically when I give money to missionaries"? But that's not actually going, it's still staying.

Here's a thought . . .

Go into all the nations. Well, in fact, we are the nations. Go into all the nations. Don't keep this in Israel.

And when they didn't actually go (after all, it was glorious to gather at the temple, remain together with all the believers), God persuaded them to go, by allowing the persecution. Suddenly, going was more attractive than staying. Isn't that how God sometimes works?

OK, so my question is, do you believe that God is commanding you to go? Do you believe that God is commanding you to go, but that you can go without actually going?

Do you believe that this was instructions given to those who were there at the time, and that while certain ones of us may be sent out by God, this is not a blanket instruction to everyone?

Something else?

What do you think?

Love in Christ,
Mark

[daffodyllady]

I take it as a commission to the entire Church, as a body.
Some are called to go, others are called to stay. When someone goes to share the gospel in a foreign country, those of us who share the burden but are unable to go, go with them in spirit.

(Paul told the Corinthian church that although he was not there not in body, he was with them in spirit.)

We all are members of the same body, and wherever one member of the church goes, the church is there.

[Abiding in His Word]

Hi Mark,

Your question resembles those about the “near/far” prophecies. Some instructions were delivered to specific individuals and yet have more inclusive recipients as time goes on. Others do not.

For example:

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

While spoken to the apostles, we know that the Holy Spirit is promised to us as and His ministry to us is the same as well.

Another example:

Act 1:4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;
Act 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

The command for the apostles to “not leave Jerusalem” to receive the Holy Spirit is obviously spoken to specific persons under specific circumstances.

Whenever a believer witnesses to someone in any location, they are in essence taking the gospel to that little corner of the world. Whenever a believer answers a question about scripture, they are in essence discipling and teaching. The opportunity for baptizing a believer might not present itself as often (if ever) as the other two, but the willingness to do so should be present nevertheless.

I think we have assigned the Great Commission to those who go specifically to remote parts of the world (i.e. missionaries) but technically that assigned label is too narrow imo.

[AndCanItBe]

I think we have assigned the Great Commission to those who go specifically to remote parts of the world (i.e. missionaries) but technically that assigned label is too narrow imo.

I agree. I also think that discipling is often forgotten or confused with conversion. IMO a vital part of "going into all the nations" is preaching the gospel to and discilping our own children. They then in turn go out and do the same with their own children and others and on and on we go into all the nations. I am not suggesting that we disciple just our own children and we're good on this command, though I do think there are periods in a parent's life when our own children have to be the largest part of our going. I take "go" here to also mean "get up and do", not just "leave". I am absolutely commanded to get up and do something. Am I commanded to leave my country? Not at this time. Of course, some are called to actually leave their country, but I think Jesus was taking a long view as well, like ripples in a pond going out through generations of Christians, until the entire pond has been touched.

[jgilberAZ]

.

Mark, following the logic you've outlined above, we should probably disregard much of the Bible as not directly applicable to us.

The Old Testament was written by, to, (and for?) the Jews.

95% of what Jesus did was among and to the Jews.
95% of what Jesus said was said to the Jews.

Much of the New Testament was written, apparently, to Jews.

Some of your recent posts appear to me to indicate that you are leaning towards an ultra-dispensational method for interpreting scripture. Something along the lines of ultra-dispensationalism, or Bullingerism, or even Pauline Dispensationalism.

Should we accept only the writings of Paul as being directly applicable to us as Gentiles?
What does it mean to "rightly divide?"
Does it mean to section off various teachings as being applicable to one group of people, but not another?


And, concerning your actual question:

Are we being told to leave our homeland, and go to other countries, to make disciples of them?

You know Greek tenses, I don't. But, I've heard that "GO" actually means (in this instance) "as you are going." In other words, as we are going about our lives, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them.

Incidentally, since Jesus said to teach them everything ... it's irrelevant who he was speaking to in a given passage since he wants it all taught to every believer, Jew and Gentile alike.

[mark s]

.

Mark, following the logic you've outlined above, we should probably disregard much of the Bible as not directly applicable to us.

The Old Testament was written by, to, (and for?) the Jews.

95% of what Jesus did was among and to the Jews.
95% of what Jesus said was said to the Jews.

Much of the New Testament was written, apparently, to Jews.

Hi Jeff,

Disregard? Absolutely not. I think you are extending what I'm saying to an extreme that I do not take it to. In this particular thread, however, I am asking the question.

Let me ask you . . .

Have you gone? In obedience to this commission?

Do you take it as somewhat situational? Subject to personal application? Just wondering . . .

But something to not brush over, much that was written in Scripture was not meant to directly apply to us. We are not told to not eat from the tree in the center of the garden. We are not told to build an ark. We are not told that the Assyrians would destroy our kingdom and scatter us from our homeland. Do we disregard these parts of Scripture? Of course not.

Some of your recent posts appear to me to indicate that you are leaning towards an ultra-dispensational method for interpreting scripture. Something along the lines of ultra-dispensationalism, or Bullingerism, or even Pauline Dispensationalism.

I thought we've already covered that. As I've said before, I personally think Bullinger takes it too far.

Should we accept only the writings of Paul as being directly applicable to us as Gentiles?
What does it mean to "rightly divide?"
Does it mean to section off various teachings as being applicable to one group of people, but not another?

I'd refer back to my thread on dispensationalism for a more complete discussion on this point. However, its important, in my opinion, to know whether God is telling me to only eat fish with scales, or someone else.

Is God telling me to leave my homeland? I want to know.

And, concerning your actual question:

Are we being told to leave our homeland, and go to other countries, to make disciples of them?

You know Greek tenses, I don't. But, I've heard that "GO" actually means (in this instance) "as you are going." In other words, as we are going about our lives, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them.

I think the closer meaning is "having gone". I do not think this is saying, "wherever you happen to find yourself". The verb tense is aorist, a simple tense of a completed action.

Incidentally, since Jesus said to teach them everything ... it's irrelevant who he was speaking to in a given passage since he wants it all taught to every believer, Jew and Gentile alike.

Personally, I think it is not irrelevant to know exactly whom Jesus was instructing. There was the time when Jesus sent out the disciples, both the twelve, and the seventy. To properly understand the meaning, purpose, and application of the passage, we need to be clear that these instructions were for those people at that time.

Myself, I prefer to take every word of Scripture seriously. And so I ask, Did Jesus mean you? If you say "yes", have you gone?

If you say no, then how should we understand the passage?

I don't question that we are to share our faith. I don't question that certain ones of us are to go. I don't question whether we should give aid to those who go, while we stay. I do question whether we are being loose with our interpretations of particular passages, and whether we should be.

Love in Christ,
Mark

[Keeping Alert]

Perhaps I can contribute my understanding about the passage from a point of having "gone" to many places and am currently in the most populous country in the world...

Indeed you are quite right, Mark. It is extremely crucial that we understand who is Jesus referring to when he said those words in Matthew 28. A very poignant verse is Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." Does it apply to us? Is it true that if we drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt us? How come then so many Christians have diarrhea and vomiting after taking in something contaminated?

My take on Matthew 28:19-20 is that it is applicable to us because of the phrase "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." If it were meant only for the apostles, then this phrase is rather redundant and would seem to make Jesus as saying things for the sake of saying. But I believe that Jesus spoke every word with weight...

My second point is about the word "Go". As far as I understand Greek, the word "Go" is participle and is actually not a command to go (as most preachers like to emphasize so... the key verb is actually "teach" or "disciple") but the assumption that the listener will automatically be going. But the key question is go "where"? I believe it is to go into the world. But where is the world? I think theologically, the world is around us and not constained to geographical land masses. Jesus said that "we are in the world but not of the world". Who is my neighbor?

From my understanding, Jesus wants us to make an effort to reach out to the world around us and not confine ourselves to our own cosy corner in church or bible study.

I personally believe that once we are converted, we are made into new creatures and we are made citizens of heaven but yet we are still in this world... so the main problem here is not so much the "going" IMHO... we are already "going" around in the world whether we like it or not... the main problem is whether we are teaching and making disciples...

Blessings,
KA