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“To All the Nations”: the Great Commission Passages in the Gospels and Acts Chuck Lawless

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“To All the Nations”: the Great Commission Passages in the Gospels and Acts Chuck Lawless “To All The Nations”: The Great Commission Passages in the Gospels and Acts Chuck Lawless he words of Charles Spurgeon often cause ing of our King. Shall we let them perish? Can me to halt whatever I am doing, think seri- we go to our beds and sleep, while China, T 1 ously about my responsibility, and repent of my India, Japan, other nations are being damned? apathy. Seldom are the words as gripping, though, as these words spoken to his Pas- This masterful nineteenth-century English Chuck Lawless serves as Vice tor’s College Annual Conference preacher was a wordsmith like few others, espe- President for Global Theological in 1874: cially when speaking about the Great Commis- Advance at the International Mission Board of the Southern sion. Spurgeon stated these words almost 150 Baptist Convention. I plead this day for those who can- years ago, but they remain relevant and challeng- not plead for themselves, namely, ing today. Rarely has the church seen the opportu- Prior to this, Dr. Lawless was the great outlying masses of the nity we have today to take the gospel to the ends dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at heathen world. Our existing pul- of the earth. The Southern Baptist Theological pits are tolerably well supplied, If Spurgeon’s words grip us, however, those Seminary. In addition to numerous but we need men who will build words pale when compared to the words of the scholarly essays and articles, Dr. Lawless is the author of several on new foundations. Who will Lord Jesus. When he speaks, our response should books, including Membership do this? Are we, as a company of be humble gratitude and unquestioned obedience Matters: Insights from Effective faithful men, clear in our con- simply because he is the Son of God. It was he, the Churches on New Member Classes sciences about the heathen? Mil- one in whom “all the fullness of Deity dwells in and Assimilation (Zondervan, 2005), and Discipled Warriors: lions have never heard the Name bodily form” (Col 2:9), who uttered the mandate Growing Healthy Churches That of Jesus. Hundreds of millions that is the focus of this article—the command Are Equipped for Spiritual Warfare have seen a missionary only once commonly known as the “Great Commission” (Kregel, 2002). in their lives, and know noth- (Matt 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-49; 16 SBJT 15.2 (2011): 16-26. John 20:19-23; Acts1:6-8).2 Spoken at least four universality of the gospel, the necessity of disciple- times from the lips of Jesus, the Great Commis- ship, the significance of worship and faith, and the sion clearly matters to God. power of the abiding presence of Christ.5 More The primary purpose of this article is to review specifically, the one who is the fulfillment of the Jesus’ varied expressions of the Great Commission covenants and prophecies of the Old Testament in the Gospels and Acts, focusing on the author- now is the center of a message to be carried to the ity of Christ, the command to make disciples, the ends of the earth. primacy of proclamation, and the empowerment In this Matthean passage, the one who spoke of the disciples. A secondary goal is to offer sug- the commission is the one who had been given gestions for local church leaders who seek to lead “all authority” (28:18) to do so. The authority of Great Commission churches. Christ is not a new theme in this Gospel (see, e.g., Matt 7:29; 10:1, 7-8; 11:27; 22:43-44; 24:35). His the authorIty of chrIst power to defeat the devil (4:1-11), to teach like no Both the repetition and the location of the other (7:28-29), to calm nature (8:23-27), to for- Great Commission passages imply seriousness give sin (9:1-8), and to heal the sick (9:27-31) had and significance behind the commission. All four already been established. In what is likely a refer- of the Gospels include some type of statement ence to the Son of Man imagery of Daniel 7:13-14, of sending, going, or proclaiming near the end, he is now the resurrected one before whom every suggesting a climactic purpose behind the tex- knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is tual positioning. Acts 1:8 differs, of course, but Lord (Phil 2:9-11). The Father has now granted that text serves more as a rough outline and theme him authority over all of heaven and earth.6 He verse of Luke’s second volume than it does a cli- had, and has, “the divine right, as ruler over all, to max.3 That difference notwithstanding, it is unde- give all Christians their marching orders.”7 niable that near the end of his ministry, and at the A similar sense of authority, albeit described beginning of the church’s mission, Christ called differently, is depicted in John’s Great Commis- believers to take the gospel to the nations. sion text. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is the one with The best known and most quoted expression of authority to send the disciples, even as the Father the Great Commission is Matthew 28:16-20: had sent him (John 20:21, cf. 17:18). Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Father’s purpose—a purpose But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to tied inextricably to the message of atonement that the mountain which Jesus had designated. When the disciples carry to the nations. The world needs they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some to hear that the Son is also the Savior: were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me Jesus saw a close identification between him- in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make self and his Father. He spoke regularly of the disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Father’s having sent him. He and the Father name of the Father and the Son and the Holy are one, and so the work that the Son did was Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I com- also the work of the Father. Jesus came for the manded you; and lo, I am with you always, even purpose of giving his life as a ransom, a means to the end of the age.”4 of liberating those people who were enslaved to sin. He offered himself as a substitute for them.8 More than one writer has noted that these final verses of Matthew’s Gospel summarize his cen- Moreover, he who had been the one sent is now tral themes, including the authority of Christ, the the sender. Andreas Köstenberger, in his study on 17 the “sending” motif of John’s gospel, concludes suggesting that the disciples were to make dis- that Jesus as the sent one was to bring glory and ciples wherever they were, in any context and with honor to the sender, do the sender’s will by work- any people. ing his works and speaking his words, witness to That is not to say, however, that “go” loses its the sender and represent him accurately, and know imperatival force or international focus in this the sender intimately by living in relationship with case. D. A. Carson’s analysis is helpful here. Not him and following his example.9 Now, Jesus is the only does a participle used in this fashion often one sending, and the disciples’s “relationship to function as a command, but “in a context that their sender, Jesus, is to reflect Jesus’ relationship demands that this ministry extend to ‘all nations,’ with his sender, the Father.”10 it is difficult to believe that ‘go’ has lost all impera- The Word who became flesh (John 1:1-14) has tival force.”12 In Wright’s words, “they [the dis- the authority to require as much. In the words of ciples] will have to go to the nations as a necessary Christopher Wright, “the identity and the author- condition of obeying the primary command” to ity of Jesus of Nazareth, crucified and risen, is the make disciples.13 cosmic indicative on which the mission impera- That is, the disciples are not to wait for non- tive stands authorized.”11 That is, we do the Great believers to come to them; rather, they are to Commission because the living Son of God take the initiative to evangelize. Such evangelism demands that we do so. models the heart of God, whose Son came to his Properly teaching this foundational truth own, became flesh, and dwelt among us (John would likely change the commitment of most 1:11, 14). He who died for us while we were yet local churches to the Great Commission. Per- sinners (Rom 5:8) demands that his followers take haps believers are less obedient to the Great that good news to the ends of the earth. Through Commission because they do not fully recognize that ministry, believers from the corners of the the nature of the one who gave the command. If globe will enter the kingdom (Matt 8:11). Christ is perceived as less than the Son of God before whom all will be judged (2 Cor 5:10), his “And Make Disciples” words lose their force; a low Christology leads to The task is not finished with evangelizing, how- a diminished Great Commission focus. On the ever.
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