There is no Great Commission

There is no Great Commission


What kind of heresy is this? Of course there is a Great Commission. It was given to us by our Lord. He commissioned his 11 disciples to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

I would like to take another look at this text on several levels. First I will address the statement itself. Simply put, the words great commission are not to be found anywhere in the Bible. Now that does not invalidate the theological proposition the statement represents. There are many Theological terms that are not in the Bible but represent the best interpretation of a concept put forward in a given text of scripture.

But I will submit that this term, this label, used to interpret the scripture is not at all the best. In fact, in our culture, it is the most dangerous. Then I would like to look at a more proper interpretation of this text and see just how powerful the more true meaning is to our Christian lives.

Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
Mat 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him-but some of them still doubted!
Mat 28:18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Mat 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The context here is very important. We see the disciples are beset with incredible doubt, unbelief. And this even though they are in His very presence. So this is the situation Jesus is in, the context. We know this is no new problem to Jesus as this was a constant battle he had throughout his ministry. And He was ready with the same remedy He offered so many times before. He instructed the disciples to exercise the faith that was yet in them. He encouraged them to action that they would see Him work and increase their faith.

Within this text we do not see Jesus put down an arbitrary edict, a commandment. He simply makes an affirmative statement akin to “I Am.” Then He gives them what should be their natural expression of this reality that will be to them supernatural activity like they could not even imagine. This power is ours. Ours to exercise and draw such results as would blow away any doubt and unbelief they held. We know from scripture that they did and the wonders worked through their faith built their faith incredibly, unto death.

We have a corporate culture today. So many identify with being workers and members of corporations. One negative result of a corporation is that sometimes poor policies or dishonest actions occur. But the corporation can weather these storms easily in that no one individual is ever to blame. Instead it is a ‘corporate’ mistake. This faceless entity is to blame and well, you can’t take an non-existent entity to task. Its not a moral problem to pinned on any person.

The church in America has without question fallen into a corporate state. A state of reason where what can be done for the Kingdom is limited only by available funds. There is today a culture of a Christian Corporation. In this corporate culture every person is important to increase the Kingdom through participating through giving and serving. Each Christian Corporation has an officiating board, management structure, and a few folks in the field. There silent majority is encouraged to maintain the corporate machine through giving and service. The corporation will choose many programs the members can tap into for service. Local or short term mission opportunities are designed and offered by the upper management groups. This is so the members can know and be directed to give (and possibly serve) where God is at work.

Every corporation has a mission statement to rally their workers around. Ours is the Great Commission. While this is all out there they must busy the workers with personal holiness.

Jhn 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.

This takes to another amazing aspect tied to this event. Jesus said that one reason He came in the first place was to give us abundant life. How do we imagine He meant that? What did abundant mean?

The Christian Corporation has mirrored the world in defining for its members what abundant life is. It is only limited by our desire to sin. The abundant life is much like what the world understands as the good life. Happy marriage, right-thinking children, no debt and no sin. Its all very simple and there is so much scripture to support these endeavors.

But I ask now, is this what the disciples came to experience as abundant life? We know they did not. Their lives were abundant because they were encouraged to exercise their faith in order that they could experience their faith. And if asked, they would tell you it cost them dearly and cost them nothing. That God took their mustard seeds of faith and showed them how mountains could be moved. He showed them how abundant life was intimately tied to removing the bushel from their light. And abundant life was to experience God in their actions of going and telling and sewing and reaping and healing and prophesizing. They learned just how supernatural the gift of a Christian life is. They learned how incredibly personal and individual it was. In their unspeakable joy they knew without a doubt that had they never left that upper room it would have been ok. God never needed them. He just loved them beyond understanding and wanted to give them good gifts. They found that all of everything in the universe, in all of history, all that is promised was for them. That it is all about them, each individual one of them. Jesus was and is ‘I Am.’

What is possible for the Ambassadors of the One who has been given complete authority in heaven and on earth? I know 11 guys who would tell you. I believe they would affirm they were not cogs in a corporate wheel motivated by some silly slogan. They were natural men supernaturally aware of their supernatural condition. They were motivated by the continual work of Love being wrought in each of them individually and personally. And increased in faith with every supernatural result of the love working out of them. I’ll even bet they could come close to agreeing with God they too ‘so loved the world.’ Can you say that? No, me either. But do we know that such a joy and faith is possible? It is.

I have a son. He is five years old. You know, I don’t look for his admiration. I like it, sure. But I am okay without it. I was okay before he existed. But I must tell you, I hate a day that might go by when I don’t get to see him grow and live in the sureness that he is loved by me.

Here is an example of how this might play out if you agree with the tinking on this matter:


The Emperors New Clothes:

"But there is no Great Commission. It's just not in the text and feels hollow and empty. I Think He means something more personal than that - something more relational....more powerful. Like Love. In fact, I think everything He has made - the universe, creation, His giving of Himself....is about us and for us. This world and all that is in it is for us to love. None of it is about Him...He just simply is. He is self-sufficient."

Then Mark was removed from Seminary, they implanted Johnny Hunt sermons into his MP3 player and gave him many church-planting books to read. He memorized the various strategies and agreed that church-planting is the way. People get behind it. He agreed with 'bang for buck' rule of law. He even began to put his trust in the tithe. He was restored to the fold...and very very happy. You can tell even today by the grin that never leaves his face.....no matter what.

Likewise, as Orwell's novel concludes, Winston and Julia are taken to the Ministry of Love as part of the reprogramming process. Since Winston fears rats, he is tortured with rats until his feelings for Julia are destroyed. As confirmation that he sees the new reality of the state, Winston writes that 2+2=5. The reprogramming is successful. He is cured. As the final sentence of Orwell's book concludes, "He loved Big Brother."

He loved the law. ;-(