Why is the Great Commission 'Great'?

[satz]

Why do we call Jesus' commands at the end of Matthew and Mark the 'Great' commission?

Is it ever referred to as such in the bible?

Is there anything in particular about it that makes this command 'greater' than the other commands christians have for their lives?

Anyone know?

 

[Solo Christo]

Because Christ was postmil.

 

[Devin]

It's greatness is in it's message. If you could look at history as one big timeline/painting type of thing, you could easily see the greatness of it. You could see the utter darkness of humanity from fall until Christ, and then a light breaks out and spreads throught the whole earth. Out of a handful of fishermen and peasants explodes a worldwide faith that brings the hope of the message of reconciliation between God and man. This reconciliation is no small thing. The fall opened a huge gap, the gospel closes it. Jesus' life, death, and Gospel are simply put the turning point in history and the very center point of the world. Spreading this to others is obviously a great task and it should be our lives. It's why we exist.

Hopefully that wasn't too random. It's hard to think of such great things all at once and capture them in few words

[Edited on 12-2-2005 by Devin]

 

[BobVigneault]

The commission is GREAT in its scope. Christ was commissioning his disciples to leave the provincial confines of their present evangelism and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to go into ALL the world. That's why we 'gentiles' from every nation are here now. I think that's pretty GREAT!

 

[JohnV]

There is a difference between a commission and a command. The greatest command is to love.

As Bob said, there is a great scope to this. It is not only a command, but a licence. It is what we do in the church: preach the gospel, and invite sinners to repentence and faith. It shows both the breadth of our own forgiveness, in that the wretchedness from which we were rescued is no hinderance to God's salvation to others, nor in His using us to that purpose; as well it shows, the breadth of the mission of that purpose, in that the gospel is to be preached promiscuously. And then, again, that second breadth shows the extent of the "as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us" for not only ourselves but for all equally as much, whomever God will call and save, even those we think are impossible to save.

So I think the idea of "great" is justified from Psalm 103 at least, if not in more ways.

 

[heartoflesh]

After reading the thread Questions on Evangelism I wasn't too sure where I, as a layman, fit in with the Great Commission. Does this commandment contain a mandate to laymen to "make disciples" by witnessing to unbelievers? Whether or not we can call this evangelism is irrelevant to me. Are laymen included in the command?

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

The commandment is to the disciples as church leaders. Annexed to this is thier capacity to teach and equip the saints for affect in thier immediate spheres.

I think it is great by weight, more than by extent. Minister have to complete what Christ started on earth, through His Spirit now. Paul says:

Colossians 1:24, "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church..."

This does not imply Christ Himself is lacking in power, authority, atonement, etc., but in the continued outworking and message brought by the disciples. The commission is accomplished through His officers, and through preaching. This is a great commission. It is a massive responsibility to Pastors in the commission. It is weighty, and solemn. Eternity hangs in the balance for every man that we preach to.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

I would also add that laymen do have a role to play in supporting the ministry of the word. Church members are to pray for the blessing of God upon the ministry of the word, attend upon the ministry of the word faithfully and with right (conscionable) hearing, support the ministry of the word through tithes and offerings, and live lives worthy of the high calling of the gospel so that others may see the fruits of the Spirit in their lives. And invite others to church. Those of some of the ways in which laymen have a role to play in the Great Commission.

 

[crhoades]

Ken Gentry's 184 pg. book, "The Greatness of the Great Commision" online for free here

 

[heartoflesh]

I'm not sure if I'm missing something or not.

I know that a few of you here believe "evangelism" proper belongs to the church and it's appointed ministers.

Do you believe individual Christian laypeople are called to communicate the gospel to unbelievers?

Is Paul's example "to be all things to all men to save some" applicable to laypeople, or is this just a command for ministers?

If I go over to unbeliever Joe's house and talk about sin, repentance and faith in Jesus (not pressing to "close the deal") and he ends up reading his Bible, and over time comes to faith and believes, can this be a true conversion? Since it was never attended to by a "sanctioned" preacher?

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Well, there's a difference between being a witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ in how you live, act, talk, breathe, etc. and actually "preaching the gospel" to pagans, I think. I could be wrong.

 

[heartoflesh]

What I'm wondering is if the differences of opinion on this matter are really a matter of semantics.... "that's not really evangelism", "that's not really preaching", etc.., but when it comes to action we're all on the same page. I think we're all in agreement that the formula-driven, close-the-deal, Arminian idea of evangelism is wrong, but certainly sharing the good news with our neighbors is not. Every Christian should feel the burden of sharing Christ with others, should they not? Once again, whether it is called evangelism or not means little to me.

[Edited on 12-7-2005 by Rick Larson]

 

[Steve Owen]

Originally posted by Rick Larson
After reading the thread Questions on Evangelism I wasn't too sure where I, as a layman, fit in with the Great Commission. Does this commandment contain a mandate to laymen to "make disciples" by witnessing to unbelievers? Whether or not we can call this evangelism is irrelevant to me. Are laymen included in the command?

Yes!
The Biblical example is contained in Acts 8 and 11 as I pointed out in the earlier thread.

Examples from Church history of non-ordained men doing great things for and through the Lord include Howel Harris, who brought revival to South Wales in 1735, and Robert Haldane who rescued the church in Geneva from Arianism and was also much used by God in many other areas.

Martin

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by Rick Larson
What I'm wondering is if the differences of opinion on this matter are really a matter of semantics.... "that's not really evangelism", "that's not really preaching", etc.., but when it comes to action we're all on the same page. I think we're all in agreement that the formula-driven, close-the-deal, Arminian idea of evangelism is wrong, but certainly sharing the good news with our neighbors is not. Every Christian should feel the burden of sharing Christ with others, should they not? Once again, whether it is called evangelism or not means little to me.

[Edited on 12-7-2005 by Rick Larson]

Well, since salvation is not a crisis-conversion event or one-off experience, I find it kind of hard to say that I, as a single layman, could "lead someone to Christ." I can live my life as a witness to the Word of Christ and bring pagans to Church, but if they are to be saved, I'm not sure that is such a hard, written-in-stone "event" we can participate in or detect in this life. If someone asks me if they can go to Church with me, I'll gladly bring them, and pray for their regeneration, but I won't ask them to pray a prayer with me or outline the Roman Road. If they ask me questions about Scripture or Jesus, I would answer them and encourage them to come to Church with me so they can ask my Pastors about things with more depth and detail. I dunno, this is a very hard thing to think through for me, coming out of an evangelical, independent, arminian background. Still have a lot of sanctification and learning to do.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rick Larson
What I'm wondering is if the differences of opinion on this matter are really a matter of semantics.... "that's not really evangelism", "that's not really preaching", etc.., but when it comes to action we're all on the same page. I think we're all in agreement that the formula-driven, close-the-deal, Arminian idea of evangelism is wrong, but certainly sharing the good news with our neighbors is not. Every Christian should feel the burden of sharing Christ with others, should they not? Once again, whether it is called evangelism or not means little to me.

The preaching of the Word by a duly ordained minister is a means of grace whereby God ordinarily saves sinners Romans 10. Laymen sharing the gospel has no such promise of salvation.

 

[heartoflesh]

Originally posted by WrittenFromUtopia
Well, since salvation is not a crisis-conversion event or one-off experience...

What do you mean by this? I'm unfamiliar with this lingo.

I find it kind of hard to say that I, as a single layman, could "lead someone to Christ."

Why is that so hard to believe? I remember the layman (laygirl actually) that lead me to Christ.

I can live my life as a witness to the Word of Christ and bring pagans to Church, but if they are to be saved, I'm not sure that is such a hard, written-in-stone "event" we can participate in or detect in this life.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

If someone asks me if they can go to Church with me, I'll gladly bring them, and pray for their regeneration, but I won't ask them to pray a prayer with me or outline the Roman Road. If they ask me questions about Scripture or Jesus, I would answer them and encourage them to come to Church with me so they can ask my Pastors about things with more depth and detail.

Yeah, I'm with you about the prayer thing and the formulistic evangel technique. I'm also with you about connecting him with your pastor, that is, if your pastor actually knows more than you do! I say this tongue in cheek-- how many folks are there out there who go to the church they do, a nominally evangelical church, perhaps tainted by some purpose-driven or other thing, simply because there isn't a sound, biblical church available? In that case, point them to Sermonaudio.com and Al Martin

I dunno, this is a very hard thing to think through for me, coming out of an evangelical, independent, arminian background. Still have a lot of sanctification and learning to do.

You and me both, brother.

 

[JohnV]

One of the problems with this, Rick, is the word 'layman'. It suggests a distinction between "clergy" and other believers in the person, instead of the office. It is as if a 'cleric' may evangelize while it is different for a 'layman'. That is not the distinction that we are to uphold. The elders and deacons have an office in the church, and that is different than the office that every believer holds in being accountable for what he believes.

How can he that does not love his brother love God? And we are called to love our neighbour as the second great commandment. Would that involve not speaking to him of the gospel? You and I cannot baptize or make ecclesiastical declarations, such as acceptance into the covenant or forgiveness of sins, but we may speak to our neighbour about the gospel and expect the same blessing from God in it that someone who is an elder may expect, it seems to me.