Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew

 

WHAT IS THE GREAT COMMISSION?

The Great Commission was a term used by theologians to describe the final commission of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all Christians before His ascension. Some might say that it would be in Acts 1:8 where Jesus gave the disciples his final words. It is true that Acts 1:8 contains the final words before Christ’s ascension and describes the timing and scope of the carrying out of the Great Commission. However, Matthew 28:18-20 is still known as the Great Commission because it has the content of Christ’s commission. Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20 are related in that sense.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

 

All power -- The Great Commission begins with a very great assurance. The assurance is that all power has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ who had been raised from the dead. This absolute power is total and complete, for the scope of this supreme power includes all the power on earth as well as in heaven! What it means is that no one on earth or in heaven can stop Christ if He wishes to do something. He is God Almighty! He controls the lives of all believers as well as the lives of all mankind including Satan and his hosts and all the creatures and forces in heaven and on earth! Nothing happens without His permission and nothing gets out of control because they are all at His command. If God’s people are persecuted for their faith, the persecution is within God’s control and God knows exactly how much believers are able to bear up under that load of persecution! The disease, the loss of a job, loved ones, property, etc are all in the control of our Lord. All angelic beings, as well as Satan and the fallen angels, also called demons, are subject to Christ's will and desire and absolute control.

 

The work of God is only and always through Christ's power. This is a spiritual battle and therefore all the power on this earth is useless in the spiritual realm because they are all of the earth. Earthly powers are only good for things earthly. But in things spiritual, Christ's power is needed to fight against Satan and his minions and his many followers. Satan controls the things and forces of this world as the prince of this world. He will use these powers to hurt and hinder the work of God and the believers who faithfully serve Christ. The promise of Christ's power here will give Christians the needed assurance that Christ is always in total and absolute control even when everything seems to be out of control in their lives. For example, when Peter and John were put into prison because of their ministry of preaching the gospel, it appeared that the church was in trouble, especially in her infancy. However, the Bible reveals to us that at the end of this episode the church became stronger and the faith of the believers were deepened and strengthened. They came together to pray and the church grew in grace and in the knowledge of God. Acts 4:31-33 (KJV), "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."

 

Believers must learn to depend on Christ and not on themselves in order for the work of God to be accomplished rightly for God's glory. The power needed to convict sins and turn a sinner into a saint is beyond man. This is the domain of Christ. This power of Christ is able to save a sinner and deliver him from the penalty of sin which is death and hell! No man can do this. Furthermore, the believer's spiritual growth and ability to see and understand the truth, and the power to stand against the wiles and attacks of the evil one – these are only possible through Christ's power. The believer has nothing to glory in himself. He must know that when he has given his all and every ounce of his strength in serving the LORD and people are blessed by his life and ministry, it is all of Christ because it is His power alone that has accomplished them! Christ alone (through the Holy Spirit) is able to touch, convict, convert and encourage hearts. Man cannot. Man can only impact the external but Christ impacts the internal.

 

This power that Christ promised all believers is very needful and important in the fulfillment of His Great Commission!

 

The Command to Go -- After this great assurance comes the great command to "go"! The commission begins with the message to go. The believer is to go and teach all nations without exception. The content of the teaching is the gospel of salvation of Jesus Christ! We know this because the word "teach" in verse 19 is "to make disciples". The gospel of Jesus Christ is also called the first principle doctrine or the milk doctrine. Without the message of the narrow road, the rest of the Great Commission is not necessary because the sinner will not be able to understand. The rest of the doctrines are the meat doctrines which teach the believer how to mature in Christ and be a godly witness. He cannot do any of this if he is not born again and is still a slave to sin and spiritually blind. The gospel is very important as it pertains to the sinner’s salvation. Therefore, we must guard the gospel message at all times. We must ensure that the gospel is preached according to Scriptures or else those who listen and believe might believe in another Christ which is another gospel. They may think they are saved when in reality they are still sinners bound by their sin and on their way to hell, not heaven! An anathema would be prescribed on anyone who preaches another gospel that deceives.

 

Although the gospel is important, it is not the most important thing in the believer’s life. The most important thing in the believer’s life is that he glorifies God in all that he does. If the gospel is the most important thing in the believer’s life, then the end would soon justify the means especially when the means is to lie and to compromise the faith! Compromise was what neo-evangelicals did when they stood on the same podium with Roman Catholics and delivered the distorted gospel. Charismatics have been preaching the wicked and deceptive "health and wealth" gospel to lure sinners into the church with the promise of heaven, when what still awaits them is hell. Others have lied, such as inviting unsaved friends to church under the guise of a tea party or barbecue, when the actual purpose was to share the gospel! But when the most important thing is to glorify God, the means will be just as important as the end. All that the believer does must glorify God! Then God can use him for His service and glory. The gospel content must begin with sin and include death and hell, the virgin birth of Christ, his death and resurrection. These are key elements that must be mentioned in the gospel message (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11).

 

Once the gospel is preached and the sinner believes in Christ with all his heart, then he is a Christian. Christ will baptize him with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will dwell within the believer's heart. The believer is now a spiritual person in Christ. He is able to see and understand spiritual things, instantaneously. He must then establish this understanding by joining a local church that is sound and biblical so that he may grow and be baptized. In the church he will taught the deeper truths of the gospel message so that all aspects of the gospel message will be deeply understood, that Satan cannot succeed in making him think he can lose his salvation. Hebrews 6:1-3 (KJV), "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit." The new believer must ensure this is done in his life through the church that he joins. It must be a church that will help him grow in the Lord through the correct teaching and preaching of God’s Word and through genuine Christian fellowship.

 

This gospel must be given to all without any prejudice. The preaching of the gospel must never be forced upon anyone. No one must be coerced into believing, either by threats or by seduction. If we encounter those who say they are not interested in the gospel, Jesus taught the disciples to move on to others who want to hear. Mark 6:11 (KJV), "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."

 

The Command to be Baptized -- After the gospel message is accepted, the second part would be the commitment to be publicly identified with Christ by being baptized. Water Baptism is the first of two sacraments commanded by the Lord that all believers must obey. The other is to keep the Lord’s Supper as often as we can, in remembrance of our Saviour! Water baptism does not save a person but it does not mean that it is not important in the believer's life. Water baptism has two aspects.

 

1. Believer’s Baptism signifies the washing away of sin and renunciation of one’s sinful past. Paul explains this aptly: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3,4).

Believer’s Baptism means cleansing from sin and dying to one’s sinful past.

Water Baptism signifies entry into the New Covenant and admission into the church of Jesus Christ. In Old Testament times, God instituted a covenant with Abraham, signified by circumcision as the outward sign of faith. This sign of circumcision applied to all who wished to be identified visibly with God’s people, the nation of Israel.

In the New Testament, the same covenant is extended to all Jews and Gentiles like in the Old Testament. With this, the rite of circumcision lapsed and in its place was baptism.

Water Baptism signifies total commitment and life-long allegiance to Jesus Christ, to the exclusion of all others.

It may be likened to marriage where the bride gives herself exclusively to the bridegroom for life. It is a happy, proud and expectant event. With Baptism, the believer publicly declares his love for and allegiance to Jesus Christ because of His great and undying love. With profound happiness, pride and expectation, the believer gives himself totally and exclusively to Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom - for life.

 

2. Infant Baptism

Our church, as well as certain other churches (Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian), believes in Infant Baptism, i.e. baptism of infants and children. Infant baptism is a covenant between believing parents and God.

When God called Abraham to be a father of many nations, He also instituted the ceremonial rite of circumcision. "And God said to Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised ... and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you" (Genesis 17:9-11). This was God’s agreement for blessing His chosen people, the Jews. This blessing was also extended to the Gentiles.

 

In the New Testament time, the covenant of blessing was extended to the Gentiles, i.e. all nations and people who believed in Jesus. The ceremonial rite of circumcision was superseded by the sacrament of baptism. Colossians 2:11-12, "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." The believer’s circumcision is now baptism.

 

What is the significance, then, of including children in the new covenant of baptism? Just as in Old Testament time, believing parents brought their sons in faith for circumcision, likewise in New Testament time parents bring their children in faith for baptism. In both instances, the parents are claiming God’s covenant blessing for their children. This is more than just a "dedication." The Jews circumcised their infants because they were already part of the people of God. The parents were commanded by God to circumcise their infants or else their infants would be cut off, i.e. would die. If they did not want to circumcise their children, the parents were telling God that they did not wish their children to enjoy the covenant blessings and that they did not desire to bring their children up in the ways of God.

 

Believers today baptize their infants for the same reason in that their children are already part of the covenant blessing that God will bestow on all believers. Salvation is personal but the blessing that comes with salvation is covenantal. That is why God says our children are holy in His sight. 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 (KJV), "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." [emphasis added]

 

In bringing their children for baptism, believing parents are acknowledging that they would like to claim God’s promise of blessing upon them. At the same time, they promise God to faithfully bring up their children in the fear and knowledge of God and in the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ. At a later stage, when the child is old enough to confirm his own faith in Jesus Christ, the Church then publicly receives him into membership at a Confirmation Service, also referred to as "Reaffirmation of Faith".

 

Water baptism is a very important in the believer's life. All believers must be baptized, otherwise they could be charged for being ashamed of Christ and the gospel which they profess to believe!

 

The Command to Teach -- The third part is to turn them into mature Christians and that is to teach them to obey the whole counsel of God. The word "teach" in verse 20 is "to instruct", like teaching the Word of God to help the believer gain more knowledge of God. Defending the Word of God, pointing out sins and dealing with sins, practising the doctrine of biblical separation, etc are all included here. No doctrine must be pitted against another. They are all of equal importance in the sight of God. We cannot say that preaching the gospel is more important than defending God’s perfect Word or practising biblical separation. The doctrines of inspiration and preservation teach us that ALL of the Scriptures are equally inspired and preserved by God, not some more or some less inspired or preserved. They have different purposes in the believer’s life.

 

After a person is saved, he must grow and become more like Christ. It is like a baby coming into this world. We cannot say that being born into this world is more important than feeding the baby with milk and seeing the child grow. Neo-evangelicals today who emphasize the gospel message above other doctrines find themselves without the gospel to preach any longer. They have diluted the gospel so much by their compromises that they do not dare offend and to preach about hell and sin. Some only preach about love and heaven without preaching repentance. This is to preach another gospel and definitely not love, because love is always in truth! Such a gospel has only half truths which cannot save anyone! It is no wonder that Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV), "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

 

The Promise of His Presence -- Last but not least is the great promise. The Almighty Christ Jesus promised to be with all His disciples who obey the above stated Great Commission. He will never leave them. He will be there for them no matter where He might send them as His witnesses even if it is to the end of the world! They will never serve alone even though sometimes they might feel lonely and are in need of Christian fellowship. They must remember that Christ who sent them to continue His ministry to reach the world with the gospel of Christ and to build up His church will be with them all the way until they are called home to glory. This is a most wonderful assurance and promise given to all believers by Christ.

 

Conclusion -- The Great Commission is more than just the gospel message. To believe this would make us like the neo-evangelicals and will surely lead to the position of compromise. The Great Commission is to preach the gospel according to Scriptures, obey the two sacraments, and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ by a lifetime of studying and obeying the whole counsel of God. AMEN.