Does the Great Commission Apply to All Believers?
Who was Jesus speaking to when He gave the great commission to take the Gospel into the whole world? Does the Great Commission apply to all believers or just to the disciples who were listening to Jesus that day?
While the text isn’t explicitly clear, we can learn a lot by looking at the wording and asking two questions:
- Would it be possible for eleven men to take the Good News of Jesus Christ into all the world? Would the disciples have made it to every section of the world? No, that was not possible. But today, getting to the “ends of the earth” is becoming more of a reality!
- Did the disciples live “to the end of the age”? No, the disciples didn’t live to the “end of the age.” This infers that the followers who came after them were also intended to be recipients of this Great Commission.
The Great Commission is not a call for each and every Christian from the time of Jesus until the end of time to go into cross-cultural missions work. However, it is a call to action. We each have a role to play in the Great Commission. First Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (NKJV). We are all called to share our faith with those in our sphere of influence. We are called to share what Jesus has done for us!
“We are called to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. Going into the nations and making disciples,” says K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), founder of GFA World. “Jesus came to serve, not be served—so what should we be doing? Everything we do, as believers, should be out of an eagerness to serve the Lord—not out of guilt or to be religious. We should have passion behind what we do for the Lord. We live in a fallen world and as believers how can we expect to know Him if we live selfishly? We need to share the hope that only He can give with others—it is meant for everyone, not just us.”[1]
At GFA World, we provide a way for you to reach into all the world and share the Good News. Through national missionaries in South Asia and Africa, we are reaching those who have never heard of God’s great love and salvation. These missionaries need prayer supporters and generous givers to make their ministry possible.
Will you join us in fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus?
What is the Great Commission? Find out how GFA World is fulfilling it today.
[1] “Choose To Serve, Part 1.” GFA World. Accessed July 27, 2023. https://www.gfa.org/resource/detail/audio-choose-to-serve-part-one.