The Great Commision

The Great Commission, is the mission of all Christians. We are called by Jesus Christ to go to all nations and preach the Gospel, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). In the Greek this "go" is actually very specific. It does not mean actually "go, travel, leave and do it now." It actually is a passive tense (V-APP-NMP) and reads more like this, "Then he told them, "As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone," (Mark 16:15 ISV) and the Greek, "'Having gone to all the world, proclaim the good news to all the creation." (Mark 16:15 Young's Translation) which is Greek:"καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς,Πορευθέντες εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα,  κηρύξατε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει : And Then He to them, Having gone out into the world, preach the Gospel (Evangelion) to all the creation." (The actual tense is "having gone into the world," this is phrase that means, "as you go about in world," (see ISV translation above) meaning while you go on business trip, vacation, and more, preach the Gospel as opportunities come to you. While there is nothing wrong with zeal of missionaries, the actual tense of Jesus' words is as you are going about in world, meaning when you are traveling to other countries, going to office, getting your car fix, and etc., share your testimony and the Gospel. In fact, with most of world now immigrating, you can "go to the world," in your own neighborhood, at Subway, at Verizon, public transit, and beyond. It is not a command sense in Greek "you must go," but the passive sense "as you go." Again, I would not tell missionaries and people who resolute to go and preach, who have call of a certain nation and people on their hearts to stop, I am just saying this Commision is possible to fufill in your own sphere of influence, life, and daily travels (not just big travels to France, Iraq, India, Brazil and etc.).

The Apostles certainly took the command of Christ in an active tense, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19), which was to great benefit for God's Kingdom. So I am not saying actively going and preaching Gospel in Africa, Arabia, and even in America is wrong, go and preach is the Lord call you to, but the point is the Great Commission is for kings, prophets, and priests type people (not just one class, the clergy). The point is that you are participating in it passively, in that as you go about work at the office, online, and even as you work at construction sites, drive thru fast food, and etc. The Great Commission is not a call for everyone to be missionary, as in make your life and career gospel spreading, everyone is a missionary and ambassador for Christ, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20). Each of us is a reconciler and ambassador of Christ, and most people aren't professional missionaries or preachers (see my post on The Problem of Professionals). How can business man who loves Jesus, a professional sports player, and many others make a career of being a missionary when they must spend their time in board meetings, and on courts and stadiums? They must preach Gospel as they go about in world, not drop it all and become a ordained four year graduated missionary. No, your mission field is wherever you are, at work, in the halls, your apartment complex, your neighborhood, your city, the highways during commute, and beyond.

The Gospel is to be preached until Jesus Christ returns, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction/Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching/Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach/Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching." (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Here the Apostle tells us to preach the world, the Word of God (Jesus, John 1:1-15 and Revelation 19:11-16) to all people wither people want to receive it or not, wither there is revival and favor on the message of Christ or not favorable. So we must be bold, but be mindful that Paul does warn in next verse, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (1 Timothy 4:3). The Apostle indicates rather clearly that a time is coming when people will not listen, but in prior verses (above) he urges us to keep sharing the message. We have from Christ Himself assurance that the Gospel much be preached no matter what to all nations so that the end comes and He Returns, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come," (Matthew 24:14). The end shall come when all nations have heard the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. So there definitely is nothing wrong with initiative, and boldness to reach the unreached, but make no mistake the Great Commission of Jesus Christ is in the passive tense in the Greek, and so that means "as you go about," in the world, preach the Gospel, and that world isn't just the literal whole planet, but the world, as in sense of world system, and world you live in, America, Arabia, Africa, India, China, Japan, and etc.