The Great Commission in Stereo

by Dr Leong Tien Fock

We live in a world where many people are cynical about religion. Injustice and violence have been blatantly perpetuated in the name of religion. There are those who even believe that religion is the cause of the world's problems. How do we fulfill the Great Commission in such a world?

According to Steve Douglass, current president of Campus Crusade for Christ, the organization's calling is "to build spiritual movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus Christ". He does not say, "…so that everyone has a chance to hear the Gospel". This may come as a surprise, as the organization is known for evangelism. But it holds the answer to the question just raised.

Douglass was asked, "Why stop at everyone just 'knowing someone who truly follows Christ'? Don't we want everyone simply to know Christ?" He replied, "It's not that we're stopping, but it is a measuring stick. Once this is in place, the job will get done." Why is this so? He has been asking people, "Was there anybody in your life that didn't lead you to Christ but influenced you toward Christ?" Well over half, maybe even two-thirds, of the people would say "yes". That means decisions to believe in Jesus are usually the results of a process - a process shared by those who reap the harvest as well as those who plowed the ground, sowed the seeds and watered the plants. "We're all thrilled with the results," says Douglass, "but what preceded that [people coming to Christ] was them knowing someone who is a true follower of Jesus."

This is consistent with the Great Commission as given in Matt 28:18-20. Unlike in Mark 16:15, this version of the Great Commission does not directly say, "Preach the Gospel." It says, "Make disciples" (not converts) by going, baptizing and teaching. The Church in every generation is to "go", meaning, do what she needs to do so that she can "baptize" people. This certainly involves evangelism. But very often pre-evangelism is needed so that people are open to the Gospel. For instance, the missionaries who came to Malaysia built schools.

Baptism (which in the early Church happened soon or right after conversion) initiates a person into a whole new way of life - the life of discipleship to Christ. The Church is commanded to "teach" or mentor the new disciples "to observe everything I have commanded you". Discipleship, that is, following Christ, is learning to observe everything Christ has commanded in every area of our lives. When we mentor others we are helping them to follow Christ, not us. A Christian is a disciple of Christ. We are told, "the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch" (Acts 11:26).

This understanding is crucial to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. For when people are baptized and bear the name of Christ, their life testimony or lack of it will either attract others to, or repel them from, Christianity. The most powerful pre-evangelism is the credible life witness of Christians. It is no accident that Luke's version of the Great Commission says, "You shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). We cannot bear witness to what we ourselves have not personally experienced. The Church's witness in words must be backed and preceded by her witness in life that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord and Savior. People must first see the Gospel lived out before them before they hear the Gospel preached to them.

This principle has always been true ever since Christ gave His last command. But in a world where many people are cynical about religion this is all the more indispensable. When those who bear the name of Christ also practice or support injustice it feeds the cynicism toward Christianity even more. No true follower of Christ would approve of injustice. The Great Commandment to love God with all our heart is in practice observed through its inseparable twin commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:37-40). In fact, this twin commandment summarizes all the commandments, and it means, do to others what we want others to do to us (Matt 7:12). No one wants injustice to be done to him. We recognize injustice when we see it, unless we are the perpetrators. Thus the Great Commandment requires us to identify with those on the receiving end. For to love my neighbor as myself means to love my neighbor as though my neighbor were myself.

John's version of the Great Commission, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21), was first expressed in the context, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:16-18). Christians are not of the world but sent into the world, as Christ was sent into the world. Thus when non-Christians look at them there is something about them that is "out of this world", something which they admire and are attracted to, even when they hate to admit it. One expression of this "something" is: "All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another" (John 13:35). Thus the idea of a Christian mistreating another Christian is unimaginable.

Having now heard the four versions of the Great Commission presented in stereo, the answer to the question of how we should make disciples in an age of cynicism - or any age - is clear. In fact it is clear enough even if we hear in mono just the version officially called the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). It teaches that Christians are called to observe every, not just the last, command of Christ. The result is that those who preach the Gospel (Mark's version) would bear witness to Christ by life and words (Luke's version), and the Christianity they represent would be attractive to non-believers (John's version).

Problems arise when people read Matthew 28 and conclude that Christ's last command is their first concern. The Great Commission (thus misunderstood) then becomes more important than the Great Commandment, when the goal of the Great Commission is obedience to the Great Commandment!

Dr Leong Tien Fock is Research coordinator of Malaysia Campus Crusade for Christ.