The summer the Lord saved me was the best summer of my life! I received the assurance that my sins were forgiven, the hope of eternal life, an insatiable desire to understand Scripture, a love for God and an excitement about evangelism.
Not too long after my conversion, I was questioned by a family member about my desire to evangelize. He told me that the Great Commission was for the apostles, not for me. Was he right? Was I applying a verse to me that really wasn’t for me at all? How “Great” is the Great Commission? Is it an exclusive command bound by history, intended only for the immediate audience? Or was it greater than that?
Let’s begin examining a few of the evidences from Scripture, which demonstrate that the Great Commission was intended for the entire church.
1) The example of the entire church
In Acts 1:8 Christ affirmed that, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, his disciples would be his witnesses. Was this promise limited to the apostles only?
Acts 8:1-4 describes one of the ways this promise was fulfilled. In this passage the church was scattered after the martyrdom of Stephen, but notice what the Church was engaged in as they scattered.
Acts 8:1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Where did the apostles stay according to verse 1? Jerusalem! So who was doing the preaching? It was the body of Christ! Those that did not receive the Great Commission directly were engaged in evangelism. Similar examples are found in Acts 8:25-40 and Acts 11:19-22. The Early Church advanced by disciples making disciples, not by apostles making apostles!
In Christ Alone,
George
Not too long after my conversion, I was questioned by a family member about my desire to evangelize. He told me that the Great Commission was for the apostles, not for me. Was he right? Was I applying a verse to me that really wasn’t for me at all? How “Great” is the Great Commission? Is it an exclusive command bound by history, intended only for the immediate audience? Or was it greater than that?
Let’s begin examining a few of the evidences from Scripture, which demonstrate that the Great Commission was intended for the entire church.
1) The example of the entire church
In Acts 1:8 Christ affirmed that, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, his disciples would be his witnesses. Was this promise limited to the apostles only?
Acts 8:1-4 describes one of the ways this promise was fulfilled. In this passage the church was scattered after the martyrdom of Stephen, but notice what the Church was engaged in as they scattered.
Acts 8:1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Where did the apostles stay according to verse 1? Jerusalem! So who was doing the preaching? It was the body of Christ! Those that did not receive the Great Commission directly were engaged in evangelism. Similar examples are found in Acts 8:25-40 and Acts 11:19-22. The Early Church advanced by disciples making disciples, not by apostles making apostles!
In Christ Alone,
George
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