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 When we are asked by leaders in our congregations to do something or to believe something in regards to Scripture, we should always be like the Bereans and test everything against Scripture itself (Acts 17:11)... the whole of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17). If a person feels "led by the spirit" to speak, behave, or believe a certain way, they should test that spirit (1 John 4:1) and see whether what that spirit is telling them to do is in agreement or disagreement with Scripture.
Let us take a journey together through Scripture and see what it says about the matter of "The Great Commission"... a "walk in the Word" so to speak. As we take this walk, may we say, believe, and do what is right, be merciful in our speech and actions, and walk humbly with the Lord (Micah 6:8).
Scriptural quotations are from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted. Bolded text or other emphases in the Scriptural references are the author's.
While the phrase "The Great Commission" is never found in Scripture the "commission" it references is generally considered to be found at the end of Matthew chapter 28:
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Let's examine this passage using the standard "who, what, when, where, why" questions and see what Scripture tells us about this commission.
Who
Who was speaking? It was Yeshua.
To whom was He speaking? To the 11 talmidim.
It was not to all of His disciples... just the core 11 who were left after Judas had betrayed Yeshua. Does this mean the commandment is for all of His disciples from that time until today? The passage doesn't explicitly tell us one way or the other. Let's continue on and see what Scripture will reveal.
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