That Commission is Ours, Too David Anguish Occasionally throgh the years we have encountered some who arguesd that Matthew 28:18-20, commonly called the Great Commission, was intended only for the apostles and should not be bound on modern believers. The argument centers on the fact that Jesus' specific audience in Matthew 28 was "the eleven disciples" (v 16). Just as their "limited commission" of Matthew 10 (see especially verses 1, 5) applied only to the twelve sent out with authority to teach and do great things, so, the argument runs, the great commission was intended only for the disciples who originally heard Jesus speak. That there are passages which do not apply to anyone other than the original readers or hearers should not be disputed. Since the documents were written centuries ago, no Bible passage was originally addressed to anyone living today. But we legitimately conclude that the teaching of some passages applies to us because of the language of the passage or the principle it teaches. We also correctly conclude that other commands were never intended for any save those who first heard them. So, for example, we note that, since all people everywhere are told to repent (Acts 17:30) and we are people, then we are expected to repent. And we conclude that, although there is a clear command to "make for yourself an ark of gopher wood" (Genesis 6:14), that command applied only to Noah and the particular situation in which he found himself at the time (which is not to say that there is not a principle of obedience illustrated in his case which does apply more broadly). The context of any passage is the final determinant for its meaning, both with regard to what it originally meant and with regard to any application of it for later times. So, when considering Matthew 28:18-20, we must ask whether the context limits its application to that original setting or extends it to other times and places. Analysis of the passage, along with the remote context of other Scripture passages, convince us that Jesus did intend for it to be our commisssion too. In order to fully appreciate the significance of Matthew's text for our day, we must resist the temptation to see the commission only in terms of the word "go." That God has kept his promise to send a deliverer for all the world must be shared. Those who would sit on the twelve thrones of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30) and would form the foundation upon which the glorious church would rest (Ephesians 2:20; cf. Reverlation 21:14) were naturally expected to broadcast the good news of what God had done. And if all the commission entailed was going and telling, the argument that this passage applied only to the apostles might carry more weight. But in fact, their purpose was not to go, but to "make disciples." While going was part of the way to do that, so too was baptizing by the authority of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and "teaching them observe all that I commanded you" (v 20). That last phrase is especially significant for us, for part of "all that [Jesus] commanded" was this commission. If they did as commanded, they would necessarily teach their students to fulfill this commission. And if those students did as they were taught, they would teach their students to fulfill it. And so on. One of Paul's final exhortations to his associate Timothy supports this conclusion. "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also," he wrote (2 Timothy 2:2). The commission to make disciples - and bear in mind that the commission entails a worldwide vision, not just a local one - remains the concern of saints brought together into the body of Christ, regardless of the time or place in which they find themselves. What are you doing to help this global vision become real?