The Great Commission: Preach the Gospel to Every Person & Nation & Baptize Disciples, Mark 16, (#5)

"The Great Commission: Preach the Gospel to Ever Person and Nation and Baptize Disciples, Mark 16," is part 2 of a 3 part series on the Great Commission passages (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). Much of the material is found in the study "The Great Commission in Scripture and History" at the FaithSaves website.

The resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, commanded HIs church to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). What are disciples? While some erroneously teach that discipleship isa status that certain believers chose to enter into at some point after their conversion, so that, within the larger class of believers, a smaller, elite group of believers are disciples, the Bible teaches that while there are such things as false believers (cf. John 2:23-3:3; 12:42; Acts 8:13) and false disciples (John 6:60, 66; 12:4), and neither all believers nor all disciples are equally spiritually strong (cf. Acts 14:22; 18:23), the Bible nevertheless equates the categories of believer and disciple, so that all saved people, all believers, are disciples.

Generally, a disciple is a learner or follower; “Christ taught his disciples” (Mark 9:31; cf Luke 11:1). A disciple of Christ is one who follows the Lord Jesus and follows or keeps His commandments; that is, “the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them” (Matthew 21:6; cf. 26:19). Scripture thus repeatedly records that Christ’s “disciples follow him” (Mark 6:1; Matthew 8:23; Luke 22:39; John 18:15; 21:20). When does one become a disciple? He becomes a “disciple” at the same moment that he becomes a “Christian”—when he is born again:

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)

This passage establishes an equals sign between the categories “disciples” and “Christians.” They are identical categories, fully overlapping. All disciples were called Christians and all Christians were disciples. Furthermore, at Antioch the disciples were called Christians “first” in time, but this designation spread to the rest of the believing community in the same manner. That is, Acts 11:26 teaches that first at Antioch, and from there in the rest of the world where the gospel had penetrated, it was disciples who were called Christians. The equation disciple = Christian was not limited to Antioch—it was universal, just starting first in time at Antioch. Acts 11:26 proves that the category of disciple and Christian are identical.

It is crucial that you see this is what you are aiming at as you go into all the world to evangelize or preach the gospel. What does obedience to this command look like? You have obeyed Matthew 28:19 when you have made disciples and are continuing to make disciples. The Commission is fulfilled is when someone who you have spoken to has believed on Christ, has a new nature, is a baptized servant in Christ’s church, and is learning of and following the Lord Jesus Christ; the baptized new convert is being taught “all things whatsoever” Christ commanded (28:20) and passing these truths on to others also. Success is when that person is spiritually mature and is ready himself to make disciples. The Great Commission looks like going into all the world, making people into born-again, baptized followers of and learners of Jesus Christ who are ready to make disciples themselves as part of your church. It looks like you making lots of disciples until it is time to send forth one or more of these disciples to establish a new congregation somewhere else where the process can continue.

The gospel of Mark provides further detail about the nature of the Great Commission, and so supplements the record in Matthew’s gospel:

14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:14-16)

Mark's narrative necessitates that the Commission is a church duty, not one for individuals or the apostles alone. The command of 16:15 is “Go ye,” a second person plural, which necessarily designates the church corporately. No Scriptural record exists where a Great Commission command is given to a solitary person at a post-resurrection appearance; neither Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9), Peter (1 Corinthians 15:5), James (1 Corinthians 15:7), or Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8) received the Great Commission-the church did.

The precedence of faith to baptism, which evidences that immersion is rightly administered to believers only, divests all paedobaptist bodies from any claim to a stake in the Great Commission. The church to which Christ gave His command only baptized visible saints.