Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
If you truly understand the difference between a commission to go to the far reaches of the earth and the general charge to be ready with a defense, then you understand what I am talking about when I suggest that the “great commission” was given to those who were to go to the far reaches.
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I am not clear what you have been trying to say, I will try to say what I understand you to have said, and perhaps that is where the problem will show up.
It seems to me that you are saying that Matt 28:16-20 was spoken directly to the 11 disciples. It was recorded by Matthew so that we could get some insight into the commission the Lord gave to the apostles and is not written by Matthew as a "great commission" to all that read the gospel of Matthew, though you do not reject that view outright. You also, based on this that I have just quoted above, seem to understand verse 19 "Go ye therefore and teach all nations" to indicate that this commission was a charge to the 11 to go to the far reaches of the Earth.
Here is where I differ.
Yes, it was spoken to the 11, and yes Matthew specifically noted that, so it is certainly relevant, and yes, that would therefore give us insight into the commission the Lord gave to the apostles.
However, I have a much broader understanding of the word "go ye therefore and teach all nations". No doubt, for some, and especially for the apostles that indicates evangelistic journeys. But I see this as a charge to all believers to become actively involved in the gospel. This is why I listed a variety of services someone could do that would, to my understanding, fulfill this commission. I have never read this, nor was I aware that anyone else had read this, to mean that every Christian is supposed to be another Billy Graham.
We have had a thorough discussion of the Apostles and I came to the conclusion that the apostolic gift was a gift to go into a land that was previously not evangelized and evangelize it. However, in doing so the church is established and so the land is no longer unevangelized and therefore this gift becomes dormant. But that merely means that the work of evangelizing that was commissioned by the Lord in these verses is carried out by the church. One individual's service in this gospel might be to make sure the meeting hall has the heat turned on an hour before the meeting starts, etc. So, if you look at an individual it might be difficult to see that this is a response to the commission, but if you look at the church it should be very clear. You should see on a weekly basis that the church as a corporate Body is doing the work of teaching the nations to observe all things commanded by the Lord. You should see evidence that all power has been given unto the Lord and that He is with you always.