THE GREAT COMMISSION:
HOW DOES IT READ IN THE GOSPELS?
THE GREAT COMMISSION:
HOW DOES IT READ IN THE GOSPELS?
JAN LILLEBY
On this topic I have written a lot of material earlier.
And still I find other angles to present, so to be
able to prove to you that it was Israel only, as the
main focus in all four Gospels. Below is my
latest take on the Great Commission!
God dealt only with His nation of old, Israel as we read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And the same is true with Acts.
In the four Gospels, we learn that the so-called ‘Great Commission’ was NOT an order from Jesus to His disciples to go out into the entire global world. He told them to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel!
He Himself was sent only to Israel and not to us Gentiles!
Jesus told His listeners clearly of that Bible truth, Mat. 15:24, NASB,
“But He answered and said, "I was sent only * * to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Gentiles were not into this equation at all. We were shut out, and had no share in the Kingdom Gospel preached to Israel by Jesus and His apostles. Only proselytes could attend with the Jews in faith provided they were observing the Law (Acts 15).
Jesus also told His disciples NOT to go out in the way of the Gentiles, or on the way of the Samaritans, but ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Mat. 10:5-8).
CHRISTIANITY HAS FORGOTTEN THAT THERE
ARE FOUR ‘GREAT COMMISSIONS’
When using the label ‘Great commission’ most Christians think of Mat. 28 only. Forgetting that there are three more versions of how and what Jesus said to His disciples when ordering them to go preach the Kingdom Gospel.
Let us check out these four passages – which will lead us to the right conclusions on the ‘Great Commission’. Was it an order to go to the entire world, internationally, or was it an order to go to Israel only?
MATTHEW 28:16-20, NASB
“16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always *, even to the end of the age."
MARK 16:14-20, NASB
“14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
17 "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover *."
19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.] [And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. ]”
VERSE 20 – from AMP BIBLE:
“And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord was working with them and confirming the word by the signs that followed.]”
VERSE 20 – from KJV:
“And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
LUKE 24:44-53, NASB
“Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 "You are witnesses of these things.
49 "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually * in the temple praising God.”
JOHN 21:15-17, NASB
“12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
THE SUM OF THE FOUR GOSPELS TELLS US
THAT THE APOSTLES WENT TO ISRAEL ONLY
To give a short remark to this last passage, John 21, we shall notice that John’s Gospel story is the only one told by an apostle of Christ. Verse 24 says, This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. But the three other writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke, they relied on what others had noted down of what happened in the life of Jesus.
IN MATTHEW’S STORY we can’t find any sign or clue that Jesus eventually told them to go into worldwide mission. Jesus ordered them to go to Israel, - only, the translation of Matthew is lacking, since in the Greek texts it can also (and rather!) say - …and make disciples FROM all the nations… This leaves us a flock of disciples/apostles who not necessarily had to travel worldwide in mission. There was actually a choice here: They could choose to stay in Jerusalem and Israel, and THERE they could preach to people from ALL THE NATIONS – such ones who actually had come to Jerusalem for the Holy Feasts of Passover and Pentecost.
And, reading Acts 2:5 proves that this was the true narrative which Jesus had in mind: Jews from many nations/provinces came and were present at Pentecost as the Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 believers,
“5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
9 "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs -we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." (My emphasize)
I count 16 groups of pilgrims present, representing at least 13 different languages.
God had seen to it, that JEWS and proselytes, by His old Mosaic ordinance of that Pentecost feast each year in Jerusalem, resulted in multitudes present – so that finally they could be told that the promised Messiah King had come! It actually seem to me that God made the Pentecost with this goal only: That one special day in Acts 2 when He sent the Holy Spirit as He knew that thousands of Jews would hear the Gospel.
Paul, in Acts 20:16, NASB, give us an example of the importance of Pentecost in JERUSALEM,
“For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.”
This reminds us of the fact that there was Pentecost every year still. They kept up this ordinance/feast day. But Acts had no more report of same narrative as that in Acts 2. That miraculous event of the arrival of the Holy Spirit was a ‘One off’ what God was concerned. The sound of a stormy wind, the sight of flaming tongues sitting upon each one in the assembly, and the miraculous manifestation of multiple genuine (existing) languages were spoken all at once…with as much as 13 different languages. It only happened ONCE and have not been seen or heard at any times later in history. The Azusa Street ‘revival’ in Los Angeles 1906-1913 is a blatant hoax and a lie. There was NO REPETITION of the first Pentecost as in Acts 2! (see my article on Azusa revival).
The entire Jewry in the time of Jesus and the apostles had in mind that after Passover came the Pentecost. In Greek the word points to the number 50 (pente), - meaning 7 Sabbatical weeks after Passover, plus one day.
Thus the Pentecost described in Acts 2 was a Sunday, and it was on June 20 in the year 28 CE. It was also called ‘The Feast of the Weeks’.
Have you ever noticed in regard to Pentecost in the four Gospels, that we cannot find it at all? Only Acts 2 tells of it. Had it not been for Luke, we wouldn’t have heard of it, the way we now have.
So, the Holy Feast day of the fiftieth day after Passover are not mentioned in any of the Gospels. To me it seems like the day did not become important before THAT special day, when time had come to send the Holy Spirit and power upon the apostles and their followers.
THAT day, pardon my repetition, had been foreseen by God as the day when most Jews from the civilized world would be present in Jerusalem. Thus creating the ultimate opportunity to have the Kingdom-Gospel preached to them, telling them that Jesus is the Messiah of God.
So, conclusively we cannot assume that Mat. 28 and the ‘Great Commission’ was an order for the apostles to go into the entire world. And when checking Acts historic narrative, we find that they actually stayed within the natural borders of Israel – the entire time!
Luke 24:52, 53 have been quoted above, but I gladly repeat the verses to you:
“And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually * in the temple praising God.”
At each Passover as well as Pentecost, we find the apostles gathered under the Portico of Solomon at the temple site. They never went abroad. However, Paul went abroad – for he was Christ’s appointed apostle to the Gentiles as well as kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15).
Mark says, go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.
And we are learning of Jesus Who promised them that signs and miracles would follow them….speaking in tongues, casting out of demons, healing the sick, and more.
Never the less: We have to conclude same as with Matthew, that this was a mission to Israel only. Why?
Because the Acts story tells us what exactly the apostles did in ministry 28 CE-62 CE. Acts is actually over-ruling all the Gospels regarding WHERE the apostles went, WHAT they did, and not the least: what they said to the people of Israel both Jews and proselytes.
Acts clearly tell us that Peter and the eleven NEVER WENT ABROAD.
So, Acts has NO REPORT OF APOSTLES (the twelve) going abroad. On the contrary, they were found under the Portico of Solomon. They all gathered there during the Holy Feast days Passover and Pentecost.
Acts 3:1-10 NASB, gives us the whereabouts of Peter and John: they were still in Jerusalem, and on their way up to the temple – even the time of the day is reported, it was 03-PM…or as we say in Europe, 15.oo. Three o’clock in the afternoon. The year was probably 29 CE, one year after the Pentecost in Acts 2.
“1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!"
5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -walk!"
7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.
7 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Acts 5 furthermore tells us they stayed in Jerusalem, and Jesus still ‘working with them’ performing miraculous signs and wonders! It didn’t happen at Rome, or Londonium (London) or any other places on earth. Verses 12-16 says it all very clearly,
“12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. (In the temple site, my remarks)
13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.
14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,
15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.
16 Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.”
The mighty healing-wave of the Holy Spirit in the apostles ministry was in the year 32-33 CE - 4-5 years after Pentecost in Acts 2. THEY STILL HELD THE FORT IN JERUSALEM, spiritually speaking. No report of them going abroad!
Some believers have thought that Peter’s ‘stalling at Jerusalem’ – not yet had gone abroad in worldwide mission, was a human error. He not yet understood that Mat. 28 was an order to go into ‘all the world’. In other words, he was actually disobedient.
But hold on: he cannot have been.
Because in Mark 16:20 we find that Jesus was with His apostles, ‘..And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.
If the Lord worked with them, it would free Peter from such a theory that he was disobedient or ignorant. Had he so been, then Jesus certainly would not have worked with them. He would have reproved them and so make them come right again in the ministry.
The miracle-signs in Mark 16 were all such things which were given Israel only. This special power for signs and healings was given so the people of Israel should understand that God was with the apostles. Paul taught this in 1 Cor. 14:21, 22, as he used the tongue-signs as example for all signs granted. This testifies to us that it was Israel indeed, which was the focus for mission during the entire time of Acts.
Mark’s ‘all the world’ – was Israel within its borders. And ‘all creation’ – was the inhabitants of the nation. Not the global population in the entire world. Acts proves it. We cannot pretend that the history in Acts has not happened!
No wonder then, that Paul ALSO TAUGHT THIS…that Peter and his colleagues were ministering to the circumcised only, while he ministered to Gentiles (uncircumcised). Israel was Peter and the eleven’s mission field, and no others!
Peter himself confessed in Acts 10:28 that he by no means had been into fellowship with Gentiles. The known incident on top of Simon’s roof as Peter got a vision from the Lord as he was in prayer.
This was 8-9 years (36-37 CE) after Acts 2 and Pentecost. He did not have any fellowship with Gentiles…and yet, the entire Christianity propagates Peter as the one who went into ALL THE WORLD with the Gospel, based on the ‘Great commission’. We easily observe that it was impossible that Peter ever should have gone to Gentiles!
The incident at Caesarea with Peter preaching to a flock of Gentiles in Cornelius’ house was a ‘One off’. It happened only once, and it did not alter Peter’s ministry, of going ONLY to the circumcised (Israel).
LUKE’S GOSPEL also confirms the idea that the Gospel preaching given to the apostles, was for Israel only.
We find his Gospel saying, as I repeat a few verses,
“47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 "You are witnesses of these things.
49 "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
Proclaimed in His name to ALL NATIONS, beginning from Jerusalem….which means the same as we already have seen with Matthew and Mark: The nations are the same as reported in Acts 2:5 – Jews from all the world. This is in line with the Greek texts.
The national Gospel of the Kingdom of God on earth, with Jesus as the king ruling from Zion, on David’s throne (see Acts 3, Peter’s speech), was the only Gospel given to the twelve to preach to Israel. They thus offered them this kingdom at the eventual Second Advent. Only Israel has been promised to become a kingdom, a Holy Nation, according to Ex. 19:5, 6. And Gabriel reminded Maria of this when he came to her to tell of the birth of Jesus the Messiah (Luke 1:26-33) – Jesus would be the king of the House of Jacob (Israel) and sit on His father David’s throne.
ONLY PAUL was given the ministry to go to us Gentiles! (Acts 9:15).
JOHN’S GOSPEL really proves the same: The apostles were told to go and take care of the ‘Lost sheep of the House of Israel’ – which was what Jesus said of Himself in Mat. 15:24.
His disciples should now go and continue this mission to Israel, so we find Jesus telling this to the disciples, firstly addressing Peter.
In His speech to them in John 21:15-17, Jesus specified it clearly that the disciples’ mission would be to the ‘Lost sheep of the house of Israel’, - NASB,
Thus we find that the ‘Great Commission’ in John 21, was to go to care for the lost sheep of the house of Israel: Tend My lambs, Shepherd My sheep, Tend My sheep.
This can only mean that Jesus sent His disciples to preach and care for the house of Israel. And Acts gives hard evidence that they obeyed Jesus in the entire time of Acts!
Paul also taught that Jesus was a servant only to Israel, Rom. 15:8, NASB,
“For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,”
Circumcision means the Jews and their nation. It excludes Gentiles.
Let’s start with Acts 1:3 which give away what the whole thing was about, NASB,
“To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”
My emphasize, concerning THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Is that kingdom talking of heaven up above?
No way!
Jesus was born into this world, to become the Messiah, the anointed King to rule Israel in the millennial kingdom promised by the prophets. I just mentioned this above. Isaiah 2 tells of this event, as Jesus has come back to establish His rule.
John’s version of the so-called ‘Great Commission’ was that Jesus told them to go tend the SHEEP OF ISRAEL.
Not the Gentiles outside the land, but the Jews in Israel.
CONCLUSION
All the four Gospel stories points us to Israel as the one which should hear the preaching of the twelve apostles. They offered the nation the promised kingdom, and this would be established to them as soon as God saw the whole nation (See Acts 3 and Peter’s speech) having received Jesus and taken the water baptism.
The so-called ‘Great commission’ has nothing to do with us Gentiles at all. It was once given to have Israel receive their Messiah, Jesus Christ; which they did not. It resulted in God sending the Romans and they destroyed Israel in 70 CE.
The international Salvation Gospel, the free Grace of God, came to us by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. This is found in Ephesians and Colossians only. Eph. 3:1-3 tells us that Paul got this Gospel as a revelation given by the Lord, as he sat jailed in Rome 63-67 CE,
“1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.”
Gracepano.com
