Who was the Great Commission given to?

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No one has the Authority that the Apostles of Christ had. Their teaching and doctrines live on as God raises up men who preach faithfully the Apostles Doctrine. Thats why Jesus said Jn 17:20

20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

The New Testament scriptures are their word..However the Commission specifically given to the Apostles Matt 28, is over with..

 

Mt. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I believe this scripture is specifically to those who were present. If it was to everyone, then why do we have churches? If it is specifically to all Christians, then everyone should be out on the mission field now. There would be no one left in the churches.

IMO, this scripture has been taken out of context many times. In one book I recently read, a SBC minister was scolding Christians, using the scripture, for not going on these short time mission trips sponsored by his church.

 

According to the text the only people present were 11 Apostles.

 

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God calls Many to Preach the Gospel, however none but the Apostles were called to do the great Commission of Matt 28.

The New Covenant Promised that all the Elect would come into a Savivng Knowledge of God through Christ, and that is not dependent upon men necessarily. Heb 8:10-11

10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

 

They were to teach all nations !

Matt 28:17-20

17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The people Jesus had in mind here for the Apostles to reach were unconverted,but made spiritually alive elect sinners, who would be teachable. They would be discipled.

In fact the word for Teach in vs 19 is the greek word mathēteuō and means to:

to be a disciple of one

a) to follow his precepts and instructions

2) to make a disciple

a) to teach, instruct

Christ's Power would be with them and for them, making alive all those who would be ready to be instructed. For instance, The Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8:

26-31

26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

Their mission was very specific, it would be to those whom God would give a Spiritual Desire to, to be instructed.

It began on the day of Pentecost after the Spirit came for that very witnessing Purpose. Those who Peter preached to were awaken by the Spirit and desired to be discipled, instructed , thats why they asked Acts 2:37

37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

They had been made willing to be instructed in the Day of Christ's Power Ps110:3Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,

So this commission was to a very specific prepared people. Like John the Baptist Ministry was unto Lk 1:17

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

The Holy Spirit made them ready in the Apostles case !

Matt 28:18-19 was for the regenerated but yet unconverted elect to be spiritually instructed !

 

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I know I already stated that. Only the Regenerated will be discipled. The second word for teaching is didaskō and means:


to discharge the office of a teacher, conduct one's self as a teacher

2) to teach one

a) to impart instruction

b) instill doctrine into one

c) the thing taught or enjoined

d) to explain or expound a thing

f) to teach one something


This also pertains to the regenerated elect. The work of evangelism was for the regenerated, unconverted Elect, or the Church.

Eph 4:11-13

11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Matt 28:18-19 was not for lost people to be won to the Lord, but to all them whom Christ had redeemed by His Blood, to be converted and Taught the Doctrine of Christ..

 

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I already know that, I am not talking about them, cant you read?

That text is about the Apostles Job, not yours or anyones else. At the most it may apply to those directly taught by the Apostles like a Timothy or a Titus, those whom the Apostles ordained pastors to be because Christ gifted them.

The commission is over with. Besides, you do not teach the Apostles Doctrine anyway ! You deny Christ's Death alone reconciled and Justified the Elect before God, you teach man must do something, that is not the Gosel of God.

 

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No it does not, you totally ignored this comment:

Philip would be included , also Philip himself was a gift given by Christ in that first century to the Church Eph 4:11-13

11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Philip was an evangelist and his gift would have been perceived by the Apostles Acts 21:8

And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

 

2Co_11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.


Gal_1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

 

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All the elect will come unto the unity of the Faith, but what does that have to do with The Great commission given to the Apostles ?

The New Covenant promises that All the Elect shall Know God Heb 8:10-11

10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

The Holy Spirit is still giving Elect eople Faith in Christ, and He will Perfect their Faith in Him through the Word of God, The Apostle's Doctrine. Though they be dead, their words still speaketh like the principle set forth with Abel's Blood Heb 11:4

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

 

The Great Commission !



Matt 28:18-20

18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

When Jesus gave this task to His disciples, to teach , to instruct, to disciple, this presupposes that they would be in a spiritual condition to receive their spiritual instruction, so those who were spiritually dead in trespasses and sins could not be the intended ones that they were sent to disciple. It was only those that had been quickened, made alive that would be taught by them the Gospel of Christ. That word Teach in vs 20 is the greek word didaskō and is the word Paul uses to say that He was Taught the Gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ Gal 1:11-12

11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Eph 4:20-21

20But ye have not so learned Christ;

21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

So the Great Commission was Jesus sending His Ministers to deliver the goods, the Good News to all whom He would give New Birth by His Resurrection 1 Pet 1:3

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

So, all such would be receptive to their teaching, instruction, and discipling !