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The “Great Commission”? – Comments on Modern Christian Missionary Evangelism “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) Applying this verse recklessly to the whole Body of Christ has been one of the great victories of the modern apostate religious system. Please note before we start that I AM NOT SAYING that the gospel should not be preached to every creature. Nor am I claiming that any particular Christian does not have the obligation to preach the gospel, or that we ourselves are not obligated to hear the Gospel and obey it. What I am trying to do, is properly understand this verse in light of what God would have us look like and how He would have us act TODAY. In short, What is our duty? Let’s take a look at the preceding verse:
“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” (Mark 16:14)
Note that this “great commission” is given specifically to the “eleven”, and it is specifically given because of their unbelief. The resurrected Jesus Christ appears to his eleven remaining disciples and the PRIMARY purpose for his appearance before them is to “upbraid” (or strongly rebuke or scold) them for their unbelief! Read verses 9-11. Mary Magdalene goes and tells the eleven disciples that Jesus lives, and they refuse to believe her. Then, in verse 12 he appears PERSONALLY to two of the “eleven” and these two go (in verse 13) to tell the other nine (the residue) and the other nine also refuse to believe. Remember that Jesus Christ had told these eleven men personally that he would be resurrected, and every one of these eleven men had claimed to believe Him.
So Jesus was dealing, in this section of scripture, with a rampant issue of unbelief among those who He had personally picked… those who had been “with Him” (verse 10). But why, we must ask, did they not believe? Had they not walked with Christ? Had they not talked with Him? Had they not witnessed in his many and manifold miracles? Why would they refuse to believe?
Well, as we well know, belief is not in the power of man. Belief is a gift of God (Phil. 1:29, John 6:29). It was not yet given unto these disciples to believe, and it is evident that the gift of belief had been temporarily withheld from them for God’s own glory. No one can believe in God (and all that He says about Himself) without belief being given from God. The Holy Spirit needs to reside with us, helping us to believe. So Jesus sends out these particular eleven hard-hearted disciples, with the specific injunction that they are to go to the entire known world at the time and preach the “good news”. Then, because of their unbelief, and the fact that no one would naturally believe them, He gives these “eleven” signposts so they can know when someone has truly believed:
1) They that are spiritually regenerated (born-again) by the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be the saved.
2) And those that are not given the gift of belief shall be the damned. Now we know that the following verses, apply to the eleven only – because in verse 20 it says “and they went forth”. Who are “they” who went forth? It must be the specific “eleven” to whom He is speaking. And it is confirmed to us plainly that they (the eleven) fulfilled this scripture by “preaching every where”. And it is confirmed that verses 18 and 19 refer to the “eleven”, because here in verse 20 it says that God “was working with them” to confirm the signs of their apostleship with the signs and miracles that he promised. So this section of scripture is a treatise on UNBELIEF and not on evangelism. God sent broken and unbelieving vessels out to preach His gospel, so that when the gospel was spread about, HE would get all the glory. He confirmed His message in them particularly and fulfilled this scripture before the eyes of the world. It was necessary that Christianity was to spread far and wide QUICKLY so that it could not be stamped out by persecution. It was also necessary that it grow ORGANICALLY and not organizationally, so that it could not be wiped out by the Romans.
So we have proved our point “positively”, in that we have shown in context that it was written specifically to the “eleven”. Next, I will prove our point “negatively”, in that I will show that it could not have been written to the whole church.
So now let us look at this section of verses “negatively”. Can it be that this verse is supposed to apply to the “whole church”, as in every Christian that ever lived?
I believe that it cannot, because the context does not allow that meaning, and because that interpretation would contradict the plain teaching of scriptures elsewhere. If I (according to the opinion of modern “Christianity”) am to apply this scripture to my life, then I must ask myself why I am currently sitting at my home. I still live and breathe, and I have not been martyred or taken home to heaven, so why am I not going forth to every country preaching the gospel to every creature? The acts of “preaching” and “teaching” are used synonymously in most of the Bible. Our primary verse in this study is Mark 16:15 which commands the eleven to “preach the gospel”. The exact parallel verse in Matthew 28:19 commands the eleven to “teach all nations” So in our context here, preaching and teach are synonymous. So why would James say, “My brethren, be not many masters (teachers), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” (James 3:1)? It doesn’t make much sense to tell people not to be teachers, if Jesus is contradicting this exhortation by commanding EVERY CHRISTIAN to “teach all nations”. And, of course, Paul asks in 1 Corinthians the 12th Chapter “Are all…teachers?” The answer is… OF COURSE NOT. So we must ask. If the Bible commands us in Mark chapter 16 to personally travel and evangelize, then why does the Bible openly encourage some people to stay home and live peaceably and to do good? If this scripture is meant to apply to every Christian, then almost every Christian that has ever lived has failed miserably in fulfilling it. And despite what the charismaniacs say, I can personally tell you that almost every “so-called” manifestation of miracles that I have seen from those who claim to be Christians has come from practical religious atheists who have convinced themselves that emotion and manipulation is fountainhead of the miraculous. And, after all, if this is a universal verse, then ALL THOSE who believe are to take up serpents and to drink poison.
The charismatics (most of whom DO NOT KNOW THEIR BIBLE AT ALL) have had a heyday with these verses. They then go on to confirm their own practical atheism and blasphemy with false signs and wonders.
Why, I might ask, when the apostles themselves gathered together in Acts the 15th chapter to consider EVERYTHING that is commanded of those who believe in Christ, do they command this:
“That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” Why are we commanded by Paul and all the other apostles to keep God’s commandments, particularly his Royal commandments (to love God and to love our neighbor) as the fulfillment of our total duty to God? Why is “missionary” evangelism absent from the Decalogue? And why is it not shadowed forth in the Old Testament? In the Old Testament, we do not see God sending Israelites out to evangelize and convert the surrounding heathen, in fact, in most places in the Bible they are encouraged to stay separate as possible from them. However, we do see in the Old Testament where God sent specific, chosen vessels (whether they be angels or men) to gather His elect together OUT OF the heathenish peoples. God scatters and re-gathers His elect according to His own glorious and supernatural power. He utilizes a very few, very select, very chosen vessels in which to accomplish His tasks.
Modern corporate “Christianity” (whether purposely or not, we shall eventually see) has totally missed what TRUE Christian evangelism is.
We are commanded by God to BE CHRISTIANS. That one act is our fundamental duty. We are commanded to live Christian lives by grace and to work Christian works by faith. This, alone, is our duty to God and to man.
Modernist evangelistic “christianity” has become so wrapped up in “preaching the gospel”, while rejecting the pure and true Gospel of Sovereign Grace completely. It is as if they were to say, “We care not what food we feed to the poor and the downtrodden. If it is a poisonous and deadly meal, we care not. But we must give them more of it, or they will never have their hunger satiated.”.
So here is the main point:
THE GOSPEL IS NOT FOR UNREGENERATED UNBELIEVERS! IT IS FOR THE CHURCH!
The Gospel exists for this reason:
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us form the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1:10-13)
The Gospel is for the CONVERSION of the elect, NOT for the REGENERATION of sinners. Only the power of God through the quickening of the Holy Spirit can regenerate a lost sinner. The Gospel is to CONVERT to Christianity and to right-mindedness those whom the Spirit has already regenerated.
Note that Paul says this in Romans:
“So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that were at Rome also” (Romans 1:15)
So Paul says he is ready to preach the Gospel in Rome to “you” that are there. Who is the “you” he is talking to? Let’s look”:
“To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints; Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7)
Interesting don’t you think?
But, some might argue, just look at verse 16 of that chapter. It says that the Gospel is “it is the power of God unto salvation”. But read the next half of the verse, where it says “to every one that believeth”.
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes! It does not say that they are saved BY the Gospel: it says that the inward work of regeneration is shown forth as salvation through their belief. They were given belief FIRST!
Here is an even greater proof:
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” (1 Corinthians 1:17).
Paul specifically states here that gospel does not save (as in eternal salvation/regeneration). The applying by the Holy Spirit of the benefits of the Cross to the elect of God is what saves eternally. Paul does not “baptize” or “quicken” eternally. He preaches the Gospel. Let’s look at the next verse:
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
To those who ARE SAVED, the Gospel is the power of God. It brings about conversion of the mind. Now when we preach, we do not know who is regenerated, and who remains in an unregenerate state. So if we are called to preach, we preach the fullness of the true Gospel to all creatures. But to those who are perishing without grace, the preaching will be foolishness. It will have no eternal effect. But to those which are the elect of God, this same preaching will bring forth out from them the internal work of salvation, which must have previously been wrought by the Holy Spirit in them.
The next objection will usually come out of the book of Romans.
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:14-17)
Because of the sometimes confusing structure of this section of scripture, it is often used to preach “gospel salvation”. Let’s take it really slowly and examine those parts of the verses that can be easily confused. First, the average reader will be unaware of what is referred to when it says “Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?” Let’s look:
Isaiah 53:1 says: “Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?” And of course this is a good encapsulation of our question. We know that the “arm of Jehovah” is Jesus Christ. So to whom has Jesus Christ been REVEALED?
John speaks of this same section of Isaiah when he says: “so that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm on the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.’” (John 12:38-40) John here tells us that ISAIAH is saying that only those to whom the Lord is revealed, can BELIEVE on Him. So, knowing that scripture does not disagree with scripture – let’s look at Romans again.
Romans chapter 10 says that hearing is a necessary prerequisite for believing, and we wholeheartedly agree. But how can they hear, so that they can believe? This is the question that this section of Romans addresses.
So our scriptures say, “How can they hear without a preacher”. Which is to say, How can they hear on their own? Don’t they need a messenger? The word “preacher” here, means “herald” or “messenger”. Every “herald” or “messenger” must be sent. The preacher issue will end up pretty moot, because Paul will tell us in verse 15 that many who have had the Gospel preached unto them do not believe it. This, at last, is the whole point of these scriptures! Paul is saying, how do people hear the gospel? The tension builds… HOW DOES THIS ALL TAKE PLACE? It is at this point that Paul brings in the story of Isaiah, who proves that God must REVEAL His Son to those who He has not personally hardened and blinded. He must CAUSE those to see who previously could not see, and He must CAUSE those to hear who could not hear. How does He do that?
Well, (Paul says) “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God”. We must keep this in mind, because here is where much of the confusion comes in. In verse 15, Paul admits openly that many preachers are sent to preach the Gospel. But there is a problem. In verse 16 he admits that many who hear the Gospel do not believe it. They do not obey what they hear. So regular “hearing” (through the ears) is not the cause of faith, and it is not what brings about salvation. So Paul asks the question that Isaiah asked… “Who shall believe our report?” Well, I will tell you who will believe it. All those to whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed will certainly hear it and believe it. So, knowing this, we can know that faith comes by hearing. Not the hearing that is mere “listening” through the ear canals. But faith comes by spiritually being allowed to HEAR the Gospel.
How does this happen? It can only happen by the Word of God!
But this “WORD” is not speaking of the written word (The Bible) at all. This word “WORD” is the Greek word RHEMA, which means – the spoken word, or a direct command.
So now it all clicks. It all starts to come together.
Faith comes by hearing, but we can only hear by the direct command from God. God says to me particularly, “YOU WILL HEAR” and I hear. When Jesus Christ is revealed to me I will HEAR Him and believe Him. Now first I must be enabled to hear, so later when a preacher or teacher declares Christ to me, I can hear him peach the Gospel and say, “WOW, I BELIEVE THAT!” Now I CAN believe in Christ. Now I can receive the gift of faith so that my belief in Christ will not be merely a superficial form of mental ascension, but it will be saving faith in Christ.
So Paul says:
1.) Not everyone can hear.
2.) The Lord must be revealed FIRST, before He can be believed upon.
3.) Hearing comes from the direct command of God, and that command is not universal, but is particular to whom God will reveal His Son.
4.) The Gospel can only be “heard” if God, through His spoken command concerning us particularly, allows us to hear it.
This is what we have always said. And this is what we teach.
So we do not believe in “Gospel Salvation” or “Gospel Regeneration”. We do believe in Holy Spirit Regeneration, and Gospel Conversion.
Let us look at another objection. To the Corinthians, Paul says this:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
Some will say that these verses teach that we are saved by the Gospel. But that is not what these verses say at all. We must remember that our Bible has been translated into the English tongue from another language which has differing speech patterns. Paul is dealing in this chapter with those who deny the resurrection of Christ (verse 12). He specifically mentions that those who are saved are those who have believed the gospel “which I preached unto you”. There is now ANOTHER gospel which is being preached, and that gospel denies the resurrection of Christ. Paul says that if we stand fast and firm in HIS Gospel (that of the truth of the resurrection) we are saved. So if we stand in this truth, then we are saved and we have not believed in vain. So this is another verse that cannot be used to prove Gospel salvation.
These verses give us a deeper understanding of what the Gospel is for:
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)
As the Doctrines of Grace openly proclaim, the unregenerated cannot receive the Gospel, nor can they hear it. Only the regenerated mind/heart can hear the Gospel and believe it. The Gospel is a means of CONVERSION, and it was designed to make lost sheep into found sheep. It was never designed to turn goats into sheep, which is impossible.
Paul calls the Gospel a “mystery” (Ephesians 6:19), and it accepted by all those who believe in the power and glory of God that “mysteries” must be unveiled to the spirit, by the Holy Spirit of God.
It is evident that the Gospel has been hard locked away from billions of people who have lived and died on this planet, having never had the Gospel preached unto them.
Arminians believe that the Gospel must be preached to “every creature” so that they can stand or fall in judgment based on whether or not they “believed the gospel”. But the Arminian has no explanation as to why God would keep the Gospel from millions and millions of humans, who perished without ever hearing the good news of Christ at all. The Arminian must, then, believe that there are billions in hell who are there because mankind failed to deduce that (since he always assumes he is saved) he personally will be in heaven because of LUCK or CHANCE. He just happened to be born in a time and place where the gospel (or should we say “a” gospel) is preached everywhere all the time. So it is LUCK+GOSPEL+WORKS+The Work of Christ = SALVATION for the Arminian.
They may deny it, but it is the logical conclusion that can be drawn from what they believe. Now, sadly, many who believe in the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace also have fallen for this error.
So let me say regarding evangelism that we DO preach the Gospel. But the TRUE Gospel is not what most modernist “christians” think it is. The TRUE Gospel is the Gospel of God’s Sovereignty and His Grace and Mercy towards His sheep. We preach the Gospel, not by pushing a decisionist gospel on the whole world without any consideration of the truth. We preach the Gospel by living LIVES that are set apart and holy unto God. We preach the Gospel by having a RIGHT WORLDVIEW and by rejecting false gospels and false worldly ways. We preach the Gospel by BEING CHRISTIANS, and by declaring the truth to those who ask us about the hope that is in us.
Does God have evangelists today? Of course He does.
Is everyone an evangelist? Of course not.
I absolutely believe that the TRUE Gospel should be preached. God knows that there are Christians out there who have never heard it, and it is the power and means of their conversion and it shows forth their salvation, if indeed they are saved. Many millions are converted by the preaching of the Gospel. Many lost sheep are brought back into the fold by means of the Gospel, so preach it we must.
But let us examine two very different ways in which evangelism can be viewed:
1.) The Sovereign Grace method – which was utilized by the Reformers, the Puritans and the early church in America. Evangelize your family, and submit your ways unto God. Keep His commandments, and be a peculiar people. Separate from the world and all worldliness, and be Holy unto God. Invite ALL to come unto Christ, but make sure the Christ that is lifted up is the REAL Jesus Christ of the Bible, for He says “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) Christ draws men unto Himself. Christ saves men, and quite often, He saves them BEFORE they ever hear the Gospel – as Paul himself can attest from personal experience.
2.) The Pharisaical method, which is nowadays called “missionary evangelism”. This form is based on the false idea that if WE do not evangelize, men will not be saved. This method denies that God has manifold and wonderful ways to save souls, and does not need men in order to do it. Jesus said this: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15)
God does raise up evangelists and missionaries. There is no doubt that He does. But the true ones (like George Whitefield) will be known by the Gospel they preach. I challenge you to find more than a handful who preach the TRUE Gospel in the world today. Instead, hordes of Americanized missionaries who preach the devilish gospel of Arminianism swarm foreign shores – consuming the people and leading them into error. These lands are not benefited by Christianity, but the churches and ministry boards are benefited greatly by the huge sums of money they can raise by emotionally manipulating fat, dumb American “christians” to fulfill the “great commission” by paying large sums of money (a small portion of which will be used to send someone else to do it.
I say we evangelize best by BEING CHRISTIAN, and by learning the true Gospel and by living it every day. We will see what true evangelism is when we LIVE what we say we believe. We will see it in a most powerful way. Then we will see the power of true evangelism.
As we close, let us address the real question, and focus on the real answer.
Preaching missionary evangelism is really a dodge for the incorporated church systems. In actual fact, they do not desire that 99% of Christians (or even 10%) engage in evangelism. They truly desire that 99% of the people PAY for evangelistic efforts – no matter how eternally successful they really are. Missionary evangelism is a cash cow, and it successfully takes the focus away form the real issue. Before we send our “christianity” abroad, we should first examine our Christianity.
Most people do not want to examine their own lives to see if there is real fruit borne of their professed faith. When I say that evangelism is primarily “being Christians” I mean that our time and efforts should first be spent in assuring that we are in the faith.
Christian, evangelize thyself!
While most Christians refuse to heed the scriptures concerning separation and personal holiness, they concern themselves with obligations that they do not even understand, and seek to obey commands that were not even given unto them. It is not that they CANNOT practice Biblical Christianity, it is that they WILL not. It is not that most Christians are overwhelmed with a conscience that demands that they evangelize; it is that they are pressed hard and weighed down by a conscience that demands that they BE CHRISTIANS. In order to avoid the latter, they must focus on the former.
Evangelism starts at home. When you are satisfied that you are in full obedience to what is required of you by the Gospel; when you are separated from religious whores and all papists mythologies; when you are certain that your family is evangelized and your house is properly ordered; when your worship aligns perfectly with the Word of God; and when your worldview is consistently Biblical throughout; THEN should you concern yourself with missionary evangelism. But you will find that, for the most part, if you have done all these things well, you will have little need to evangelize… because your Christian walk will have alienated and scattered all the goats and wolves, while the sheep (both lost and found) will have been powerfully evangelized by your behavior.
I cannot emphasize enough that our earthly success as missionaries and as ambassadors depends upon a right view of both the Sovereignty of God, and the obedience that is required of us in the scriptures.
May the Lord lead us into a right view of Christianity, so that we might work it out into the world for the benefit of those who Christ has called.
I am your servant in Christ Jesus, Michael Bunker
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