The Great Commission - Whose is it?
“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
This was the commission of Jesus to his 11 remaining Jewish disciples. They were to go to all the Nations and tell them to observe all that Jesus had commanded. They did a poor job with regard to Gentiles so years later the Jew Saul/Paul was Commissioned by Jesus to go the the Jews and Gentiles in the Roman Empire outside of Israel. During this time Jesus began to reveal to Paul a new message of Grace for Gentiles apart from the Law ...
“...after an interval of fourteen years I (Paul) went up again to Jerusalem…and I submitted to them (Jewish disciples) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles…and recognizing the GRACE that had been given to me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Israel).” (Galatians 2:1-9)
As a result of the continued rejection of Jesus by Israel's leaders a temporary "hardening has happened to Israel" . At the close of Acts Paul tells them that from then on he would go only to the Gentiles with the gospel of Grace that Jesus had revealed to him. Paul explains this "mystery" to the Gentiles in his letter to the Romans as follows...
“I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.
This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
From the standpoint of the gospel they (Israel) are enemies for your sake (Gentile believers) , but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:25-32)
This "hardening" of Israel has now lasted for almost 2000 years.
Paul informs us that "Christ's Body" is now composed of a joint group of both individual Jew and Gentile believers and that this group is a "new" creation. Peter, James or John, nor any of the other 9 disciples, had been informed of this "new" creation. It was revealed only to Paul and those he ministered to. The "ministry" of this group Paul summarizes as follows...
“Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it…therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION” (1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Our ministry is to declare the "reconciliation" of sinners to God as demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The Great Commission of that “ministry”, and what we should be telling the world is...
“That God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation...He is head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile ALL things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 1:18-22)
"I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles (Nations)." (Romans 15:15-16)
This was the commission of Jesus to his 11 remaining Jewish disciples. They were to go to all the Nations and tell them to observe all that Jesus had commanded. They did a poor job with regard to Gentiles so years later the Jew Saul/Paul was Commissioned by Jesus to go the the Jews and Gentiles in the Roman Empire outside of Israel. During this time Jesus began to reveal to Paul a new message of Grace for Gentiles apart from the Law ...
“...after an interval of fourteen years I (Paul) went up again to Jerusalem…and I submitted to them (Jewish disciples) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles…and recognizing the GRACE that had been given to me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Israel).” (Galatians 2:1-9)
As a result of the continued rejection of Jesus by Israel's leaders a temporary "hardening has happened to Israel" . At the close of Acts Paul tells them that from then on he would go only to the Gentiles with the gospel of Grace that Jesus had revealed to him. Paul explains this "mystery" to the Gentiles in his letter to the Romans as follows...
“I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.
This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
From the standpoint of the gospel they (Israel) are enemies for your sake (Gentile believers) , but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:25-32)
This "hardening" of Israel has now lasted for almost 2000 years.
Paul informs us that "Christ's Body" is now composed of a joint group of both individual Jew and Gentile believers and that this group is a "new" creation. Peter, James or John, nor any of the other 9 disciples, had been informed of this "new" creation. It was revealed only to Paul and those he ministered to. The "ministry" of this group Paul summarizes as follows...
“Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it…therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION” (1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Our ministry is to declare the "reconciliation" of sinners to God as demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The Great Commission of that “ministry”, and what we should be telling the world is...
“That God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation...He is head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile ALL things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 1:18-22)
That is our message of Grace, given to Paul the apostle for all Nations...
"I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles (Nations)." (Romans 15:15-16)
Jesus will return to fulfill all the promises God has made to Israel and the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 will again be preached in all the world by the Jews who then believe Jesus to be their Messiah. Today we refer to them as Messianic Jews. They were almost extinct until about 1948 but since then and they have been increasing in number each year...so the "hardening" is beginning to be lifted.
So do not be surprised if we are living in that generation who will see the return of Jesus, assuming of course that the Bible is true, and I have chosen to believe that it is.
So do not be surprised if we are living in that generation who will see the return of Jesus, assuming of course that the Bible is true, and I have chosen to believe that it is.