Have you misunderstood the Great Commission?

Jordan Raynor Oct. 11, 2022

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

iStock

"Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

This might be the most widely known and misunderstood verse in Scripture.

For years, I read this verse and felt guilty that I was working as a tech entrepreneur in suburban America, rather than moving away from home to "go and make disciples" elsewhere.

My mindset transformed when pastor Kennon Vaughan showed me that the Greek word we translate "Go" literally means "having gone." Dr. Vaughan explains, "'Go' is not a command. [Jesus] is not commanding them to go. He is saying, 'Havinggone…turn men into disciples.'

The going is assumed. Jesus didn't go more than 200 miles away from his hometown, and yet he is the greatest disciple-maker in history. It wasn't about how far he went. It was about what he did while he was going. The same is true for you and me."

You don't need to change your vocation or location to participate in the Great Commission. Jesus has called each and every one of us to be "full-time missionaries," making disciples as we go throughout our lives and work.

This is one of the ways our work matters to God. But we must be careful not to assume it is the ultimate or even primary way.

In the Church today, we talk a lot about "making disciples" and "saving souls," but very little about what Jesus called "the kingdom of God."

This is startling because it is the exact oppositeof what Jesus emphasized in the gospels, where he spoke of being "saved" less than 10 times and referred to his coming "kingdom" more than 150 times.

This article was first published onjordanraynor.com. Used with permission.

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity. He does this through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), podcast (The Call to Mastery), and weekly devotional (The Word Before Work)—content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. Learn More »

• What can Christian leaders learn from a 20-something YouTuber? Quite a lot… (by Zac McGowen)
• Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry (by )
• Perpetual disappointment (by Richard Blackaby)
• Working vs. waiting: living in the tension that transforms leadership (by Tim Tucker)

Free eBook

Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry

Have you ever felt the pull to full-time ministry work as a missionary or pastor? If not, you can still make a Kingdom impact without quitting your current job. In this eBook, you will learn the four essentials that can change your perspective of work, your workplace, and most importantly, your heart.

Download Now