What Is the Great Commission — In Biblical Context

The Biblical Context

After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His followers: 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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' (Matthew 28:18-20). Mark's version adds, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). Luke records, 'Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem' (Luke 24:47). Acts 1:8 provides the strategy: 'Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' The Great Commission is not optional — it defines the church's primary mission. Every Christian participates through personal witness, supporting missions, prayer, and service. The command is undergirded by authority ('all power'), scope ('all nations'), content ('all things I commanded'), and presence ('I am with you alway'). The mission continues until 'this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come' (Matthew 24:14).

Where It Sits in Scripture

Supporting Passages