The Great Commission Mandate
As taught in the Reformed / Presbyterian tradition
The command of Christ to make disciples of all nations through preaching and baptism.
Within the Reformed tradition, the question of the Great Commission is often framed by a seemingly paradoxical tension: If God is absolutely sovereign in the salvation of His elect, and if Christ has already accomplished the work of redemption for His people, what is the fundamental necessity and nature of the Great Commission? This subtopic answers that question by grounding the missionary impulse not in human ingenuity or a desperate attempt to "help" a limited God, but in the absolute authority of the risen King, Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is understood not as a "Great Suggestion," nor as an emergency plan enacted because of human failure, but as the unfolding of the Pactum Salutis (the Covenant of Redemption) within history.
By the end of this lesson
- **Articulate** the Reformed theological basis for missions, specifically how the sovereignty of God and the doctrine of election provide the foundation for, rather than an obstacle to, the Great Commission.
- **Identify** the specific commands and promises contained within the three primary Scripture anchors (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24) and explain their distinct contributions to the mandate.
- **Trace** the historical development of the Great Commission within Reformed confessions, with particular attention to the 1903 additions to the Westminster Confession of Faith.
- **Defend** the necessity of "ordinary means" (preaching, sacraments, and discipline) in the fulfillment of the Great Commission against purely pragmatic or "innovative" missionary strategies.
- **Compare** and contrast the Reformed understanding of the "offer of the Gospel" with Arminian and Hyper-Calvinist perspectives.
- **Distinguish** between "evangelism" as a verbal proclamation and "discipleship" as a comprehensive life-pattern, explaining how both are required by the mandate.
- **Apply** the Great Commission mandate to the life of the local church, demonstrating how every member participates in the global mission regardless of their geographical location.
- **Explain** the relationship between Christ's "all authority" and the Church's confidence in the success of the missionary enterprise.
Scripture
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