For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function
— Romans 12:4

We often hear many preachers urging Christians to go and carry out the so-called “Great Commission“, while calling those who don’t do what they say lazy, disobedient and cold. After all, “the Great Commission” applies to every Christian. Well, first of all, the words “Great Commission” are not in the Bible. People invented them to make it sound important. And second, we need to establish whom Jesus was speaking to and what He said in the last chapter of Matthew, because if it applies to every Christian, then the apostle Paul was clearly disobedient. Jesus clearly said: “Go… make disciples… baptizing”, yet Paul himself says: “Christ did not send me to baptize.” [1 Cor.1:17] Just a second, Paul — have you forgotten the “Greeeeeat Commission”??

Perhaps there is no “Great Commission” at all, but there are people who, as Paul writes, “trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” [Gal.1:7], turning Jesus’ words into yet another commandment and driving God’s sheep into disobedience, and also boasting about the works of those who try to carry it out somehow. [Gal.6:12-13] To dispel any doubts about disobedience, let me say that we live not in our own obedience to God but in Christ’s, for by the obedience of One many will be made righteous. [Rom.5:19] We are obedient or disobedient not because we carry something out or don’t, but because Christ carried out the Father’s Great Commission.

So what was Jesus talking about in the last chapter of Matthew? Interestingly, the Gospel of Matthew is one of the latest books of the New Testament; it was written a few years before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Only John’s Gospel, epistles and Revelation were written later than this book. So for many years the church did not even know about it. You could say the apostles knew, because Jesus told them. Fine, but Paul himself wrote that he did not consult the apostles but began to preach the gospel he had received through the revelation of Jesus. [Gal.1:17] I am not writing this to cast doubt on the importance of Jesus’ words, but to make us think about how the believers of the first church managed without the so-called “Great Commission”.

When we read the Scriptures, it is very important to understand whom they are addressed to, because the audiences differ: the church, the Jews, the Gentiles. It is unwise to say that “the whole Bible is for believers”. All Scripture is profitable for edification, but not all Scripture is addressed to the church. It is clear whom the Epistle to the Hebrews is addressed to, and many things in that book are addressed specifically to Jews who did not believe in Christ, so that they would understand that Jesus is the Messiah they were waiting for. Many scare stories have arisen from failing to understand this simple truth. The Gospel of Matthew is also addressed to the Jews. Why to the Jews? How does it begin? “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” [Mat.1:1] Or, put differently: “The genealogy of the King [the Son of David] of the Jews [the Son of Abraham]”. The King of the Jews, not of the Gentiles, right? When Jesus said “go and make disciples”, who was there? The eleven apostles. Did Jesus say these words to Paul? No, because he was not there. Paul had his own commission, which was clearly different from the commission of Peter and John. [Gal.2:7-9] And each of us likewise has “his own work“. There is no need to lump everyone together and put an unnecessary yoke on the necks of the disciples.