Doctrinal Fidelity in Missions: Foundations of Missions I—The Great Commission Is Doctrinal

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20).

When pastors think about missions, Matthew 28 almost always comes first. Yet while this passage is quoted often, it is rarely examined carefully. Too many mission strategies emphasize movement and methods while neglecting the doctrinal center of the command. If pastors are to lead churches well in global mission, they must see that the Great Commission is fundamentally doctrinal in nature.

1. The Grammar of the Commission

The command is anchored in a single verb: matheteusate—“make disciples.” This is not a suggestion but an imperative, and it defines the mission Christ entrusted to His church. Surrounding this verb are three participles that explain how disciple-making happens:

  • Going (poreuthentes) – the necessary circumstance of disciple-making. Movement outward is assumed.
  • Baptizing (baptizontes) – incorporation into the fellowship of the local church.
  • Teaching (didaskontes) – ongoing instruction in “all things” Christ commanded.

Notice what Jesus did not say. He did not command us merely to “go” or merely to “evangelize.” If the Commission were reduced to going, missions would become little more than travel and logistics. If reduced to evangelism, it could be satisfied with momentary responses or raised hands at a meeting. But Christ demands more: the forming of disciples who are grounded in the truth, visibly identified with His church, and instructed to obey His Word.

2. Why Baptism and Teaching Cannot Be Optional

Baptism: The Church’s Ordinance

Baptism is not an individual initiative. It is entrusted to the local church as an act of incorporation and accountability. This means the Great Commission is a churchly mandate—not given to boards, societies, or freelance workers, but to congregations who hold the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). For pastors, this is crucial: missions is not a side project but an extension of the church’s authority.

Teaching: The Doctrinal Core

The word “observe” (tērein) means to keep, guard, and obey. Christ’s intent was not a shallow awareness of His commands but a lifetime of instruction in the whole counsel of God. This means pastors and missionaries alike are responsible to ensure that new disciples are not just converted but taught—trained to handle Scripture, discern truth from error, and walk in obedience.

3. Historical Warnings When Doctrine Is Neglected

Church history illustrates the danger of minimizing doctrine in missions.

  • The Church Growth Movement in the 20th century prioritized numerical expansion, often divorcing evangelism from ecclesiology. The result was fragile churches and shallow discipleship.
  • Interdenominational Missions have sometimes advanced quickly by sidelining secondary doctrines for cooperation. Yet this frequently produced confusion in new churches, leaving them unstable and doctrinally thin.

Pastors must recognize that speed without depth leads to collapse. The Commission’s inclusion of baptism and teaching prevents us from settling for movements that grow rapidly but lack theological roots.

4. The Global Scope and Its Implications

Jesus directs His church to “all nations,” anticipating the scene in Revelation 5:9 where every tribe and tongue stands before the throne. But the command also implies that the same deposit of truth must be transmitted across every culture. Pastors must resist the temptation to “adjust” or “simplify” doctrine to gain quick acceptance in new contexts. The gospel crosses cultures without changing its content.

5. Pastoral Implications

  1. Guard the Church’s Role – Teach your congregation that the Great Commission belongs to the church as the custodian of truth, not to external agencies or pragmatists.
  2. Prioritize Teaching in Missions – Evaluate missionaries and mission efforts not just by where they go but by whether they preach and teach sound doctrine.
  3. Measure Success by Discipleship – Numbers and reports may encourage, but the true measure is whether healthy churches are planted that can reproduce themselves in both faith and practice.
  4. Train Faithful Teachers – Invest in equipping men who can faithfully pass on the truth (2 Tim. 2:2). Multiplication happens not by programs but by doctrinally sound leaders.

Conclusion

The Great Commission is not about activity alone—it is about truth. To make disciples is to form believers who are baptized into the life of the church and instructed in the entirety of Christ’s Word. For pastors, this means leading congregations to see missions not as a matter of clever strategies or distant programs, but as the doctrinal stewardship of the church across cultures.

Missions without doctrine is not the Great Commission.

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