Passages: Genesis 1:1-2:4, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. –Matthew 28.18-20

Historically, the Christian church has not done the Great Commission well; that is, it was not done with the love and compassion that should be expected from Christian missionaries. Particularly at the height of European imperialism, from the 15^th to 20^th century, Christianity worked hand in hand with empire and aided in the destruction of cultures and civilizations. Peoples were converted to Christianity with no respect to their current religious and cultural existence, and often the approach of a Christian missionary meant the approach of destruction for the indigenous people of the area. The historical atrocities, and mistakes, of Christian evangelism has led many denominations of Christianity to abandon the missionary institution all together. Indeed, the laundry lists of abuses in the past have revealed the problematic nature of the Great Commission. But, the Great Commission can be redeemed if done in harmony with the Great Commandment (“love your neighbor as yourself”).

There are many beautiful things about a missionary religion. Its expansive nature seeks to tear down boundaries and enter into fellowship with all people of the world. Nobody is excluded, and all people are seen as God’s children. There is a genuine concern for all people of the world and the tradition is not inwardly, self-focused but devoted to others. In its encounters with other people, religions and ideas, an open-minded faith will grow and change, being reformed by the positive elements of other cultures. If missionaries love their neighbors, and respect their hearts and ideas, then there will be a genuine exchange of ideas – a partnership – and not a one-sided imposition of religion on a people.

In many ways, Christianity is a product of the Jewish encounter with Greco-Roman ideas and culture. Hellenistic Judaism, for the most part, was a closed tradition that – for a variety of historical reasons – was intentional about resisting assimilation and maintaining a religious and ethnic identity in exile. Modern Judaism has retained these characteristics, especially since its immersion in other cultures and cultural domination grew with increasing intensity into the modern era. But, in the 1^st century, there was a great deal of Greek and Roman interest in the Jewish religion and the God of Abraham. What Christianity, and the Great Commission, did was open the religious tradition to the Greeks/Romans and embrace aspects of their culture and religion. This can be seen clearly in the fact that the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) are written in Hebrew but the New Testament is written in the Greek language. In the epistles of Paul, it is easy to find places where he navigates the conflicts between Jewish tradition and law with the influx of Gentiles into the faith. This open fellowship was one of the things that distinguished the early followers of Jesus from other Jews and give it a divergent nature.

So the Great Commission is one of the defining characteristics of Christianity, and – with the obvious exception of accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah – perhaps the thing that alters Christian practice from Jewish practice the most. If done with love, compassion and a genuine desire to share one’s faith and good news with the entire world, the Great Commission is a positive and beautiful asset to Christianity. However, it opens the door to a great deal of abuse, making it an easy partner with imperialism and the domination of other sovereign people. If the Great Commission is kept, but the Great Commandment is lost, missionary activities will quickly become missionary atrocities. Knowing and acknowledging the mistakes of its past, Christianity needs to move forward in its global mission with an extra emphasis and concern on the love, respect and care for its partners and neighbors around the world.