The Great Commission and the Teaching Ministries of the Church

Great Commission and the Teaching/Service Ministries of the Church (Relationship of Didache and Diokonia to Evangelism/mission)

The Great Commission is important in Christian Education and Social change because it formed the basis for Christian Education. 

The rationale that governs the provision of Christian education is the biblical mandate of the Lord Jesus Christ who commanded the first band of disciples to “Go into all the worlds and preach the gospel to the whole creation (Mk16:15). After His resurrection, He told his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” (Matt28:19). Teaching therefore, was one of the explicit directives given. This text clearly points to the prime function of Christian which is to present Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

(i)The Great Commission: Christian teaching traces its roots to the time of creation when God created human beings and placed in the Garden of Eden and taught them things to do and not to do. After the fall the needs for teaching increase more. God commands the godly parents to pass down crucial spiritual information from one generation to generation till God formalized parental responsibility by commanding them to teach their children (Deut 6). Because the Law functioned within a theocracy, spiritual training largely depended on the family but received reinforcement from the whole social, economic, political, and religious system. Though prophets were occasionally sent to other lands, the focus of teaching during the Old Testament remained on the people who lived in the land of Israel. Jesus would first articulate the idea of teaching every one everywhere (Michale S Lausan).

In the Great Commission Jesus expected His followers to make disciples of ALL NATIONS. They were to teach the nations to observe the commands given to them. The word ‘observe’ in this context is used to mean ‘to keep’ or to ‘fulfill’. And teaching is to be done in term of nurture which means careful looking after. Another significance feature of the great commission is about learners. The phrase “make disciples” actually means to make or develop learners. The very mandate for Christian teaching which Christ gives involves more dispensing information. Based on this mandate, Christian education must develop disciples.

Ultimately the mandate for Christian teaching is unlike other forms of education which stress content, command of the material, skill acquisition, and other data base requirements, Christian teaching includes the necessity of a change in living habits. Christian education teaches the Word of God not to satisfy curiosity but to transform lives.

The mandate challenges us to teach everyone everywhere. While God paces our creativity with His own example, we measure our success in changed lives. The goal of teaching in Christian education is to help people grow in maturity after the likeness of Christ. That is maturity in love, morality, theological stability and service. The need for Christian teaching remains as great as ever. The Christian teaching must go hand in hand along with the changing world. Even growing Christians need reminding and encouraging as they move towards maturity. Our advanced technological society has not reduced the need. The promise of the abiding presence of the Son’s ministry through the present age tends comforting assurance for such a daunting task as a worldwide mission.

(ii)Ministries of the church in relation to Evangelism/Mission for Social Change

Ministries of the church in relation to evangelism and mission form a vital part in Christian education. Each of these ministries has the same purpose in winning the lost to Christ and teaching them and training them in Christian service with the will of God and right relationship with God and with others.

(a)Ministry through teaching (Didache): The Church of Christ has a necessity of teaching ministry; and Christian education as a distinct area of study and action in the Church rests upon this assumption of a necessity of teaching function (James D. Mart: The Teaching Ministry of the Church). Responsibility of teaching rests upon the whole church even though only some members undertake specific teaching assignments. And teaching belongs to the essence of the Church.

The mandate of the gospel for teaching has been preceded by preaching. The mandate of Jesus in Matt 28 :19 was to preach the gospel land also teach them to practice the Words. Rather teaching occupied to a large place alongside preaching in the ministry of Jesus. That the “impression” of the “Great Commission”” was created and still remains. The main themes of Jesus teaching were God’s reign, Justice, and solidarity.

Evangelism is the first step towards fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in Matt 28:18-20. “Making disciples” includes both evangelism and teaching. The church must preach the good news to the whole world redeeming the lost as well as teach the believers so that they grow and mature, becoming fruitful and reproductive Christians.

Lois Semenye showed that how churches can make a difference through Christian Education. She said theological institution must train future pastors and church leaders to be mindful of the necessity of effective teaching in local churches.

Christians have been called to mature in Christ and become holy (1Pet 1:15-16). This holy living should be reflected in the believers’ life, a life that demonstrates Christ-like character. The Christ-like Christian is called upon to impact the society with biblical principles.

Christian education must seek to impart relevant Christian truth in order to influence society more positively, and to bring learners into right relationship with God and with their fellow citizens.

According to Randolph Crump Miller in Education for Christian Living, teaching should not be done in abstract but in term of experiences. The chief source of all our teaching is the Bible, chief interest of our teaching is the learners and the chief goal of our teaching is God (Gibbs 1992). George Albert in Gibbs book stated that “religion changes in the act of teaching it.” This implies that the teacher And the learner are crucial components in Christian education. The teacher acts as representative of the church or for God and for a cause of curriculum, while the learners represent nobody else except himself or herself. Jesus himself sets the example for His followers to emulate by teaching and preaching wherever he went, using various methods to arouse the interest and capture the imagination of His listeners. Likewise he commanded His disciples to continue this preaching and teaching the gospel and his commandments.

Hence, as members of the body of Christ, we are enjoined to be actively engaged in teaching, facilitating and fostering the growth and development of all God’s people, so that the community experience holistic change in the society.

(b)Ministry through Service (diakonia): In fulfilling the mission of God in the wolrd the church performs several ministries, all interrelated, inseparable yet focusing in distinctive phases of human need of God.

As mentioned above, one of such ministries is of “proclaiming the Word” of Christ, which is the message of God for salvation of all. The setting forth of the faith clearly and faithfully is essential to the church’s mission in the world.

      Another area of ministry is teaching that nurtures persons to grow in their faith. A third ministry is of service. The Greek word here is diakonia which is used to describe the “ministry of the word” and other related ministries of witnessing and supporting people in their need of faith and other needs.

      The word ministry is also known as “diakoneo” Diakoneo is the verb form of diakonos, which means “serve”. The most specific meaning of diakoneo is to work with food to serve other people. Martha “served” at a dinner (John12:2). In early church, seven men were chosen “to wait on tables”( Acts 6:2-3). Diakonia can refer to more general types of service, Jesus served his disciples and his disciples should also serve (Matt 20:28; Lk 22:27).

      Thus diakonia refers to the ministry as a whole and also refers to a compassionate meeting of human needs. The church ministry of service includes the psychological and organizational structures of society. Through this ministry the church supports and encourages all believers to be the people of God wherever they are. The ministry includes to feed the hungry, to seek to change condition that hurts persons, to work to overcome prejudice and enmity in the community, the nation and the world.

      All ministries of the church are to be related in the lives of all persons. For God calls the church to serve all persons, young and old, within the church and outside its membership, the privileged and deprived.