ALLAHABAD BIBLE SEMINARY

Topic: Great Commission for Social Transformation

Written by: Mr. Babul Sardar

Class: BD IV (2022)

Introduction

“The Great Commission” is a task of a continuous process of Christianity. Great

Commission is something fulfilled primarily by missionaries working on foreign soil and
directed toward those who have never heard the Gospel. The Great Commission applies equally
to the education and training of the local church of its members. The Great Commission draws
all believers into the teaching process of God and shows the centrality of teaching in
transforming society.

1. What is Great Commission?

This is a very sensitive thing to be discussed because it is deeply related to every believer
of Christ. The Greek word “matheteuo” means literally “to make a disciple; to teach, instruct.”
The words “all that I commanded you” (Matt 28:20) describe the substance of what Christian
disciples are to teach in fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission. The Great Commission is a
commission, a task, and a mission that was originally assigned to Jesus’ apostles. The central
task is to make disciples. To do this, one must go to the lost and then baptize and teach believers
to obey Jesus’ commands. The commission is accompanied by a declaration that Jesus has all
authority in Heaven and on Earth (Matthew 28:18) and a promise that He will be with us to the
end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

4. Significance of the Great Commission

Every Christian must see this commission as the life wire of his faith, for in it he shall
live, the church shall stand and the Kingdom of God will be populated. Apostle Paul said, ‘woe
is unto me if I preach not the gospel’. If we claim to be a Christian and preach not the gospel,
then we are deceiving ourselves. If Christ is our Lord, our Captain, and Superior, then we are
therefore under command to obey His last order.

5. Church and Great Commission: Church means not only the pastors or elders but everyone
as a Church community (youths, elders, pastors, and women). The church must lead the people
to proclaim the good news of Christ. As long as we live in the world our priority should be Christ
and obey his commandment. The church must be the center for training the leader to stand firm
for Christ.

We as a Church are responsible for taking care of society (Surroundings). The process of making
disciples includes baptizing the disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
as well as teaching them to do all that Jesus commanded. Preaching the gospel brings people to a
decision of accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and baptism introduces
them into the Church the community of disciples or saints in Christ in which they can be taught
and trained to do everything that Jesus Christ commanded. We are given authority by Jesus
Christ our Lord to take Responsibility, love, care, and share for our nation to make Jesus Christ
known to everyone.

6. Great Commission and Social Transformation: Most people define the Great Commission
as a call to spread the good news about the person of Jesus and the works He performed.
Moreover, when churches envision carrying out the Great Commission in their local context,
they often emphasize conversions and discipleship. While it is true that the Great Commission
involves the verbal proclamation of the gospel and the intention is to make new believers,
limiting the Great Commission to preaching and teaching truncates what God has called us to
accomplish through this mandate.

We need to add actions to our words. If we limit the Great Commission to preaching and
teaching, we make the mission of the church strictly about salvation and spiritual formation.
However, a holistic fulfilment of the Great Commission must include a concern for the entire
person both soul and body. In other words, not only should we care about the spiritual well-being
of the nations, but we must also care about the physical well-being of the nations as well. Great
commission and social responsibility have a relationship like:

 Social responsibility as a consequence of evangelism.

 Social concern as a bridge of evangelism.
 Social concern as a partner of evangelism.

7. Great Commission as Implication for Social Transformation: The Great Commission

involves teaching to obey Jesus’ teachings which include loving God and loving one’s neighbor.
All Christians are called to love one’s neighbor. Christians are called to raise their voice for
Justice for the oppressed and marginalized like Tribal, Adivasi, Dalit, Disabled people, Black
People, Women, and Children. All the social development projects which bring the oppressed
out from the oppression all have the essence of the Great Commission. It should not be
misunderstood and over implemented one-sided. Social concern and presenting the gospel have
to go hand in hand. Social development projects like livelihood projects, agriculture upliftment
programs, watershed programs, and so on are social concern that works as a bridge and partner
of evangelism. But often it is misunderstood and separated from the mission.

Conclusion

Of course our priority is to share the good news of Christ but before that, we need to know the
need of those people. Before we make disciples we need to be like a disciple to them whom we
are trying to make. We need to be aware of society (Culture, tradition, language). We are no one
to protest against their culture and all, rather we need to be like them. One of the most Iconic
figures is Roberto de Nobili, he became a missionary to India from abroad. He came to India and
adopted the Indian culture, language and religion in terms of proclaiming the gospel of Christ.
Not only he but many came to India and accept Indian culture and all, then they proclaimed.

Being an evangelist, pastor, or someone who have the zeal to serve God, always we need to have
such kind of attitude towards our surrounding to serve the Lord. Let us be the Icon for Social
Transformation in evangelization. Our focus should not be only on preaching and confined to the
Bible rather than we need to understand society and what is going on in around us. Before we tell
them first, we need to listen to them. Studying one’s culture, tradition, language, and so on will
help us to interact with one another in terms of Gospelization.