The Great Commission is the charge to the Lord's apostles (and there are apostles [missionaries] today) to bring the elect of the nations under the discipline required of those who would be members of His Church.

So often the Great Commission is interpreted to mean we are to go forth and build churches, saving as many Gentiles as we can. But the Lord did not command us, in the Great Commission, to build churches or save people. He commanded us to make disciples.

Usually the commission given to the eleven is interpreted in this manner: "It is the obligation of all Christians to go to every part of the world and tell others about Jesus so they will get saved." The assumption is that those who hear and believe will form a church, a building will be constructed, a minister will be provided, and people will attend services several times a week while they are waiting to go to Heaven.

The individual pastor or missionary may be motivated by love and a desire to please God. However, the ideal falls short when the establishment of a local church is seen as the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Let us look at the passage more closely. First, the Lord did not speak to all the believers but to eleven chosen men. This point deserves more attention than it often is given.

Second, the Lord said nothing about forming churches—neither congregations nor buildings.

The Lord commanded His apostles to make disciples of all nations of people, to baptize them in water, and to command them to act in the manner Jesus described, as recorded in the Gospel accounts.

In the present hour we are to obey the Lord when He commands us to seek out the elect of the Gentile nations, bearing witness of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God, telling them of the need for repentance and baptism in water, and informing them of the demands of discipleship.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26,27)

It appears there are very few disciples in our day. How many members of your church have placed the Lord above their father, mother, wife, children, and brothers and sisters? How many have turned their back on this present world, have taken up their personal cross, and are following the Lord Jesus with a perfect heart? These are the disciples of Jesus. These are the members of the Bride of the Lamb, the Body of Christ, the true and only Church. These—and these alone—are the true Christians. The remainder of the believers are churchgoers.

We come now to the aspect of bringing the nations under Kingdom law. Although the emphasis of the Church Age is the seeking out of those whom God has ordained to eternal life, God would have all the governments of the earth obey the laws of the Kingdom of God as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. It is not enough that a nation grant its citizens "religious freedom." God would have the government assist the Gospel witness in every manner and also seek to have righteous, godly civil and criminal laws. The nations that do so will find mercy from the Lord at His coming.

To be continued.