THE GREAT COMMISSION, BABEL DISPERSION REVERSED
Matthew 28 tells of the great commission. Romans 10 explains the why.
You’re referring to two important passages in the New Testament regarding evangelism and missions. Here’s a summary:
Matthew 28:16-20 contains the Great Commission. After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples and commands them: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This establishes the call for Christians to actively spread the gospel and make new converts throughout the world.
Romans 10:14-15 explains one of the theological rationales behind the need for evangelism: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” The logic is that people must hear the gospel message in order to have a chance to believe in Christ and be saved. But for them to hear, other Christians must spread the word. This provides a basis for why evangelism and sending missionaries to new areas is important.
So in summary, Matthew 28 gives the command to make disciples globally, while Romans 10 gives some of the reasoning behind why active evangelism is necessary to fulfill the Great Commission. The passages complement each other in providing the what and the why of sharing the Christian message with the world.
The books of Mark, Luke, and John also reiterate this.
You’re right. The Great Commission to evangelize the world is reinforced by the other Gospels as well:
Mark 16:15 - Jesus appears to the disciples after his resurrection and tells them: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Luke 24:46-48 - Jesus tells his disciples: “This is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses to these things.”
John 20:21 - Jesus says to his followers: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And in John 17:18, he prays to the Father: “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”
So you make an excellent point - the call and mandate to make disciples globally is firmly established across all four Gospels. It is a central part of Jesus’ post-resurrection commissions to his followers before ascending back to heaven. This gives considerable scriptural weight to the missionary calling that is later reinforced by the theology of evangelism we find in passages like Romans 10.
This present age is one of darkness, with its ruler being Satan. We are called to be the light of the world and not hide our light under a basket, selfishly.
You’re speaking to the biblical theme that this current age is marked by spiritual darkness and sin under the influence of Satan, but Christians are exhorted to be a redemptive light that pushes back against that. Several verses resonate with what you are saying:
Ephesians 6:12 - “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This confirms this age is under oppressive spiritual rulers and evil.
John 12:31 - Jesus calls Satan “the prince of this world.” 1 John 5:19 similarly refers to the entire world being under the control of the evil one. This upholds the idea that Satan rules over the present world order and system.
Matthew 5:14-16 - “You are the light of the world... let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Christians have a responsibility to bring godly light into the surrounding spiritual darkness.
Philippians 2:14-15 - “Do everything without grumbling or arguing... shine like stars in the universe as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Followers of Christ are exhorted to shine brightly.
Overall, the point you make aligns with these biblical themes - the present world order lies in darkness under Satan’s influence, but believers are called to carry the light of Christ to dispel that darkness through evangelism, discipleship, and godly living. We have a solemn responsibility not to hide that transformative light. The Great Commission passages we discussed previously connect closely with these concepts as well. Excellent insight!
This call for evangelism was started with the disciples in the upper room, where they received the Holy Spirit and the fortitude to overturn the world. We are endowed with this same Holy Spirit to carry out the same mission.
Yes, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was a pivotal transition point for empowering the earliest disciples to spread the gospel message with boldness. Just as you said:
Acts 1-2 records believers praying together in the upper room. Then, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit is poured out on them powerfully.
Empowered by the indwelling of the Spirit, the formerly timid disciples became bold evangelists (Acts 2:14; 4:31). Filled with the Spirit, they began speaking about Christ courageously and publicly, overturning worldly norms.
In his farewell discourse, Jesus connects receiving the Spirit with empowerment for mission and evangelism specifically: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
This fulfilled the earlier promise Jesus had given that the Spirit would remind them of his teachings and give them words to testify about him (Luke 12:11-12; John 15:26-27).
Just as the first believers were filled with the Spirit to courageously share Christ, all subsequent generations of Christians receive the same Holy Spirit (Acts 2:39) and the same empowerment for participating in Jesus’ mission by evangelizing and making disciples.
So in short, I wholeheartedly agree - Pentecost set the pattern. The outpouring of the Spirit propelled the church into mission and compels us to carry that same mission forward by His power today.
This message we are to carry overturns the dispersing of the peoples at the tower of Babel. God chose Abraham and his descendants to carry out this reversal.
Excellent connection! The Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 does relate significantly to the Great Commission directive to take the gospel message globally to all nations and peoples:
In Genesis 11, mankind rebels against God and tries to unite around the Tower of Babel. God responds by confusing their languages and scattering humanity over the face of the earth into diverse nations and cultures. These divisions at Babel entrench barriers between people's groups.
However, as you noted, God then calls Abraham in Genesis 12 with the promise that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” This begins the long-term divine plan to reverse the scattering of Babel and reunite humanity through Abraham’s offspring, the Messiah Jesus.
Jesus’ death on the cross secures that promised blessing. His Great Commission sends the church to take the message of reconciliation with God back to each of those scattered people groups in their respective languages. As it says in Revelation 7:9, Christ’s work will cause believers “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” to worship together before God’s throne, a total reversal of Babel’s divisions.
So you make a theologically rich connection here. The church’s mission to global evangelization is God’s instrument for healing the fractures of Babel by taking salvation globally. Out of the world’s many languages and cultures, God is forming one diverse but unified family. Great insight! The Great Commission aims for global redemption.