Does the Great Commission Apply to the Modern Church, by Pastor Charlie Handren

     On May 12, 1792 William Carey published a little pamphlet entitled, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. By God’s grace, his words inspired the modern missionary movement, and by God’s grace, I’m praying that they will inspire a fresh passion for global missions at Glory of Christ.

     The primary issue that led Carey to write this pamphlet was that many Christian leaders in his day were arguing that the Great Commission was not binding on the modern church but was instead the burden of the early church. This did not sit well with Carey, and therefore he devoted the first section of his pamphlet to this issue. 

     Carey begins by affirming that the Great Commission was given to the early church, and that they were laid “under obligation to disperse themselves into every country of the habitable globe, and preach to all the inhabitants, without exception or limitation.” This they did in obedience to their Savior, and the power of God went with them. From that time forward, many attempts were made to preach the gospel to the nations of the world, but in his day only a few were engaged in global missions and most lacked the passion for it that consumed the early church. They felt that enough had been done to cause the gospel to spread throughout the world, and they were content to minister to their own people. But due to this disposition, the nations were left wallowing in ignorance and idolatry, and they were without hope in the world.

     To make matters worse, some Christian leaders were also arguing that the Great Commission was given only to the Apostles and not to the church. Since the Apostles had no clear successors, the Great Commission was neither binding on nor relevant to the church. To this, Carey responded that if the Great Commission is neither binding on nor relevant to the church, then neither are the commands to baptize and teach, and neither is the Lord’s promise to be with his people to the end of the age. Since this is most obviously not the case, the Commission itself must still be binding on and relevant to the church. 

     While it was true that many in the “Christian” countries were still desperate to hear the gospel, they had ministers and means alike by which they could do so. Other nations had no such privileges, and therefore the calling to preach the gospel to them was particularly pressing. “Pity, therefore, humanity, and much more Christianity, and call loudly for every possible exertion to introduce the gospel amongst them.” May we hear Carey’s plea and play our part in obeying the Great Commission!