EMQ » January–March 2021 » Volume 57 Issue 1
By Marvin J. Newell
Finish lines are important. Whether you are completing a race or bringing a task to closure, one needs to know the ending point. If you are wondering (and you should be!) when we will “finish the task” of missions, then you need to read our lead article by Samson Uytanlet, academic dean and a faculty member of the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines. Uytanlet takes a critical look into Matthew 24:14:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
This verse is commonly used not only as motivation for reaching all nations with the Gospel – which is good – but additionally, as some believe, hinging on human efforts to bring Jesus back – which is questionable.
Would it not be more advantageous to move away from Matthew 24:14 as a key passage on “mission closure,” to the clearer statements of Jesus as given in his post-resurrection Great Commission statements? Based on those statements, consider this …
The ultimate goal of the Great Commission can be summed up in two words: World Evangelization. This is declared in the phrase, “proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” found in Mark 16:15. When the words “proclaim the gospel” (in Greek: keryxate to euangelion) are used together, most every time they should be translated with the singular word “evangelize.”[1] The verse can more accurately be translated, “Go into all the world and evangelize the whole creation.” That’s where we get the phrase “World Evangelization.” This phrase succinctly summarizes what the final outcome of our mission efforts and activities should be – the evangelization of the world.
“World Evangelization” is a rather popular phrase used in mission circles, and rightfully so. A cursory search reveals that many mission schools, training centers, mission research centers, mission buildings, mission movements (like the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization), and conferences use the term prominently. When so used, a statement is being made as to the reason for their existence and the final goal of their efforts.
This phrase is not explicitly found in any of the Great Commission texts per se. However, we need not be alarmed, nor be reluctant to use it. It is fitting to use based on five phrases uttered by Jesus in those texts. He included these phrases to show the disciples and us where the final outcomes of our outreach efforts are to lead, and what constitutes the finish line. Bundling these well-known phrases together helps us understand our final goal.
- “all the world” (Mark 16:15)
“All” being all inclusive. Jesus told his disciples that they were to cover the entire cosmos (world) by giving access to the Good News in every place. Thus the geographic vastness of our task.
- “whole creation” or “every creature” (Mark 16:15)
Along with looking at the task geographically, the disciples were to see it inclusive of all humanity, i.e. person-by-person. Individuals everywhere are to be given access to the gospel on a personal level.
- “all nations” (Matthew 28:19, Luke 24:47)
All of the world’s ethnic groups are intended to be reached. Jesus was telling his disciples that the task would not be complete until disciples are made of people from every ethnic grouping of peoples wherever they may be.
- “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8)
The church is responsible to carry the gospel to the far extremities from where it is already known and believed to where it is not known or believed. The end is the furthermost point one can reach from where one presently is. For a North American, the end may be Central Asia. For a South Korean, the end may be Western Europe.
- “to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)
“Age” is temporal, a reference to time. The church is to continue evangelizing the world until the present age comes to an end; that end being known only to God. Lesslie Newbigin in his book, The Household of God, states this about these last two phrases:
The Church is the pilgrim people of God. It is on the move – hastening to the ends of the earth to beseech all men to be reconciled to God, and hastening to the end of time to meet its Lord who will gather all into one…. It cannot be understood rightly except in a perspective which is at once missionary and eschatological.[2]
Thus, we are not at liberty to stop our mission endeavors until both ends have been reached.
What then is the ultimate goal of the Great Commission? Or asked another way, “when have we finished the task?” Bundling these five phrases together reveals where the final point of World Evangelization lies. It is the presentation of the gospel to as many people as possible, found in every people group located at every corner of the earth where there is little or no gospel access, until this present age comes to an end. Our goal is not to bring an end to missions. Rather our goal is to bring an end to no gospel access as long as God grants us time.
For now, the task of missions is to be aggressively ongoing. Every lost human being is to be sought out and given an opportunity to hear a clear presentation of the gospel until Jesus comes again (Acts 1:11). Then we will know we have reached the finish line.
Marvin J. Newell, D.Miss
Editorial Director
[1] In The Church is Bigger Than You Think, Patrick Johnstone argues that this passage, as well as others, would be better translated “evangelize.” He bemoans the fact that the common Greek form is too often translated, preach the gospel or tell the good news, distorting the real force that texts like Mark 16:15 show that the church’s real task is to evangelize (47–48).
[2] Lesslie Newbigin, The Household of God. Lectures on the Nature of the Church (London: SCM, 1953), 25.
EMQ, Volume 57, Issue 1. Copyright © 2021 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.
