Great Commission and the Teaching Ministries of the Church

Great Commission and the Teaching/Service Ministries of the Church (Relationship of Didache and Diakonia to Evangelism/Mission)

1. Introduction

Christian Education plays an important role in molding and shaping the societies. It is through Christian education that one understands his/her life clearly. Therefore, in this paper we will attempt to bring about how the Great Commission and teaching of the church in relation to Didache and Diakonia built the theological basis for Christian Education and Social Change. We will also look into theological reflection, and bring out its implication.

2. Definitions

2.1. Great Commission

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical theology, “to make disciples of all nation” given by Christ to His disciple regarding His death and resurrection.1 Because Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:19), the Great Commission is to be taken with the utmost seriousness by all of his disciples, “to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:20).2

The Great Commission is accomplished through witnessing (Acts 1:8), preaching (Mark 16:15), baptizing, and teaching (Matt 28:20).

The Great Commission necessitates taking the gospel message to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), to “all nations” (Matt 28:19). The Good News is to be shared with all peoples, for all are sinners, Jews and Gentile alike, and in need of deliverance from sin (Rom 3). All peoples, by faith, can receive God’s provision and are baptized into Christ. In Christ, all distinctions between Jew and Gentile disappear (Rom 10:12-13; Gal 3:28).

2.2. Didache

Didache means teaching. According to Collin’s English Dictionary, Didache means “the teaching of Jesus Christ and the teaching of Twelve Apostles.”3 Jesus went to synagogue he preached and taught the gospel of Kingdom of God (Mtt. 4:23;9:35).4

According to Harper’s Encyclopedia, Didache is the part of the gospel teaching directed toward ethical instruction and guidance in Christian practices, such as, spiritual disciplines, rituals, organization and practical problem.5

2.3. Diakonia

According to Harper’s Encyclopedia of Religious Education, Didache derived from Greek which means “service”, “servanthood” or “ministry”.6

Diakonia simply means to “serve”. “Diakonia or service to foster moral, intellectual, and theological excellence or virtue in the faithful”.7

Jesus perceived His message in terms of diakoinia and exhorted his disciples to follow His example. Jesus’ ministry is summed up in the phrase mighty in deed and word, and is one of the fundamental of Jesus.8

2.4. Evangelism and mission

“Mission is the divine activity of sending intermediaries, whether supernatural or human, to speak or do God’s will so that his purposes for judgment or redemption are furthered.”9

Preaching and spreading of the gospel that Jesus has commanded.10 Evangelism is “the proclamation of salvation in Christ to those who do not believe in him, calling them to repentance and conversion, announcing forgiveness of sin, and inviting them to become living members of Christ’s earthly community and to begin a life of service to others in the power of the Holy Spirit”.11

3. Great Commission and the Teaching of the Church as the Theological Basis

The traditional popular understandings of the missionary mandate and of missionary history are based centrally on the Great Commission text or concept.12 Since the great missionary conferences of second half of the nineteenth century, the so – called “Great Commission” or we might just as well call it as “the Final Commission”, “the Last Mandate,” “the Mission Charge,” or simply “the Last Commission” has been prominent in literatures and materials pertaining to mission which are evangelistic. The climactic passage Matthew 28: 18-20 is called the “Great Commission.”13 We find the parallels in Mark 16: 9-20, Luke 24: 44-49 and John 20: 19-23 too.

The Great Commission is the universalization of the discipleship in the kingdom: “make disciples of all nations.”14 The method for mission of the Matthean version of the Great Commission is “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … teaching them.” The center of the last commission is “go therefore and make disciples,” while baptizing and teaching are subordinate to discipling. It is also evident that the whole gospel is didactic in character and intention, and that the Great Commission comes as the climax of the didactic model. Jesus is presented as the new teacher with authority (7:29) and the last command of the Lord was not merely to teach and to baptize but “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (28:20).15

“Justice” is one of the core themes of this gospel, which from Matthew 6:33 we learned it is imperative to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness.16 “Love” is another central principle found in the Gospel (22: 37 – 40) and reconciliation (5:24), forgiveness (18: 21-35; 6:12, 14 – 15) and serving (25:31 -46) are other major themes in Matthew which are intrinsically linked to the “Great Commission” passage,17 therefore setting a theological basis for Christian education and social change of today.

4. Relationship Between Didache and Diakonia to Evangelism/Mission

Evangelism is proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost. The “lost” are those people who do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They are like lost sheep, which a good shepherd seeks and brings to safety (Matt. 18:12). The goal of evangelism is to win converts.18

Evangelism, Didache and Diakonia are linked together. Evangelism results in converts, and converts are trained to become disciples. Disciples evangelize to reach more converts, who are trained to become disciples. So evangelism leads to disciples and disciples evangelize until the Gospel is spread throughout the world. Christian missions involve proclaiming the Gospel across cultures. So a missionary spreads the Gospel to a people group or culture different from his own. Evangelism and discipleship are the processes by which mission work is accomplished. Evangelism and discipleship also occur within one’s own culture, so not all evangelism and discipleship falls within the context of missions.19

5. Biblical Reflection

5.1. Old Testament Perspective

Throughout the Old Testament, the character of God’s righteousness is exemplified through his care for the poor, the weak and the powerless. The widows, the orphans, immigrants and the poor or marginalized are given special attention (Ps. 68:5, Jer. 22:3, Is. 10:2). Knud Jorgensen quotes Stephanie Dietrich on the importance of Diakonia in the Old Testament. To Stephanie, the concept of covenant is important for our understanding of Diakonia, because it links mankind’s life to its mission and sending by God, and shows that God has a clear will and intention for his creation, namely, to follow God’s call and to be faithful to God under all conditions.20

5.2. New Testament Perspective

Teaching is often associated with exhortation (Rom 12:7; 15:4; 16:17; 1 Tim 1:3; 4:13; 6:2; 2 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:9). Paul considered himself both an apostle and a teacher (1 Tim 2:7), and his letters are filled with commands and exhortations. The teacher has the authority to relay such commands and to enforce them. The teacher positively reinforces these commands through encouragement, modeling, and monitoring. While encouragement is a mutual responsibility of every believer (Phil 2:1; Heb 3:14; 10:25), the teacher has a special responsibility to encourage. He should commend those who are doing well in their spiritual growth. The teacher should be an example to those whom he teaches. Paul often exhorted his audience to imitate him and to follow the example that he set (1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; Eph 5:1; Phil 3:17; 2 Thess 3:9), and urged both Timothy and Titus to be examples to the churches in which they ministered (1 Tim 4:12; Titus 2:7). This is particularly important for the women in Titus 2:3-5, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.” They are examples in their behavior so that they may teach the younger women what is good.

6. Theological Reflection

The content of theology is both revelational and relational as theology seeks to know and tell the truth.21 The “Great Commission: as found in Matthew 28:16-20, the “theology of mission” for Matthew, the concepts: the reign (basileia) of God, God’s will (thelema), justice (dikaiosyne), commandments (entolai), to bear fruit (karpous poiein), and to teach (didasko) are important for his missionary consciousness. And in the last part of the “Great Commission” the phrase “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20)” implies the real content of disciple-making, and therefore of mission. There are three terms – make disciples, baptize, and teach, which summarized the essence of mission for Matthew.22

For Matthew, disciple means living out the teachings of Jesus which is also the basis for Christian education. Missions involves in making new believers sensitive to the needs of others, opening their eyes and hearts to recognized injustice, suffering, oppression and the plight of those who have fallen by the wayside. And it is unjustifiable to take the “Great Commission” as being concern primarily with “evangelism” as Jacques Matthey opined that “according to Matthew’s “Great Commission”, it is not possible to make disciples without telling them to practice God’s call of justice for the poor. The love commandment, which is the basis for the church’s involvement in politics, is an integral part of the mission commandment.”23 Thus, the “Great Commission” has an ideal basis for Christian education and social change.

The term “Diakonia” or service has always been an integral aspect of the life and work of the church. It can also be presented as the social ministry of the church. In the earlier times, “Diakonia” was perceived often as the activity of professional diaconal workers but now it is emphasized that “Diakonia” belongs to the nature and the mission of ‘being church’. And it has been affirmed that diaconal action must be holistic, taking into consideration the physical, mental, social and spiritual dimension; and also enhances the prophetic expression of diaconal action in solidarity with marginalized and suffering people, moving away from traditions of conceptualizing “Diakonia” as humble service.24

7. Implication

In the past, the understanding or the concept of mission has been narrowed down to preaching the gospel and inviting people for conversion. But in a wider meaning, mission can be understood as an activity that promotes the Kingdom of God. The Great Commission commission the church to build the kingdom of God through holistic mission. And to understand the role of Christian education in mission the whole purpose of Christian education has to be expressed more than just saving souls. Christian education is the definite teaching ministry that helps people in their faith formation so that they would become the agents of transformation in and beyond the community. Education brings development in various ways. Therefore, educating is mission and educating is promoting the Kingdom of God. We need to see mission in relation to all realms of life and all aspects of human nature.25

8. Conclusion

The “Great Commission” and the teaching of the Church is the theological basis for Christian education and social change. The “Great Commission” commissioned the church to a wider prospect of mission i.e. to be holistic. Christian education cannot be complete without the foundation on the “Great Commission.” And it also takes the role as a proxy to bring recognition to the faith community about the plight of injustice, suffering and oppression in the society. The teaching of the church – Diadache and Diakonia, present the social ministry of the church that empowered Christian education in the process of social change.

Footnotes

1 Elwell, Walter A. “Entry for ‘Great Commission, the'”. “Evangelical Dictionary of Theology”. . 1997. http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/the-great-commission/ (Accessed on 28/6/2017 at 9:39 pm)

2 Ibid

3 https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/didache. (Accessed on 3/7/17 at 3:37 pm)

4 Ricard R Caememerer, Kerygme and Didache in Christian Education, Concordia journal, July 1989,325

5 Harper’s Encyclopedia of religious Education (Ed. by Iris V Cully), (New York:Philadelphia, 1971),188

6 Harper’s Encyclopedia of religious Education (Ed. by Iris V Cully), (New York:Philadelphia, 1971),188

7 https://www.wordnik.com/words/diakonia. (Accessed on 3/7/17 at 3:37 pm)

8 David Jones, “Diakonia”, in Presbyterian, 4/2, Fall1978,91

9 http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/mission.html (Accessed on 3/7/17 at 3:37 pm)

10 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/evangelism. (Accessed on 3/7/17 at 3:37 pm)

11 http://www.theopedia.com/evangelism. (Accessed on 3/7/17 at 3:37 pm)

12 John Howard Yoder, Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective, (Illinois: InterVarsity Press Downers Grove, 2014), 75-76.

13 Mortimer Arias and Alan Johnson, The Great Commission: Biblical Models for Evangelism, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 15.

14 Ibid…, 29.

15 Ibid…, 18.

16 Mortimer Arias, “Church in the world, Rethinking the Great Commission,” Theology Today, 47/4 (Jan 1991),413.

17 Ibid…, 414.

18 http://missionstraining.org/Evangelism/Relationship.html (Accessed on 2/7/17 at 4:37 pm)

19 http://missionstraining.org/Evangelism/Relationship.html (Accessed on 2/7/17 at 4:37 pm)

20 Knud Jorgensen, et. al. ed., Evangelism and Diakonia in Context, (London: TJ International Ltd., 2016). 8.

21 Waye R Rood, Understanding Christian Education (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1970). 31.

22 David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shift in Theology of Mission (New York: Orbis Books, 2006). 80-81.

23 Ibid… 101.

24 Stephanie Dietrich, Knud Jogensen, Kari Karsrud Korslien & Kjell Nordstokke, ed. Diaknonia as Christian Social Practice: An Introduction (Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2014). 1-2.

25 Amenla Aier, “Mission and Christian Education,” Indian Journal of Theology: 52/1 April 2010: 58-59.

Bibliography

Arias, Mortimer and Alan Johnson. The Great Commission: Biblical Models for Evangelism. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992.
Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shift in Theology of Mission. New York: Orbis Books, 2006.
Dietrich, Stephanie & Knud Jogensen, Kari Karsrud Korslien, Kjell Nordstokke, eds. Diaknonia as Christian Social Practice: An Introduction. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2014.
Jorgensen, Knud, et al., eds. Evangelism and Diakonia in Context. London: TJ International Ltd., 2016.
Rood, Wayne R. Understanding Christian Education. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1970.
Yoder, John Howard. Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective. Illinois: InterVarsity Press Downers Grove, 2014.

Periodical

Arias, Mortimer. “Church in the World, Rethinking the Great Commission.” Theology Today 47/4 (Jan 1991).
Amenla Aier. “Mission and Christian Education.” Indian Journal of Theology 52/1 (April 2010): 58–59.
Caememerer, Ricard R. “Kerygme and Didache: Christian Education.” Concordia Journal (July 1989).
David Jones. “Diakonia.” Presbyterian 4/2 (Fall 1978): 91.

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