What exactly is mission? Is it going on short term mission trips? Is it giving financially to missionaries and mission organizations? What do we do in “mission”? The answer to these questions is found in Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 which is known as the Great Commission.

In the Greek, the command is not in the word “go” but in the word “disciple”. The word “disciple” is a verbal imperative accompanied by three complementary participles translated in English as “go, baptizing, and teaching”. Participles usually end with “ing”. So literally, you can translate the passage as saying, “In your going or as you are going, disciple (imperative) the Gentiles by baptizing and teaching them everything Jesus taught and also to teach them to obey Jesus.”

Mission is often emphasized as going to a foreign country to evangelize to the lost there. However, Jesus’ command is not primarily about “going”, but rather about discipling  the lost into becoming followers of Christ. The second thing to note in the command is that the word “nations” used is not “kosmos” (translated “world”), nor is it “ghays” (translated “earth”); but it is “ethnay” (translated “Gentiles”). Someone pointed out correctly that Jesus was commanding Jewish disciples to disciple Gentiles wherever they were or went.

In other words, discipleship begins by teaching the Gentile (unbeliever) about Christ and His teachings. Thus, the command is to disciple Gentiles by baptizing and teaching them, and not necessarily by going overseas to disciple them. You are to do so wherever you are and wherever you go. When they believe, you are to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Jewish disciples of Jesus knew what Jesus meant when He commanded them. They were aware that baptism is about repentance from sin as this was what John the Baptist preached as well as Jesus. John called people to repent from their sin in preparation of following the Messiah when He  arrived. Jesus called people to repent from their sin and follow Him.

The Greek word for “disciple” is “mathetes”. It means a learner who learns from a teacher by following him. In the Jewish tradition, a student and teacher’s relationship is different from our modern student and teacher relationship today. In the Jewish tradition, a student does not go to class and then go home after class; rather he lives with his teacher and “pays for board and tuition” by serving him. During this period of time, he learns knowledge or skill from his teacher by observing how his teacher lives and does things. Discipleship was not just about intellectual knowledge, but also about practical skills. This was how Jesus taught His twelve disciples. Thus, biblical discipleship is not a program but an impartation of one’s life by words and actions through one’s example to his student.

This was what Paul was trying to say to the Corinthians when he tells them, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) Yet in the reports or testimonies on missions we hear today, most focus only on projects and programs and not how people are being discipled.

In the Greek, “teaching” in Jesus’ command is centered on two main things. One, to teach them what Jesus taught; and second, to teach them to obey Jesus and not human disciple-makers or teachers. Therefore, if a person tells you that you must only obey him or be baptized only by him, you want to be careful. In fact, you should stop learning from him because he is asking you to follow him and not Jesus. This is the sign of a cult and not a Christian leader.

The purpose of mission is to fulfill the command of Jesus to teach unbelievers about Christ and bring them to believe in Him and obey all that Jesus teaches in the Scriptures. Therefore, the mission of discipleship is about helping people to know Jesus and obey Him. It is not to obey us like the cultic leaders or teachers we see around us today. Jesus warned that in the last days, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4-5)