Developing a Philosophy of Christian Ministries=+
Part I=+
The Two Great Commissions =++

How does God evaluate a ministry? We tend to be pragmatic. We
look at results. We may say, "Look at what the Lord is doing."
But, what if we have taken an approach that is diametrically
opposite to the "marching orders" that God has given? Even if
the results appear to be an overwhelming success, can real
success be attained by disobeying God?=++

The road was narrower than when I first chose it for a
shortcut between two highways. While I was somewhat concerned
that the road had been getting narrower, and that now there
was grass between the two rows of tracks, I still had hope
that it would go through to the other highway. After all, it
was a nice day to travel, and we had nearly a full tank of
gasoline. The worst that I could foresee was retracing ten or
fifteen miles, and being the one who would provide a good
laugh for the family. But my optimism burst like a bubble when
we saw a fence that a rancher had placed across the road.=++

The mapmaker, anyone having a copy of his map, and the
neighbors would have known better, but I didn't. Our Lord, who
is the Great Mapmaker, has provided an inspired "Map."
Sometimes we say that this Map, the Bible, is sufficient for
faith and practice. Sometimes we say that it is sufficient for
counseling. Surely we believe that the Scriptures are
sufficient for developing a philosophy of Christian
ministries.=++

Or, leaving the "map" analogy, isn't it reasonable to use the
analogy of a "battle plan?" The battle is the Lord's. He is
the Commander, we are his soldiers. It is our duty to follow
the plan that He has revealed in the Bible.=++

Unfortunately, sometimes believers see any questioning as an
attack on some Christian leader whom they love and admire.
Loyalty to godly leaders is good. But shouldn't we be
sufficiently loyal to God to be willing to rethink our
philosophies of ministries to be sure that we are following
His commands faithfully?=++

How do you suppose God evaluates a ministry? We tend to be
pragmatic. We look at results. We may say, "Look at what we
are accomplishing." And we sound more holy when we say, "Look
at what the Lord is doing." But, what if we have taken an
approach that is diametrically opposite to the "marching
orders" that God has given? Even if the results seem to be
favorable, even overwhelming, is there ever any real success
in disobeying God?=++

Reconsidering The Great Commission=++

After His resurrection, Jesus gave what is generally called
"The Great Commission." A commission is made by someone
greater in rank or authority, and a commission places a
responsibility on the lesser person to perform as commanded.
Since The Great Commission is written in the form of a
command, and since it was given by God the Son, it is
correctly called a commission.=++

As commonly translated, Jesus said: "Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I
am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen"
(Matt. 28:19-20).=++

Does "Go ye therefore" apply just to missionaries, or to all
believers? "Go" may seem to imply going to a foreign land, and
"all nations" may demand that some go to foreign lands, but
"all nations" includes our native land. For The Great
Commission to be fulfilled, some must go to foreign lands, but
others might just go across the street or across town.=++

There is another factor to consider: "Go ye" is not the best
translation.1-3 An expanded translation that better reflects
the Greek text is:=++

"As you go through life, wherever you may have been born,
wherever God may take you, as a habitual practice of life,
make disciples . . ." (Matt. 28:19). =++

Let's take this expanded translation of the first part of The
Great Commission and tack on a part of verse 20:=+
"As you go through life, wherever you may have been born,
wherever God may take you, as a habitual practice of life,
make disciples . . . teaching them to do everything that I
have commanded you to do."=++

God has commanded us to make disciples, and to teach our
disciples to do the things that He has commanded us to do.
Therefore, we are to make disciples who will, in turn make
disciples. This means we are to nurture our disciples to
reproductive maturity.=++

Expanding to clarify the command to make reproductive
disciples:=+
"As you go through life, wherever you may have been born,
wherever God may take you, as a habitual practice of life,
make disciples, nurturing them to productive maturity, and
teaching them to nurture their disciples to productive
maturity."=++

Implications of The Great Commission=++

If the original hearers of The Great Commission were commanded
to make reproductive disciples (and they were), then the
disciples of the original hearers were to make reproductive
disciples, and the command to make reproductive disciples is
on every believer of every generation. Make no mistake, making
reproductive disciples is not a gift given to a few. It is a
command to all.=++

If each believer won and discipled one person each year, and
if each newly-discipled believer won and discipled one person
per year, starting with one believer, the number of believers
in any year (not considering death of any believer or failure
to win and disciple another) would be "2" taken to an exponent
equal to the number of years.=++

Starting with one person (at the year "zero"), at the end of
one year there would be two believers, at the end of two years
there would be four believers, at the end of three years there
would be eight believers, and at the end of four years there
would be sixteen believers. Assuming that this mathematical
increase were continued for thirty-six years, the total number
of Christians would exceed 6 billion.=++

This mathematical example shows the power of God's plan for
explosive reproduction of believers. His plan is for
Christianity to increase geometrically, just as human
population increases geometrically. If any method of
evangelism does not produce increases that are geometric, they
cannot possibly keep up with the exploding world population.
The results are like walking up a down escalator.=++

Two Great Commissions=++

If we have been given a Great Commission for the purpose of
bringing the world's population into the faith, isn't it
reasonable that God would give another Great Commission for
keeping succeeding generations in the faith? Otherwise, a
world evangelized in a few generations would again become
pagan by failure of a single generation to evangelize and
disciple their children.=++

But we are not left to our theories. God has commanded:
"Fathers . . . bring your children up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord " (Eph. 6:4). God has not only
commanded that children be nurtured in the faith, God has
commissioned fathers with the authority and responsibility of
fulfilling this Second Great Commission. =++

Foundations for the Second Great Commission=++

Clearly, God has commissioned fathers with the authority and
the responsibility for bringing up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. But the first institution
ordained by God was marriage (Gen. 1:27.28). It is the plan of
God that husbands and wives model, for their children, their
devotion to God and their faithful fulfillment of their
respective roles in marriage (Deut. 6:5-7; Luke 6:40; Eph.
5:22-25). =++

God's plan for keeping succeeding generations strong in the
faith is Christian marriage, godly husbands and godly wives,
working together to bring their children up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord. Truly, the foundations of the Second
Great Commission are godly fathers and godly mothers.=++

A Philosophy of Church Ministries=++

Undisputedly, the local church is to be a place for worship,
learning, prayer, and fellowship. But what ministries or
programs should be added to these basic functions? How should
they be prioritized?=++

We have seen that God has given Two Great Commissions. The
success or failure of Christianity rests on obedience to both
of them. What part should the local church take in obeying the
Two Great Commissions? It is important to remember that
neither of these Two Great Commissions were given to
organizations or buildings. Neither organizations nor
buildings can obey them. =++

If pastors, other leaders, and members of local churches
believe that The Great Commission of Matthew 28 was given to
be obeyed, then priority must be given to nurturing believers
to reproductive maturity, and to encouraging them to obey The
First Great Commission.=++

If pastors, other leaders, and members of local churches
really believe that God has commanded fathers to bring up
their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, then
programs and provisions of the local church must be designed
around this Second Great Commission. The church must help Dad
fulfill his God-ordained role in child rearing. God has
ordained that child rearing be a family function. Therefore,
a biblical philosophy of ministries must be built on God's
plan for marriage and family with full recognition that God
has commissioned fathers as the ones responsible for child
rearing. =++

In addition to fulfilling the commands embraced in these Two
Great Commissions, what can be added to a philosophy of Church
ministries? What can be added in the way of church programs?
Anything that appears to be biblical if it does not dilute,
delay, or replace individual obedience to The Great Commission
of Matthew 28:19-20, if it does not dilute or replace the
centrality of marriage and family in the plan of God, and if
it does not dilute, delay, or replace individual obedience to
The Great Commission of Ephesians 6:4.=++

Why should you consider redeveloping your philosophy of
Christian ministries? Surely, everyone who wants to please God
wants to follow his plan. Who would want to be asked by our
Lord, "Why didn't you obey me?" Who would feel comfortable
responding, "Sorry, Lord, we were too busy doing it our
way"?=++

End Notes=++

1. The Greek text of Matthew 28:19-20 does not include an
imperative verb that must be translated "go." Instead, the
Greek text has a participle from which the command to go has
been translated.=++

2. The verb that is translated "go" (if transliterated
exclusively from the English alphabet and without accent
marks) is "poreuthente" which is an aorist particle of
"poreuo." In A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition, Copyright
1958, page 692, the lexicographers make this double-pronged
comment: "The aorist participle (of poreuo) is often used
pleonastically to enliven the narrative . . . in any case the
idea of going or traveling is not emphasized."=++

3. Referring to the root verb, and not to the aorist
participle in particular, also on page 692, the lexicographers
describe two other ways that the verb is used: (1) "conduct
oneself, live, walk" and (2) "of life generally."=++

Copyright 1998 by Wendell E. Miller=+
Downloaded from http://www.biblical-counsel.org=++

May be reprinted and distributed in quantities if distributed
free or at cost, and if=+
copyright, download, and permission information is included.=+

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