Since this is a thread on Christian advise & for equipping the saints, I would advise not following those who say the Great Commision is no longer a commandment of Christ for Christians today but only for the 12 apostles.
Timothy carried out the great commission & he wasn't an apostle. Titus carried it out & he wasn't an apostle & all the 'fellow workers' in the gospel proclamation & spread that Paul mentions in his various epistles evidently were on the wrong mission also.
The great commission is mentioned in all 4 gospels & in Acts & to the apostle Paul. In the gospel of Luke ch. 24 for example (not even dealt with, probably for a reason) this great commission is not just given to the apostles exclusively but to the whole body of Christ (120 members) in the upper room.
Luke 24:32-33 They asked one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road & opened the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour & returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven AND THOSE WITH THEM, GATHERED TOGETHER & saying, “The Lord has indeed risen & has appeared to Simon!”
The giving of the great commission in the gospel of John (John 20) included those mentioned in Luke 24:33. Jesus even said to Thomas: "because you have seen Me, you have believed: blessed are they THAT HAVE NOT SEEN & YET HAVE BELIEVED. (future disciples)
The great commission in Matthew 28:18-20 was in force until the end of the age when Christ would return.
Christ would CONTINUE to build His church on the basis of doing what Christ said to do in these passages. These were not suggestions but commands. And notice? When disciples were made, they were to teach them to observe ALL THAT I COMMANDED. So the disciples coming AFTER the apostles were to obey all Christ's commands, including these, because THAT is what they were taught.
They simply followed the apostles' teachings which were Christ's commandments.
The early church did just that, continuing to obey Christ on continuing to baptize the new converted disciples & teaching them to observe all Christ's commandment.
The church fathers did & taught the same. It appears the established apostolic churches & down through the centuries rebukes the claims in this thread. I wouldn't be here otherwise, having people preach the gospel to me, getting me baptized & discipling me. I, in turn, have done the same, obeying my Lord.
Jesus in his prayer to the Father in John 17 didn't limit his prayer & instructions to just the apostles. He knew his commandments would be followed with disciples long after the apostles were gone.
John 17:20,21,“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me THROUGH THEIR WORD, so that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known..."
Mark 9:37-39 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me & whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw SOMEONE ELSE driving out demons in Your name & we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.” “Do not stop him.” Jesus replied, “For no one who performs a miracle IN MY NAME can turn around & speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us."
Jesus again refers to others than His 12 chosen disciples as doing His will & not to stop them.
A similar incidence is in the OT in Numbers 27:16,17,26-29
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me 70 of the elders of Israel known to you as LEADERS & officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting & have them stand there with you. And I will come down & speak with you there & I will take some of the Spirit who is on you & put that Spirit upon them. They will HELP YOU bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself."
Two men, however, had remained in the camp—one named Eldad & the other Medad—& THE SPIRIT RESTED ON THEM. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the tent & they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran & reported to Moses, “Eldad & Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up & said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that ALL THE LORD'S PEOPLE were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”
Jesus sent out 70 others, doing the same thing as the 12 apostles did. It was not limited to just the 12 carrying out the great commission. They all played a part in it. (Luke 10)
Jesus again states that the great commission is not limited to the Jewish flock but that there is another flock that would join them & then there would be one flock & one shepherd. (John 10:15:16)
The apostle Paul reiterated the great commission given to him personally by Christ Himself & told Timothy to do the same, who was not an apostle but a disciple of an apostle.
2 Tim 2:1,2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, THE SAME COMMIT TO FAITHFUL MEN, who shall BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO.
This again is the great commission of preaching the gospel & multiplication of faithful disciples, who can in turn teach others also...who can in turn be faithful men & who can in turn teach others also, etc.
In Acts 1:4-8, the great commission is given again AFTER the resurrection. It is to start in Jerusalem & spread outward through Judea & Samaria & to go to the ends of the earth. But they were to wait UNTIL Pentecost!
And the Holy Spirit fell on ALL THE DISCIPLES, men & women--the Spirit COMING TO REST UPON THEM, like Moses wished for back in Numbers--it happened!
By the time Acts 15 occurs, some 20 years after the resurrection, there are now the church, elders & deacons & the apostles, as well as other apostles like Barnabas & Paul--all preaching the gospel--and all making disciples, teaching them what Christ commanded, including the great commission.
It is not optional or marginal. It is a command by Christ Himself, who CONTINUES to build His church of those disciples, who continue to follow Him. Much more could be said but that is what I needed to share & to give advise to other disciples & followers of Christ that the great commission is still a viable command of our Lord & Savior today & so it has been since the first century.
