Staying within the Story—Understanding the Great Commission According to Matthew’s Gospel

We often read Matthew 28:16–20, the Great Commission, outside its narrative context. Unfortunately, this can lead to a truncated understanding of the Church’s mission and what it means to be missional according to Matthew’s Gospel. Such an understanding often results in an emphasis on proclamation toward the non-Christian that is soteriological, with little attention given to “observing the commands of Jesus.” However, reading Matthew 28:16–20 within the narrative framework of Matthew’s Gospel can provide the Church with a more holistic and reinvigorating understanding of its mission that is both outward and inward, with a renewed emphasis on learning and obeying the teachings of the Matthean Jesus.