The Commissions Jesus Christ gave to the Twelve Apostles

Duane Gallentine

The purpose of this brief study is to give consideration to the many commissions that Jesus Christ gave His disciples as He confirmed the promises made unto the fathers during His earthly ministry as a minister of the circumcision (Romans 15:8). Some of these commissions are pre-crucifixion, but most are post-resurrection. We will consider them, not only in content, but in chronological sequence.

In Christendom, it is generally agreed that the Lord during the 40 day period between His resurrection and ascension as recorded in Acts 1 instructed His apostles concerning His program for the Church which is His Body. Christian leaders call these instructions "the Great Commission" or "the last words of Christ", even viewing these words as "the marching orders of the church". Many in Christendom view these commissions to be one in the same, thus they make no distinction between what is said, to whom it was spoken and the timing in executing the instruction or provisions. Others favor one particular commission, or part of it, over the others depending upon their theological bias. In picking and choosing the specific Commission which fits their theological position, believers must try to explain away the Lord's statements in the other instructions.

Though not specifically agreeing as to which one of the commissions is the present day commission for the One Body of Christ, theologians and Bible teachers hold in disdain any believer who would suggest that NONE of those commissions contain the Lord's instructions for the Body of Christ in the present Dispensation of Grace. To consider such a possibility would be to entertain that the record in the Four Gospels and the early part of Acts is not the Dispensation of Grace!!

Let us be Bereans and receive with readiness of mind as we search the Scriptures daily whether these things are so concerning the Commissions Jesus Christ gave while on earth, and His subsequent commission He gave from heaven's glory in His highly exaulted position as Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body--Eph 1:22-23.

Pre-Crucifixion Commission

Matt 10:5-8 5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Luke 9:1-2,6 1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

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It should be noted that in sending out the Twelve the Lord restricted their 'going out' to include only the lost sheep of the House of Israel. He did so based upon Him being sent in His own ministry to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. As He was sent, so He sent the Twelve. Two passages that help us to understand the exclusiveness of His ministry as a minister of the circumcision are Matt 15:21-26 and Mark 7:24-27:

Matt 15:21-26 21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

Mark 7:24-27 24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

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It is helpful to understand that the children's bread is composed of all the provisions of the promises God made to the Fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) who had a covenant of Circumcision with God. This gentile (uncircumcised) woman tried to cash in on one of the provisions of God's promises with the Circumcision. She had no contractual agreement with God to claim such from her untoward position. During this time, this Time Past, all the gentiles were strangers from the covenants of promise, had no hope, and without God in the world.

Post-resurrection Commissions**

**Placed in Chronological Order of Sequential execution

I. The Twelve Receive the Authority to officiate during Christ's Absence

John 20:19-23 19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Matt 16:18-19 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matt 18:15-20 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

II. The Twelve are promised Power to execute the Charge

Luke 24:44-53 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

III. The Twelve having authority to Remit and Retain sins with the Power from on high, are instructed to "GO ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"

Mark 16:14-20 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."

IV. The Twelve are instructed on the physical course they are to travel

Acts 1:1-12 1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

V. The Twelve are commissioned as the Priests of the Lord to go, teach, and baptize the gentiles during the 1,000 year Kingdom.

Matt 28:16-20 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 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.

When one's faith accepts these passages as written, accepting the understanding that the subject matter of the verses-the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Gospel of the Circumcision and to whom these instructions apply (i.e. the Twelve Apostles going to the Circumcised Nation, then the gentiles after Israel is first filled), one readily knows that all of these commissions CANNOT BE and are NOT God's commission for the present Dispensation of Gentile Grace.

When God set aside Israel's prophetic covenant law program after the nation stoned Stephen in Acts 7, God himself cast away Israel in blindness and ushered in a new Dispensation of pure Gentile Grace through the ministry of Paul the apostle-Rom 11:11-15. [There are FIVE important words that God gave to the Body of Christ so that they might understand His dealings with Israel so that the gentiles might be saved without Israel in Kingdom glory. Those words are found in Romans 11 verses 11,12, 15, and 25. Those words are: stumbled, fall, diminishing, cast away, and blinded. Sadly, most believers are ignorant in regards as to how Paul uses these words]

God's present commission to mankind came through Paul's ministry as is recorded in Romans through Philemon. The particular verses that speak of what God has NOW commissioned are:

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: (Rom 1:5)

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (Rom 11:13)

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (1 Cor 1:17)

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor 1:18)

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! (1 Cor 9:16)

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. (1 Cor 9:17)

. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Cor 5:18)

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:19)

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:20)

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. (Gal 1:11)

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:12)

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; (Eph 3:8)

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Eph 3:9)

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Col 1:25)

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: (Col 1:26)

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Col 1:27)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Tim 2:5)

Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Tim 2:6)

Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. (1 Tim 2:7)

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Tim 1:9)

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: (2 Tim 1:10)

Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. (2 Tim 1:11)

If Christian workers are going to be found faithful before God and men, they must without reservation follow Paul and Paul alone as he followed the Lord Jesus Christ according to revelation of the Mystery. Failure to teach the same (2Tim 2:1-2) sound doctrine Paul received from the Lord and taught to the gentiles will result in a spiritually weakened church subject to every wind of doctrine being impotent to apply God's Hidden Wisdom to life and living.