The problem with Christianity today is that we use the same concept or words that the early Christians use but not with the same meaning. Over the years these words have lost there true meaning and there is a need for the rediscovery of there true meaning. The rediscovery of the meaning of these words is very very important because only then can life return back in Christianity. When it comes to baptism people just dive into water and coming out without knowing what it mean and we do all these things just to follow the Bible. It has become nothing but a religious activity, duty and obligation. What is today called the great commission has lost it meaning from what the early Christian perceived it to be. And this is an attempt to rediscover the original meaning of the great commission.

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matt 28:18-19).
"And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the GOSPEL to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be SAVED; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mar 16:15-16).
"but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luk 24:49).
"Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”... But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:6,.

We are looking very closely at these verses because they described what we call the great commission. Now in the book of Matthew Jesus first of all said "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." before he went ahead to tell his disciples to go make disciples and baptize them. I have always ask myself the question, why did he first tell them that he has all authority? Authority is a legally vested power, it is the legal right of someone who had been given a position in government. For Jesus to say he now has all the authority in heaven and earth this means he had been given a position higher than the heaven and earth, he has become ruler of all. Jesus was simply saying he had been enthroned as the king of heaven and earth.

During those those days once a person had been victorious and had attain the throne his followers who witness this would carry the good news to the rest of the people who are waiting to hear it. Therefore Jesus was saying "I have attained the throne, go and announce to the world that I am the new ruler of all creation". Jesus went ahead to say "make disciples,... baptizing them". When a new ruler emerge it is normal for people to try to oppose and resist his reign. We could see that in story of Saul enthronement as king of Israel. Saul was opposed and had only few followers when he was publicly announced as the chosen king. It was when he defeated their enemies the Ammonites that most Israelites supported him and those the supported him said “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” (1Sam 11:12). Now when Jesus said "make disciples,... baptizing them", he was trying to say "go and gather all those who would support my reign". Of course his disciples understood what it meant because it was the norm of that time.

Let go to the book of Mark, Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the GOSPEL". The word "gospel" is another word that has lost it meaning in today's Christianity. The word gospel was not a religious word but a military word. Yes it means good news but It's not just any good news but the news of the victory and enthronement of a king. It's was later, after much linguistic evolution that the Greek word Gospel was now use to refer to any good new. But at first it was mainly a military term. Therefore when Jesus said "go... and preach the gospel", he was saying "go and announce to all that the ruler of the world (the devil) had been defeated and now I have been enthroned as the new ruler of all creation". There is still yet another word we would like to trace the original meaning and that word is "save" or "salvation". This word is also translated as deliverance, in the ancient time it means being brought out of a land of slavery or affliction into a land of freedom.

An example is found in the Bible when the Israelites were delivered from the hands of the Egyptians. They were saved, brought out of the land of slavery into the land of salvation. So when Jesus said "He who believes and is baptized will be SAVED", he was saying "anyone who believes and baptized would be brought out of the land of slavery (the kingdom of darkness) into the land of freedom". Paul perfectly explain the meaning of salvation when he said "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love," (Col 1:13). By "baptism" Jesus was referring to a formal declaration of your full and complete supporter of the new ruler, which is Christ. Jesus said "He who believes and is baptized will be SAVED", this means that believing is not enough, there must also be a formal display to show that one has align with the new ruler.

Let look at this final verse in the book of Luke where Jesus told his disciples "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” The disciples were to go and preach the gospel but Jesus said they should wait until they are endued with power. This brings us to the question, why do they have to wait, instead of saving the many lost soul? This is because it is not about saving lost souls but about declaring the greatest of the new ruler. If the emergence of a new ruler can only be a good news then that ruler is better than the former ruler. If a more terrible ruler should be enthroned then it is not a good news. Therefore if the new ruler is greater than the former there must be an evidence of his greatness, hence the need for the display of his power and love.

Now let put this together; the great commission is not about going to win souls and increase the number of born again Christians. Instead the great commission is about announcing the enthronement of Jesus, declaring the greatness of this new ruler and gathering together all those who pledge their allegiance to him.

Let us be focus on revealing Christ than gaining convert (manipulating people to accept Jesus)