Jesus Game Plan for Conquest:

A Comparative Study
of the Great Commission
and Joshuas Commission

by
Tony Abiera
B.A. University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana, 2013
M.A. TESOL & Intercultural Studies, 2016

A PAPER
Submitted to Dr. Perrin
In partial fulfillment of the requirement
for BITH 648
at Wheaton College

Wheaton, Illinois
May 2016

INTRODUCTION
ISIS. A news cycle hardly goes by without the mention of the latest atrocities and
military strife caused by the fundamentalist Islamic theocracy known as the Islamic State. While
the Islamic state has continued to do battle with opposing forces in the Middle East, the atrocities
of ISIS have not only been confined to the hostile and occupied lands between Iraq and Syria
deadly terrorist attacks have taken place in Brussels, Paris, San Bernardino, and Istanbul just in
the last yearall of which ISIS has claimed responsibility for. For the average American citizen
such as myself, the name ISIS evokes similar thoughts as the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and
their infamous leader Osama Bin Ladenwho claimed responsibility for the 911 attacks in 2001.
Although Al-Qaeda still exists, the Islamic State has surpassed other extremist Jihadists groups
like Al-Qaeda and risen to the top as the deadliest group to-date.
And still, while the whole world demonizes and condemns ISIS, surprisingly large
amounts of Muslims are immigrating to the Islamic States stronghold to join the fight1. This past
month, Graeme Wood, an outspoken journalist and political expert on ISIS, declared in a
testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that U.S. counterterrorism
strategies must treat the Islamic State as a mass movement rather than a conspiracy.2 Wood has
been one of the leading voices reporting on the developments of ISIS for several years now. He
has visited the ISIS-controlled lands, interacted with ISIS leaders around the world who recruit
followers, and even closely follows tweets and social media posts published by ISIS supporters.
In a timely article published last year titled What ISIS Really Wants, Wood discusses
the ideological beliefs of ISIS and how that should change our understanding of this group.

1
Wood, What ISIS Really Wants, Online.
2
Wood, ISIL as a Mass Movement, Online.
2

Wood holds that this understanding should inform our strategy for fighting against and
ultimately defeating this fundamentalist Islamic group. As a summary of his article, Wood
breaks down the popular misunderstanding that ISIS is a group of psychopaths who do random
acts of terror against Westerners. Instead, Wood posits that ISIS is a highly religious group that
derives from a coherent and learned interpretation of Islam.3 In their interpretation of Islam,
ISIS believes that they are the final caliphate, destined for nothing short of global conquest4.
Following the doctrine of takfiri, this global conquest is accomplished through the purification
of the world through the killing of mass numbers of people.5 The establishment of the caliphate
is a highly doctrinal task that includes important theological events like the apocalypse. Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS since 2010, has declared that the Islamic State is Allahs
main character in bringing about the end times. Through its territorial expansion and the
establishment of Islamic Sharia law, the Islamic State believes it will triumph over evil and that
the eschatological fulfillment of Allahs kingdom will come about according to the Prophet
Muhammads message. In closing, Wood says this about the Islamic State: That the Islamic
State holds the imminent fulfillment of prophecy as a matter of dogma at least tells us the mettle
of our opponent. It is ready to cheer its own near-obliteration, and to remain confident, even
when surrounded, that it will receive divine succor if it stays true to the Prophetic model.6
Although there are many different interpretations of the Quran, the Islamic States
interpretation is not too far off from orthodox Muslim beliefs. In a lecture titled The Church and
Islam, W. Robert Godfrey contrasts the eschatological differences between Islam and

3
Wood, What ISIS Really Wants, Online.
4
Ibid., Online.
5
Ibid., Online.
6
Ibid., Online.
3

Christianity.7 Godfrey argues that the ultimate goal of Islam is to establish a kingdom on earth,
whereas the ultimate goal of Christianity is to establish Jesus kingdom, which is not of this
world (John 18:36). Although many Muslims reject the radical teachings of the Islamic State,
ISIS ideological goals of global conquest come from a strict but fair reading of the Quran and
Muhammads main message from Allah to build a kingdom on earth. In stark contrast to the
geographic conquest of Islam, Jesus invites Christians to be part of a conquest that is primarily
spiritual. By looking at the new marching orders Jesus gives to his disciples at the end of
Matthews Gospel account, we see how the author subverts the Jewish idea of the kingdom of
God being established on earth through military conquest. Rather, Matthew ends his Gospel
account by showing how Jesus intends to send out his disciples on a mission to spread the
Gospel, which results in the kingdom of God being established in a spiritual manner in mens
hearts. By using language from Joshuas Old Testament commissioning in the Great
Commission, Matthew wants to show his Jewish audience how Jesus has the authority to
redefine the idea of conquest and how that has practical ramifications on the way the people of
God are to advance the kingdom of God.
Legitimizing Jesus Divine Authority: Matthews Mosaic Typology of Jesus
Before Jesus Great Commission at the end of his Gospel account, Matthew lays out the
necessary groundwork for his Jewish audience to receive the new marching orders. Matthew
must do this to legitimize Jesus as the Messiah for his Jewish audience. Matthew accomplishes
this by making Jesus look like Moses, one of the most important patriarchs of the people of

7
Godfrey, The Church and Islam, Lecture.
4

Israel.8 Matthew doesnt want to simply compare Jesus to Moses, he wants to establish Jesus as
the new and greater Moses.
Throughout the Gospel account, Matthew makes many allusions to Jesus as the new and
greater Moses. Commentators argue that some of the more obvious allusions are found in the
opening birth and infancy narratives (Matthew 1:182:21).9 In these narratives, Moses and
Jesus both escape the deadly decrees of the political ruler. In Moses case, Pharaoh commands
that all newborn Hebrew boys be killed (Exodus 1:10, 16). In Jesus case, Herod orders that all
male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding regions to be killed (Matthew 2:16). Both
Pharaoh and Herod give these decrees out of fear that their kingdom might be threatened. In both
cases, divine intervention through angels and the obedient faith of the parents allows for both
Moses and Jesus to be protected from harm (Exodus 2:1-10, Matthew 2:13-15).
Jesus on the Mountain: Fulfilling the Mosaic Law and Giving a New Law
Matthew goes on to build his case for Jesus as the new and greater Moses by using
mountain top language and scenic descriptions throughout his Gospel account. To start what is
probably know as Jesus most well-known sermon during his earthly ministry, Matthew
intentionally sets the stage in chapter 5 verse 1. Matthew writes, Seeing the crowds, he went up
on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. By using this specific
language of going up on a mountain and sitting down (a posture of teaching), Matthew intends
for his readers to connect this scene with the scene of Moses going up on Mount Sinai to receive
and deliver the Law of God (Deuteronomy 9:9).10 Matthew wants his audience to know that
when Jesus opens his mouth in the next verse, his words are on the same level as the words

8
Beale and Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, 100.
9
Baxter, Mosaic Imagery in the Gospel of Matthew, 70.
10
Thielman, Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach, 92.
5

delivered to Mosesdivine ethical precepts. With every law that Jesus give in his Sermon on
the Mount in chapters 5-7, Jesus raises the bar for following the Mosaic Law, but surprisingly
does not completely abandon it. To understand what Jesus is truly doing here, his words in
Matthew 5:17-18 serve as an important hinge for the whole passage: Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For
truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the Law
until all is accomplished. Jesus ethical teaching and perfect embodiment of the law fulfills the
Mosaic law and thus brings it to an end. But Jesus new law still lives on. Although it is based
off of the Mosaic law, Jesus law is the new revelation of ethical standards for Gods people.11
Matthew wants his Jewish readers to accept that the Mosaic law has effectively been replaced by
Jesus Law. As pointed out by Frank Thielman, the Sermon on the Mount concludes with an
illustration of a house. In this illustration, the house that survives the storm signifies a blessing
on those who hear and do the words of Jesus. On the other hand, the house that falls as a result of
the storm signifies a curse on those who hear and do not do the words of Jesus. God gives a
similar blessing and curse after giving the Mosaic law: See I am setting before you today a
blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandment of the Lord your God, which I
commanded you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your
God (Deuteronomy 11:26-28a). Afterwards, Matthew writes how the crowds were astonished
at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority (Matthew 7:28-29).
Like the Israelites in Sinai, the hearers of Jesus words are to receive them as Gods authoritative
word and follow them as Gods chosen people. To close this mountain top scene Matthew writes,

11
Thielman, Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach, 89-90.
6

When he came down to the mountain, which completes the Mosaic allusion on Mount Sinai
in the Deuteronomy account (Matthew 8:1a, cf. Deuteronomy 9:12).
The next major mountain top scene in Matthews Gospel comes in chapter 17, which is
more popularly know as the Transfiguration of Jesus. In this scene, Jesus is not directly alluded
to be the new and greater Moses. Instead, we see how Jesus is in the company of Moses, who
represents the Law, and Elijah, who represents the prophets.12 Again, Matthew makes an
intentional connection between Jesus and Moses. Matthew describes how Jesus face shone like
the sun, which is similar to Moses radiant face after he had met and talked with God (Matt.
17:2, cf. Exodus 34:29).13 Just as the disciples are realizing the spectacular events taking place in
front of their eyes, a voice from Heaven speaks and tells the disciples to listen to Jesus, the
beloved Son (Matt. 17:5). The disciples fall down in fear and Jesus comes down from the
mountain and tells them to rise. Matthew points out how the disciples when they lifted up their
eyessaw no one but Jesus only (Matt.17:7). Connecting back to chapter 5:17-18, Jesus has
come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. The Mosaic law is fulfilled and replaced by Jesus
authoritative and divine law, and the prophecies of a Messianic savior are being fulfilled in Jesus
himself.
Jesus on the Mountain: A New Creation and A New Commission
In the very last chapter of his Gospel account, Matthew paints one final mountain top
scene for his audience. In the same way Moses ended his earthly ministry on a mountain, Jesus
also ends his earthly ministry on a mountain (Matthew 28, cf. Deuteronomy 34).14 After his

12
ESV Study Bible, 1856.
13
Thielman, Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach, 92.
14
Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint
Matthew, 679.
7

resurrection, Jesus tell his disciples to go to Galilee to meet him. Through the account of multiple
witnesses, Matthew wants to show how Jesus resurrection confirms his identity as the Messiah.
This is even true despite the conspiracy theories of the Jewish leaders (28:11-5). Jesus truly is the
Son of Man, who has suffered and died, but come to life again (Matt. 12:40, 17:9, 17:22, 26:2).
In light of the resurrection, Jesus has been given the fullest possible authority--not only
on earth, but on earth and in heaven.15 To solidify this point in the readers minds, Matthew
writes in a way that evokes the Old Testament vision of the Son of Man in Daniel 7: And
behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like the son of man, and he came to the
Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a
kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be
destroyed. Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, has inaugurated this everlasting kingdom through his
resurrection. Jesus is the first-born from the dead, which is the fulfillment of the promise of
bodily resurrection in Daniel 12.16 As commentator G.K. Beale writes, the resurrection is a fullblown new-creation notionwhere the righteous are to enter in and become part of the new
heavens and earth...through God recreating their bodies.17 Furthermore, The Resurrection is
the end of an old time the beginning of a new time.18
Although Moses ministry ended with his death on Mount Nebo, this new creation is
the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Salvation. The kingdom, which Jesus has been

15
Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 745.
16
Beale and Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, 100.
17
Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New,
423.
18
Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint
Matthew, 688.
8

talking about throughout his earthly ministry, has been officially inaugurated. Now, even though
Jesus is about to ascend to heaven, his disciples are commissioned to advance this kingdom as
ones being sent out by the Lord Jesus (John 20:21). In chapter 28, Matthew has completed his
Mosaic typology of Jesus. Throughout the Gospel account, Matthew illustrated how Jesus is the
new and greater Moses, how Jesus has universal authority, how the kingdom has been
inaugurated in Jesus resurrection and now how the disciples are to respond to Jesus
commission.
The Upside-Down Kingdom: Characteristics of Jesus Greater Kingdom
Matthews Gospel account is written to an audience made up of Jewish unbelievers who
rejected Jesus and his teaching. Matthew wanted both the educated Jewish leaders and the
average Jewish lay person to understand that Jesus has fulfilled the Scripture and has the
authority to change the Mosaic law.19 However, as was foretold and written about in Matthews
Gospel account, this generation has refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus too laments
over the whole nation of Israelwho spills innocent blood and is resistant against being gathered
under the wings of the hen (Matt. 23:37-38). The stubborn and hard-hearted people of Israel did
not want to accept Jesus as the Christwho challenged the authority of Moses and all the Jewish
traditions as well.20
Although the Jewish people are not without excuse, their fundamental failure to accept
the salvific Lordship of Jesus as the Christ was a result of their misunderstanding of Gods
ultimate plan of salvation. Jesus did not fit the expectations of the collective Jewish mind. The
people of Israel longed for a savior that would bring them out of exileout from under the rule

19
Thielman, Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach, 84.
20
Ibid., 84.
9

of the Romans. The Jewish people believed that the nation of Israel would again be restored to
political power with the Messiah reigning over the nations. What the unbelieving Jews missed
was that Gods redemption plan was better than their planJesus was to bring about a better
kingdom.
In this upside-down kingdom (a term used by the Jewish authorities when dealing with
followers of Jesus in Acts 17:6), the kingdom of God is of spiritual nature. Craig Ott, a leading
missiologists, writes, The New Testament not only decentralizes mission, but also
denationalizes and reframes the kingdom in terms of its spiritual natureThe kingdom is where
God reigns not merely politically or through a national entity, but first and foremost in spirit.21
The Israelites wanted God to intervene and bring about the reestablishment of the Jewish
theocracy. When John the Baptist sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the Messiah or if they
should look for another, Jesus responds, Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind
receive their sight, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are
raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not
offended by me (Matt. 11:2-6). Jesus does not display his Messianic works through extravagant
parades of military strength, but rather through social ministry to the needy and Gospel
proclamation to the poor (and let us not also forget the ministry of raising the dead to life
resurrection power).
The Backdrop for Joshuas Commission of Conquest in the Land of Canaan
To make a theological point about the nature of Jesus greater kingdom, Matthew casts
the Great Commission in the same light as famous commissions in the Old Testament

21
Ott and Strauss, Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical
Developments, and Contemporary Issues, 29.
10

particularly Joshuas commission. By using strikingly similar language, Matthew reveals how
Jesus commissioning of his disciples is similar, yet different than the the charge of Joshua and
the people of Israel. Before we compare the two commissions, we first must understand the
background and occasion of Joshuas divine commission found in Joshua 1.
The book of Joshua is connected to the book of Deuteronomy through the event of
Moses death.22 As Gods redemptive plan through the people of Israel unfolds, a new chapter
begins with this leadership change. So far under the leadership of Moses, God has provided
liberation from the oppression of the Egyptians. Now, as the Israelites stand on the banks of the
Jordan, the Lord charges Joshua to lead his people into Canaan, the Land of Promise. The ESV
Study Bible summarizes the theme of Joshua by saying, Under the leadership of Joshua, the
Lord as divine Warrior brings his people into the Land of Promise and gives them rest. 23
Throughout the book of Joshua, we learn of the complete conquest on the land of Canaan
(Joshua 6:112:24), the dividing of the land of Canaan for the Israelites as an inheritance
(13:121:45), and the theocratic rule of Israel as Gods covenant people (22:124:33).24
Up to this point, God has already proved himself faithful to keep his promises to the
Patriarchs. The people of Israel have truly been uniquely blessed by their covenantal relationship
with God and have become a great nation (In fact, this greatness necessitated their exodus from
Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh). However, up to this point, the covenantal promise of land from
Genesis 15 had not been realized yet. But now, as the book of Joshua opens, God speaks to
Joshua and proclaims that he is giving them the Land of Promise (Joshua 1:2). The Lord God

22
Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint
Matthew, 680.
23
ESV Study Bible, 389.
24
Ibid., 393.
11

then lays out the geographic specifications of the Land and says that no man in this land will be
able to stand before them (1:3-5). The reason for this is because God, the Divine warrior is with
his peoplewherever they go (1:9). In the same way God was with Moses, so shall God be with
Joshua. God will never leave or forsake his peoplehe will always be faithful (1:5). With this
great mission of conquest before him, Joshua is charged to be strong and courageous three
times, to emphasize the empowerment that comes from God to succeed in the task at hand (1:6,
1:7, 1:9).
Similar, yet different: Comparing the Disciples Commission with Joshuas
With this backdrop, we now look at the similarities found in these two commissions. The
parallel language of therefore go begs the question: where is the commissioned one to go? In
the Great Commission in Matthew 28, the imperative to go comes after ultimate authority is
given to Jesus, the Son of Man. In Joshua 1, the announcement of Moses death, precedes Gods
commandment to therefore arise, go over this Jordan (1:2). Both these commands are similar
in that they are both given as divine imperatives from God himself. However, the mission at
hand is radically different: Joshua is specifically tasked with the conquest of the Promised Land,
which lies beyond the Jordan River and the disciples of Jesus are tasked with making disciples of
all nations.
Do these two tasks contradict one another? Is Gods promise of land forgotten or made
void? Of course notAll of Gods promises find their yes in Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:20).
Through the unfolding revelation of Gods plan of redemption, we find that Jesus redefines the
Biblical motif of land in the New Testament. As we have already seen, Jesus kingdom is not of
this world and primarily of spiritual nature. Bruce Waltke, an Old Testament theologian, believes
that although in the Old Testament, the land refers to Israels life in Canaan, in the New

12

Testament, that idea is transmuted to refer to a life in Christ.25 Although this might seem as
though the solution is to simply allegorize the land, that is not the casethe unfolding nature of
Gods redemptive plan gives a fuller understanding of the Biblical motif of land. As Augustine
once said, the New is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed.26 G.K. Beale
uses the term of Installment Fulfillment in regards to the land.27 With the Patriarchal promises
(including the land), there are both physical and spiritual dimensions. They are neither all
spiritual or all physical. Through Jesus, the Messiah, the spiritual dimension of the land has been
cashed in through the inauguration of the new creation in the bodily resurrection. Although
this only has a spiritual dimension right now, the physical dimension of the land will be cashed
in during the final new creation.28 Jesus commands his followers to make disciples, which
means to invite people into the Christian life in Christ. Ott puts it this way, People must be
reconciled with God to enter his kingdom, and this would be the great work that Jesus comes to
earth to accomplish.29 In a pastorally urgent way, Karl Barth, in his exegetical study of the
Great Commission, writes this about making disciples: Make them what you yourselves are!
Have them learn here, with me, where you yourselves have learned! Call them into the twelve of
the eschatological Israel! Let them share in its place and task in the world!30 Instead of military
conquest, the disciples of Jesus are given new marching orders. The disciples of Christ are
charged to go intentionally and baptize new disciples and teach them to obey all that Jesus

25
Waltke, An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach, 560.
26
Ibid., 560.
27
Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New,
751.
28
Ibid., 751-752.
29
Ott and Strauss, Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical
Developments, and Contemporary Issues, 29.
30
Gallagher and Hertig, Landmark Essays in Mission and World Christianity, 24.
13

commandsno longer what Moses commands. This type of teaching is not education for
knowledge, but rather an obedience to Jesus that results in a new way of life.31 Ultimately, with
these new marching orders, the Abrahamic prophecy will be fulfilled through the fulfillment of
the Great Commission, the mission of the Church.32
The Kingdom is at Hand: Proclaiming the Kingdom of Grace to All Nations
Christians today are no longer tasked with civilization building or political domination.
Instead, I agree with the way Ott and Strauss define the task of missions for the church in their
book Encountering a Theology of Mission: The task of missions is the creation and expansion
of Kingdom communities among all the peoples of the earth.33 These Kingdom communities
are marked by men and women who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior, who are baptized and
publically identified as part of the kingdom of God, and increasingly observe and obey all his
teachings as a way of life.
The advancement of the kingdom of God is the advancement of a kingdom of grace. This
characterization of the kingdom is taken from Michael Horton, who believes that Christs
kingdom of grace is advanced in the Great Commission, by Gods saving grace.34 In stark
contrast to the literal kingdom advancements of religions like Islam, Horton writes, Instead of
dominating by sword, this community will fill the earth with Gods glory by announcing the
fulfillment of Gods promise and his gathering of the remnant from all the nations to Zion.35
This kingdom of grace renews rather than destroys.

31
Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 749.
32
Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint
Matthew, 683.
33
Ott and Strauss, Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical
Developments, and Contemporary Issues, 156.
34
Horton, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way, 713.
35
Horton, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way, 712.
14

In this mission, God himself sends out his people. In the same way God proclaimed to
Joshua, I will be with you, Jesus proclaims to his disciples, I am with you always, to the end
of the age (Joshua 1:5, 1:9, cf. Matthew 28:20). Although Jesus is about to ascend to the right
hand of God, he is with his people by the way of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who will be sent
down as power on high on the day of Pentecost (Luke 24:29, Acts 2). Similar to Matthew
1:23 Immanuel, which means God with us, Matthew bookends his Gospel by ending with
Jesus final words to his disciples, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew
28:20). Matthew does this to emphasize the theological theme of God with his people. Jesus is
the great companion of his people.36 This promise of divine succor effectively strengthens the
people of God in the same way Joshua was strengthened to lead the Israelites into the Promised
Land. As Christians, we are called to be strong and courageous, not in ourselves, but in the
God who is with us until the end of the age.
Christians live in an already but not yet age. There will be times of suffering and
hardship for the Christian in the endeavor of advancing the kingdom of grace. There will be
times of doubt, like the disciples who doubted the resurrected Lord (Matt. 28:17). But the
Christian, the follower of Jesus, knows what the end of the age will look like. After this I
looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes
and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white
robes with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to
our God who sits on the throne (Revelation 7:9-10). And after all the enemies of Christ are
defeated and destroyed, the Holy City, New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven from God
and it will be declared, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them

36
Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 749.
15

and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God (Rev. 21:2-3). The
people of God will finally find their ultimate rest in the land of New Jerusalem in a spiritual
and physical way. With this sure future in mind, we are called to boldly proclaim the kingdom of
grace to all nations.
CONCLUSION
Throughout history, the Great Commission in Matthew 28 has remained the banner for
the Protestant Missionary Movementand rightly so. Being heralded by missionary leaders like
William Carey, this banner has compelled individuals to uproot their lives and go to foreign
places to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God places where the name of Jesus has
never been spoken before. Jesus Christ, the resurrected Son of Man, the first born from the dead,
and the prototype of the new creation, redefines the task of mission in this newly inaugurated
age. Throughout his gospel account, Matthew lays out how Jesus subverts the traditional Jewish
understanding of Gods plan of redemption for his people. Although these hard-hearted Israelites
misunderstand and reject this unfolding plan of redemption, we see that Gods plan remains
consistent and sure. In Jesus Great Commission, the church is given its true marching orders.
Conquest is done in a spiritual sense through the Spirit of God, rather than in a militaristic sense
through the sword.
A right understanding of Gods mission in this age has important implications for
Christians today. The topics discussed in this paper are not merely spiritual matters divorced
from events in real life. These spiritual realities and truths deeply affect how we are to live in this
world. A wrong understanding of the churchs mission has lead to destructive movements like
the Crusades in the Middle Ages. Sadly, these holy wars still have detrimental effects on

16

Muslims today, who assume that Christians are still bent on the territorial conquest of Israel.37
This unfortunate mentality feeds into the current geopolitical conflict in the Middle East today.
Bruce Waltke, an Old Testament theologian, dabbles in modern politics by writing these piercing
words to American Christians today who misunderstand the true task of the Church. He writes,
These Christians support the Jewish claims to the Land because they equate the Jewish State
with Gods people andoften unconsciouslyequate the Arabs with the Canaanites.38 These
Christians misunderstand Jesus marching orders and instead follow the marching orders
similar to the Israelite theocracy, which are along the same lines as Islammarching orders of
territorial conquest of the land.
Unlike the religion of Islam, we are not called to build a theocratic kingdom on earth. The
Apostle Paul puts it perfectly in his second letter to the Corinthians. In defense of his ministry,
Paul writes, For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For
the weapons of our warfare are not of flesh, but we have divine power to destroy strongholds (2
Corinthians 10:3-4). These strongholds are not ISIS controlled territories in the Middle East, but
rather strongholds of wrong thinking that have not come under the authority and rule of Christ
spiritual strongholds. Although this happens within each and every Christian, this spiritual battle
to bring men and women under the rule of Christ rages on in the battlefield of the heart. As
Christians, we are called to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might and to put
on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand up against the devil and all his evil
schemeseven the vilest earthly movements such as ISIS (Ephesians 6:10-11).

37
Godfrey, The Crusades, Online.
38
Waltke, An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach, 559.
17

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New. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011.
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Davies, W. D., Allison, D. C. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to
Saint Matthew. ICC. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2004.
ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway Bible, 2008.
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Rapids: Zondervan, 2011
Gallagher, Robert L., Hertig, Paul, eds. Landmark Essays in Mission and World Christianity.
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