Two commissions

God gave this commission to Adam and Eve:

Genesis 1:28 (NIV)
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

God blessed them (empowered him to prosper in the affairs of life). They were to “multiply” (NKJV) by reproducing, and to take charge of the earth (which had been corrupted by Lucifer’s fall) by expanding the garden. Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden on a regular basis, it appears (Genesis 3:8).

Jesus gave the church (us) a new commission:

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
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, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Mark 16:15-18 (NLT)
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

Notice how similar this commission is to what God gave Adam and Eve.

Jesus gave us His authority (“go therefore” – that is, “go in that authority”). He told the disciples to multiply by preaching the gospel and making disciples. He instructed them to undo satan’s works by casting out demons and praying for the sick – exactly the same way that He ministered (Luke 9:1-2, Matthew 4:23-25). Jesus said He is always with us, by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, and that He will never leave or forsake us, fail or abandon us, or leave us helpless (Hebrews 13:5 – see NIV, NLT and Amplified).

(Thanks to Bob Johnson for mentioning this “in passing” in a message on another topic).

Doug