Lessons from the Limited Commission

We often remember the “Great Commission” in which Jesus told His apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). However, prior to this, Jesus gave His apostles what we may call the “Limited Commission.” They were to “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6).

Though we are living in the time since the giving of the Great Commission, there are still important lessons we can learn from the earlier Limited Commission that apply even today.

Preach the Kingdom

The specific message the apostles were to preach was this: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). Though we do not preach that the kingdom is “at hand” since it is now here (Mark 9:1; Colossians 1:13), we must still preach the kingdom. Emphasis on this is important because preaching the kingdom involves teaching others about the reign of Christ (John 18:36-37; Ephesians 1:22-23), the authority of Christ (Matthew 28:18; Colossians 3:17), the law of Christ (Isaiah 2:3; Matthew 28:19-20), and the church of Christ (Matthew 16:18-19).

Prove Your Claims

When Jesus sent His apostles out to preach, they were not to merely proclaim the gospel and expect people to simply take them at their word. They were to prove their claims about the kingdom. Jesus told them how this would be done: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons” (Matthew 10:8). Through these miracles, God was “testifying with them” that what they taught was the truth (Hebrews 2:4). We do not have the same miracles today, yet we are still not to expect people to take us at our word. Just as Paul “reasoned…from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence” to prove that what he taught was the truth (Acts 17:2-3), we must prove our claims today by appealing to the word of God (1 Peter 4:11).

Preach Freely

Jesus told His apostles: “Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support” (Matthew 10:8-10). Though it is certainly appropriate for those who devote their lives to the preaching of the gospel to “get their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14), the primary motivation of any truth teacher must be simply to teach the truth.

Proper Fellowship

Supporting those who preach the gospel amounts to fellowship between those giving and receiving the support (3 John 8). As the apostles would travel from city to city, the fellowship they had (staying in someone’s house) was to be based upon “who is worthy” (Matthew 10:11) – not who could provide the most support, who could offer the most comfortable place to stay, or who was the friendliest and more personable. Our standard for unity is the word of God (John 17:20-21). We must not have fellowship with those who are unworthy (Ephesians 5:11; 2 John 9-11).

Parting Ways

In trying to teach others the gospel, there may be times in which we must “shake the dust off [our] feet” and move on, just as Jesus told His apostles they must do (Matthew 10:14). The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). If one is unwilling to listen or refuses to accept the message of the gospel, we cannot help him. When one demonstrates that he will not accept the gospel, we need to move on (at least for a time, until he has a change of heart). This is not always easy to do, especially when we are trying to teach family and friends. Yet it must be done so that we can redirect our efforts toward others who may be more receptive to the truth (cf. Acts 13:44-51).

Punishment for Rejection

Those who reject the message of the gospel will be punished. Jesus went so far as to say, “It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment” than for those who rejected His apostles (Matthew 10:15). Similarly, those who “do not obey the gospel…will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). This should motivate us to teach others, just as Paul said, “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Since we know the fate of those who do not obey the gospel, let us do what we can to persuade them to believe and obey the truth.


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