The Great Commission was not given to professionals.
Matthew 28:19 records Jesus saying Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
He was speaking to eleven people standing on a hillside in Galilee. Fishermen, a former tax collector, people whose primary qualification was that they had spent three years following Jesus around.
No formal theological training, no institutional platform, no cultural credibility with the Roman world they were about to enter. Just people who had encountered something they could not keep quiet about.
That has been the pattern ever since.
Philip ran to a chariot in the desert and asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood what he was reading. Andrew went and found his brother Peter and said we have found the Messiah. The woman at the well went back into the city and told everyone about a man who told her everything she had ever done.
None of them were trained. All of them were changed, and the change was the qualification.
Evangelism suffers when it is treated as a specialized skill set belonging to a particular personality type.
The introverted person concludes it is not for them. The person without the theological vocabulary to answer hard questions stays silent. The one who tried once and it went badly decides they are not gifted for it.
Meanwhile, Paul is writing from prison and saying that the things that have happened to him have actually served to advance the gospel, because the guards chaining him are hearing it whether they planned to or not.
Romans 10:14 asks the question that makes avoidance difficult: how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Someone has to go.
The Commission That Belongs to Every Believer
1. Go Therefore and Make Disciples of All Nations
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” ESV | Matthew 28:19
2. You Will Be My Witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the Ends of the Earth
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ESV | Acts 1:8
3. Go Into All the World and Proclaim the Gospel to the Whole Creation
“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” ESV | Mark 16:15
4. As the Father Has Sent Me, Even So I Am Sending You
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’” ESV | John 20:21
The Gospel That Must Be Proclaimed
5. For God So Loved the World That He Gave His Only Son
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” ESV | John 3:16
6. I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel for It Is the Power of God for Salvation
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” ESV | Romans 1:16
7. How Are They to Believe in Him of Whom They Have Never Heard?
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” NIV | Romans 10:14
8. Faith Comes From Hearing and Hearing Through the Word of Christ
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” ESV | Romans 10:17
The Spirit Who Does the Work Through You
9. It Is Not You Who Speak but the Spirit of Your Father Speaking Through You
“For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” ESV | Matthew 10:20
10. Open Your Mouth Wide, and I Will Fill It
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” ESV | Psalm 81:10
11. Pray Also for Me That Words May Be Given to Me in Opening My Mouth Boldly
“And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” ESV | Ephesians 6:19
12. The Lord Opened Her Heart to Pay Attention to What Was Said by Paul
“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” ESV | Acts 16:14
Urgency and Opportunity
13. The Harvest Is Plentiful, but the Laborers Are Few
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” ESV | Matthew 9:37–38
14. Now Is the Favorable Time, Today Is the Day of Salvation
“For he says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” ESV | 2 Corinthians 6:2
15. Walk in Wisdom Toward Outsiders Making the Best Use of the Time
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” ESV | Colossians 4:5
16. Always Be Prepared to Make a Defense to Anyone Who Asks for the Reason for the Hope in You
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” ESV | 1 Peter 3:15
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Message
17. Philip Ran to the Chariot and Asked, Do You Understand What You Are Reading?
“So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’” ESV | Acts 8:30
18. Andrew Found His Brother Peter and Said, We Have Found the Messiah
“He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ).” ESV | John 1:41
19. The Woman Left Her Water Jar and Went Into Town and Said Come See a Man
“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’” ESV | John 4:28–29
20. Woe to Me If I Do Not Preach the Gospel
“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” ESV | 1 Corinthians 9:16
What Happens When the Gospel Goes Out
21. So Shall My Word Be That Goes Out From My Mouth, It Shall Not Return to Me Empty
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” ESV | Isaiah 55:11
22. He Who Wins Souls Is Wise
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” ESV | Proverbs 11:30
23. Those Who Turn Many to Righteousness Will Shine Like Stars Forever
“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” ESV | Daniel 12:3
24. I Planted, Apollos Watered, but God Gave the Growth
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” ESV | 1 Corinthians 3:6
The Life That Preaches Without Words
25. Let Your Light Shine Before Others so That They May See Your Good Works and Give Glory to Your Father
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ESV | Matthew 5:16
26. You Are the Salt of the Earth, but If Salt Has Lost Its Taste How Shall Its Saltiness Be Restored?
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” ESV | Matthew 5:13
27. Your Speech Should Always Be Gracious, Seasoned With Salt so That You May Know How to Answer Each Person
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” ESV | Colossians 4:6
The Message Does Not Need You to Be Impressive. It Needs You to Be Available.
Paul said the things that happened to him served to advance the gospel.
He was in chains when he wrote that. The circumstances that looked like a setback were, from God’s perspective, a platform.
The guards assigned to him heard the gospel. The church was emboldened by his example. Letters written from prison became the foundation of Christian theology.
The person who waits for the right moment, the right words, the right confidence level, may wait a long time. Andrew did not have a theological argument ready when he found Peter. He had a sentence: we have found the Messiah. Come and see.
That was enough.
What People Ask About Evangelism and Scripture
What does the Bible say about evangelism?
Matthew 28:19 gives the foundational command to make disciples of all nations. Acts 1:8 promises the Spirit’s power for witness. Romans 10:14 makes the urgency clear. First Peter 3:15 calls believers to be ready to explain their hope. Scripture presents evangelism as the responsibility of every believer, not a specialized ministry for a few.
Is evangelism commanded in the Bible?
Yes. Matthew 28:19 is a direct command from Jesus. Mark 16:15 says go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Acts 1:8 frames the Spirit’s power specifically for the purpose of being witnesses. First Corinthians 9:16 records Paul saying woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. The command is consistent and unambiguous across the New Testament.
How do you share the gospel according to the Bible?
First Peter 3:15 says to do it with gentleness and respect. Colossians 4:5–6 says to walk wisely toward outsiders and let speech be gracious and seasoned with salt. Acts 8:30–35 shows Philip starting with a question and building from where the person already was. The biblical model is attentive, conversational, Spirit-dependent engagement rather than scripted performance.
What does the Bible say about sharing your faith without being pushy?
Colossians 4:5–6 emphasizes wisdom toward outsiders and gracious speech. First Peter 3:15 adds gentleness and respect as the manner of giving a reason for hope. Second Timothy 2:24–25 says the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind and patient. The biblical model is invitation and honest engagement, not coercion or pressure.
Why is evangelism important in Christianity?
Romans 10:14 frames it as a logical necessity: belief requires hearing, hearing requires someone speaking. Matthew 28:19 places it at the center of the church’s mission. Daniel 12:3 connects it to eternal significance. Isaiah 55:11 assures that the Word accomplishes its purpose. Evangelism is the mechanism through which the gospel reaches people who have not yet heard it.
Father, Use Whatever I Have to Reach Whoever Is in Front of Me
Father, I want to bring before you the people in my life who have not yet heard the gospel from me, and ask you to give me what I keep waiting to feel ready before I speak.
Let Acts 1:8 be the promise I actually stand on: that the power for witness comes from the Spirit, not from my own confidence or preparation or perfect timing.
Open my mouth the way Psalm 81:10 describes, because I am willing to say something, even something small, if you will fill it with what the person in front of me needs to hear.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.