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The Great Omission

  [Bob's Blog]
04/03/2009
By Towell, Bob

The Christian church of the first centuries resulted from following this plan for church growth--a result hard to improve upon (Matthew 28:20).  But in place of Christ's plan, historical drift has substituted  "Make converts(to a particular 'faith and practice') and baptize them into church membership."  This causes two great omissions from the Great Commission to stand out. Most important, we start by omitting the making of disciples and enrolling people as Christ's students, when we should let all else wait for that. Then we also omit, of necessity, the step of taking our converts through training that will bring them ever-increasingly to what Jesus directed ("teach them to obey everything I have commanded you").

These two great omissions are connected in practice into one whole. Not having made our converts disciples, it is impossible for us to teach them how to live as Christ lived and taught (Luke 14:26). That was not a part of the package, not what they converted to. When confronted with the example and teachings of Christ, the response today is less one of rebellion or rejection than one of puzzlement: How do we relate to these? What have they to do with us? Isn't this bait and switch?  (Quotes taken from The Great Omission by Dallas Willard)

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