The Great Commission

Matthew locates the giving of the Great Commission at an unknown point in Galilee. Luke gives it just prior to the Ascension in Jerusalem. The answer seems easy enough. Such an important instruction must have been repeated over and over, with each evangelist reporting a different occurrence. If the Mark passage is valid, it seems to be a reporting of those final instructions before the ascension, as is Luke’s. (Mark 16:9-20 is not in the two most reliable early manuscripts.)

We don’t know how many appearances Jesus made to his followers during this time. Paul would later state that he had appeared to over 500 at once. Matthew doesn’t tell us if he is referring to the same event that John reports by the lake or a later appearance. It seems from Matthew’s summary statement, however, that though they believed Jesus’ spirit to exist, many still had problems accepting a physical resurrection.