Study Guide:

The Great Commission & the Acts 2020 Project

This study guide provides a comprehensive review of the "Great Commission" as outlined in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, as well as the strategic framework provided by the Acts 2020 Project. It is designed to synthesize the scholarly analysis of the biblical mandates that transformed the early church into a global movement.

Part I: Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in two to three sentences, based strictly on the provided source context.

  1. What is the primary function of the "Eight Lenses of Examination" within this study?

  2. According to Dr. Darrell Bock, what is the significance of the geographic progression of the gospel?

  3. What is the "strict administrative directive" issued by Christ regarding the Holy Spirit in Luke 24?

  4. How does John Stott define the "negative boundaries" of the Church’s primary mission?

  5. What does Lens 4 (Prophecy Fulfillment) assert about the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Covenant mission?

  6. How does Dr. Craig Keener interpret the "doubt" experienced by some disciples on the mountain in Galilee?

  7. What is the "Canonical Handshake" described in Lens 6?

  8. According to Lens 7, what is the primary vehicle through which Christ’s cosmic authority is manifested in the world?

  9. What is the fundamental difference between the "Traditional Approach" and the "Campaign Approach" to the Book of Acts?

  10. In the context of Lens 8 (Best Practices), what are the three distinct areas of daily life where discipleship is enacted?

Part II: Answer Key

  1. The Eight Lenses of Examination serve as an analytical framework to break down how the Great Commission transforms the church from a restricted witness into a global movement. This structured approach moves learners from being passive spectators to active witnesses by providing a rigorous, multi-faceted study of the biblical text.

  2. The geographic progression—advancing from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth—is identified as a non-negotiable, pre-determined plan of God. This outward expansion is not a human design or a reaction to rejection, but the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant’s promise to bless all families of the earth.

  3. The administrative directive requires disciples to stay in the city until they are "clothed with power from on high," effectively forbidding the launch of the global witness until they receive heavenly baptism. This establishes the Holy Spirit as the Chief Administrator and strategic navigator, ensuring human effort is not mere "spiritual dead weight."

  4. John Stott’s negative boundaries state that the church is not primarily commissioned to reform society or to execute miraculous physical healings. While social engagement and compassion are general Christian obligations, the specific mandate of the Great Commission is the verbal proclamation of redemptive grace.

  5. Lens 4 asserts that the New Covenant mission was pre-calculated in the eternal council of God and is the exact fulfillment of ancient prophetic scripts found in the Law, Prophets, and Psalms. It establishes that the Messiah’s suffering and the global proclamation of repentance are not novel developments but the realization of the prophetic timeline.

  6. Dr. Craig Keener views this doubt not as a flat rejection of the resurrection, but as a practical, human hesitation when faced with a paradigm-shattering reality. It represents an inner struggle or mental friction within the apostolic community as they transitioned into their new roles as representatives of the King.

  7. The "Canonical Handshake" refers to the structural and theological link between the mandates of the Gospels and the instructions in the New Testament Epistles. For example, the command to baptize and teach converts provides the legislative authority and blueprint for the doctrinal and moral instructions found in the later letters.

  8. The local church is the primary vehicle through which the cosmic authority, activity, and ability of Christ are manifested. The Great Commission is viewed as the non-negotiable, authoritative model for the existence of every local assembly in every age.

  9. The Traditional Approach views the Book of Acts as an ancient travel diary or a private devotional book for personal reflection. In contrast, the Campaign Approach treats the text as a strategic roadmap and a dynamic movement with clear patterns and principles for fulfilling the Great Commission.

  10. The three distinct areas are the "Private Mirror" (cultivating individual spiritual character), the "Local Church" (developing faithful Christian teamwork), and the "Mission Field" (sustaining a daily witness in a hostile, neo-pagan world).