The Gospel of Matthew ends with a command: “Go and teach all nations.” Mission means sharing the good news of Jesus—across continents and over the garden fence. Here you will find 19 Bible verses about mission.
The command
Jesus sends his disciples.
-
Therefore go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20
-
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15
-
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8AscensionConfirmation verses
-
Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21
-
And preach repentance and forgiveness of sins among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:47
-
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38Thanksgiving for the harvest
-
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, so that it gives light to all in the house. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
-
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who proclaim peace, who preach good news, who proclaim salvation, proclaiming to Zion, “Your God is king!”
-
And he says, “It is a little thing that you are my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the remnant of Israel; but I have also made you a light to the Gentiles, so that you may be my salvation to the end of the age.”
Isaiah 49:6Epiphany
Being witnesses
How faith is passed on.
-
How can they call on the one in whom they do not believe? How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? How can they hear without anyone proclaiming? How can they proclaim without being sent? For it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim peace, who proclaim good news!”
Romans 10:14-15
-
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16GospelConfession
-
But sanctify God the Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you.
1 Peter 3:15ConfessionUnderstanding
-
Be prepared to give an answer to everyone outside, and do so with gentleness and respect. So that you may know how you ought to answer everyone who asks you for a reason.
Colossians 4:5-6
-
Preach the word, whether to the just or unjust, with all gentleness and respect, with all patience and teaching.
2 Timothy 4:2
-
I have become like one weak to the weak, so that I may win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may save as many as possible.
1 Corinthians 9:22
-
So now we are ambassadors for Christ, because God is appealing through us; so now we appeal to you in Christ: Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20Reconciliation
-
We cannot help but speak what we have seen and heard.
Acts 4:20Confession
-
Proclaim his glory among the Gentiles, his wonders among all nations.
Psalm 96:3Glory
-
And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14End times
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
Related topics
This might interest you
“Cycle the World, Spread the Gospel”—the GNA cycling jersey brings the mission command to the road. And the Fisherman Beanie reminds us of Jesus’ call to become fishers of men.
GNA Cycling Jersey – Cycle the World, Spread the GospelCycling jersey with a mission: experience the world, spread the gospel.€90
Fisherman BeanieFisherman Beanie—inspired by Jesus’ call to become fishers of men.€25
Let Your Light Shine T-ShirtT-shirt inspired by Matthew 5:16: Let your light shine before others.€38
Too Good to Be True? - Boxy T-ShirtBoxy T-shirt with a back print asking whether the gospel is too good to be true.€38
The Great Commission
After his resurrection, Jesus gathers his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). This “Great Commission” has shaped the history of Christianity. It does not end with a demand, but with a promise: “And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Mission in everyday life
Mission is not just for people who go to distant countries. Jesus describes concentric circles: “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)—that is, also where you live. Peter advises always being ready to give an account of the hope that is in you, “and to do so with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15-16). Mission often begins with a life lived in a way that raises questions. Find out more in Bible verses about the gospel, Bible verses about light, and Bible verses about discipleship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Great Commission found?
In Matthew 28:18-20. Similar words of commissioning are found in Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, and Acts 1:8.
Must every Christian evangelize?
The Bible calls all Christians to be witnesses of Jesus (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15). This can look very different—through words, through deeds, and through a life that raises questions.
