Bede, the Matthean Great Commission, and the Church’s Universal Mission

Abstract

The Matthean Great Commission, in which Christ instructed the apostles to evangelise all peoples, has been of huge importance across Christian history, but particularly resounded in the Insular world. Through exploring Bede’s engagement with three core themes of Matthew 28. 19–20 – the instruction to ‘teach all peoples’, baptism, and Christ’s eternal presence – this article argues that the pericope was central to Bede’s vision of the Church’s universal mission. Amidst concerns about spiritual complacency within his contemporary society, Bede used the Matthean commission as a framework for the ideal practice and sustainment of the faith.