The Great Commission is not one passage among many. It is the church’s clearest mandate for making disciples of all nations.

In this conversation, Chris Burnett and Scott Callaham introduce their forthcoming missions textbook, explaining why it begins with the authority and sufficiency of Scripture rather than with methods or strategy. They walk through the central command of Matthew 28:18–20, showing from the Greek grammar how going, baptizing, and teaching all support the single imperative to make disciples.

Along the way, they contrast this Christ-centered obedience with the pragmatism that often shapes modern missions, noting that while improvisation may have a place in mission strategy, it has no place in theology.

This conversation lays the foundation for the rest of the study by emphasizing faithful proclamation rooted in God’s Word instead of human wisdom and strategy.