Two Sides of the Same Mission
When Jesus gave his followers the Great Commission—“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19 NKJV)—he was not only calling them to proclaim the good news of salvation but also to embody the kingdom of God in visible ways. For Pentecostals, the Great Commission has always been inseparably tied to the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 reminds us that the Spirit empowers believers to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But this witness is not limited to preaching; it includes demonstrating the love, justice, and compassion of Christ.
Social justice, at its core, reflects the kingdom values of equity, mercy, and care for the marginalized. Far from being a distraction from evangelism, it is an expression of it. Pentecostals today are rediscovering that Spirit-empowered mission must speak to both souls and systems, people and structures, salvation and justice.
Jesus Announced and Enacted the Kingdom
The ministry of Jesus is the foundation for Pentecostal engagement with social justice. In Luke 4:18–19 (NASB), Jesus declared his mission: “. . . to bring good news to the poor, . . . to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.” This was not a metaphor; it was a holistic announcement that God’s reign was breaking into human history.
Pentecostal theology emphasizes that Jesus’s ministry continues through the Spirit-filled church. We preach Christ, crucified and risen, but we also carry forward his commitment to the broken, the sick, the poor, and the marginalized. The Great Commission is not only about baptizing converts but also about forming disciples who embody Jesus’s compassion in tangible ways.
Spirit Empowerment and Social Concern
From the Shearer Schoolhouse and Azusa Street revivals onward, the Pentecostal movement has proclaimed that the baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers believers for mission. Early testimonies describe not only miracles and conversions but also a radical community where racial and social barriers were challenged. A. J. Tomlinson, William Seymour, and other pioneers in the Pentecostal movement envisioned a life in the Spirit where Spirit baptism would ignite a love for all people and break down walls of division.
This Spirit empowerment drives us outward. Pentecostal mission is not only proclamation with words but also demonstration through deeds. Feeding the hungry, advocating for the oppressed, caring for the orphan and widow—these acts are not optional extras but Spirit-inspired responses to the love of God. Justice is mission because it embodies the witness of the Spirit in the world.
The Great Commission and the Great Commandment
The Great Commission must be read alongside the Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). Pentecostal discipleship refuses to separate these two. Evangelism without love becomes cold rhetoric; social action without the gospel loses eternal perspective. Together, they reflect the heart of God.
For example, when Pentecostal believers establish food pantries, run addiction recovery programs, or advocate for refugees, these are not distractions from “real” ministry. They are ministry. They are ways of proclaiming that the kingdom of God is breaking into the world—both through salvation in Christ and through justice for the oppressed.
A Global Mission for a Broken World
Pentecostals are uniquely positioned to speak into the global conversation on justice. With churches in nearly every nation, Pentecostals understand firsthand issues like poverty, persecution, corruption, and inequality. In many regions, Pentecostal pastors are the first responders to community needs—organizing relief, distributing food, and advocating for peace.
This global perspective reminds us that the Great Commission does not happen in a vacuum. Discipleship must take into account the real struggles of people’s lives. Teaching believers to obey Christ includes guiding them to live justly, to seek peace, and to care for the vulnerable.
Challenges and Opportunities
Pentecostals sometimes face tension over the role of social justice. Some fear that justice work distracts from evangelism. Others worry that aligning with justice creates the risk of diluting the gospel. Yet, Pentecostal theology offers a corrective: the Spirit integrates word and deed, power and compassion.
The opportunity before us is to recover the radical vision of the early Pentecostals who expected the Spirit to transform not only individuals but also communities. Justice and evangelism are not two separate missions but one Spirit-empowered witness to the reign of God.
A Call to Be a Spirit-Filled Witness
Social justice is not a political add-on to Pentecostal faith; it is rooted in the very mission of God. The Great Commission calls us to make disciples, and true discipleship forms people who love God and love their neighbors—especially the least, the lost, and the left behind.
In a world still fractured by poverty, racism, violence, and inequality, Pentecostals are called to bear Spirit-filled witness. This means preaching the gospel with boldness and serving the poor with compassion, proclaiming Christ’s salvation and embodying his justice.
As we live out the Great Commission in the power of the Spirit, we do not merely announce the kingdom—we enact it. And in doing so, we reveal to the world the fullness of the good news—that Jesus saves, Jesus heals, Jesus delivers, and Jesus brings justice.
The image above features the Church of God of Prophecy at the 2025 Nepal Youth Conference distributing Bibles.
