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What is the mission of the church? Scripture gives us several complementary answers to this question. For instance, the church must make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity and teaching them everything Jesus has commanded (Matt. 28:18–20). The church is the pillar and buttress of truth that holds up God’s truth to the world (1 Tim. 3:15). The church has to do good to all people, especially its own members (Gal. 6:10).
One description of the church’s mission in particular is often overlooked in this era when we often feel as if the church is under siege. We find this description in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church He is building on His Apostles. His statement is based on gates that were found in the walls erected around ancient cities. These walls provided defense against enemies, and gates were shut when a city was under attack in order to give additional protection. To capture a city, an attacking army would have to bust through the city’s gates. When gates of a city did not prevail, it meant that the attackers had entered the city to capture it. So when Jesus says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, He is picturing a church on the offensive, storming the gates of hell and taking for Christ territory formerly controlled by Satan.
The mission of the church, then, is to take the offensive against the kingdom of darkness, breaking down the gates of hell and bringing everything under the blessed kingship of Jesus Christ. Yes, the church must defend itself in this fallen world, but we do so from an offensive position, being led by the Savior into the world to win souls and nations for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The church cannot fail in this mission, for Jesus Himself promises that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Of course, not every professing church is part of the true church. Jesus says that a specific church will prevail—namely, the church that is built on the Apostles and knows who Christ really is. Our Lord commends Peter for rightly recognizing Him—for knowing who He is—and He says that He will build the prevailing church on Peter and his confession. There is no papacy in Matthew 16:18 but simply the recognition that Peter, and by extension the other Apostles, has a special place in the history of salvation as having been commissioned directly by Christ and as the first to take the gospel to the nations. The gospel that the Apostles preached, which includes Peter’s confession, is the marching orders for the church, the plan to which we must continually return if we are to break down the gates of hell.
The church faces many challenges in our day, as it has throughout its history. By the grace of God, however, we are not playing defense. As we hold fast to gospel truth, Jesus will cause us to finally prevail over Satan. His kingdom will certainly increase.