The Great Commission in the Final Frontier

The Story We’re Already In

If Chapter 3 showed us that humanity’s dominion mandate stretches beyond Earth, then Chapter 4 reveals the heartbeat that must go with it: the Great Commission. It’s one thing to send people to Mars. It’s another to send the gospel with them. Without that, we risk building a new world without the One who makes all things new.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-20 are as bold as any mission control countdown: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” When the risen Christ said “all authority in heaven,” He included the stars, planets, and moons. The scope of His kingdom is not limited to the map in your Bible’s back pages. It spans the solar system and beyond.

From a simple view, this means that if there are people somewhere, whether in a Martian dome or a lunar research station, they are part of the “nations” Jesus commands us to reach. The Commission is not suspended by distance or gravity. The Church’s mission simply follows humanity’s migration pattern, as it always has.

From Garden to Galaxies: The Two Mandates United

To grasp the depth of this calling, we need to see the unity of the Bible’s two great mandates. The Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:28 calls humanity to fill the earth and steward creation. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 calls the Church to fill the world with disciples who obey Jesus. One is about cultivating life; the other is about redeeming life. When joined, they form a single mission: to fill all creation with worshippers who steward it in God’s name.

This theological link matters for Mars. In the past, exploration often came with cultural expansion, language, governance, customs. The Church’s history shows both triumphs and failures in such moments. Today we have a chance to write a new chapter, one where technology and theology arrive together in the first wave. A habitat’s blueprints and a church-planting plan can, and should, be drawn up side by side.

Protestant theologians have long insisted that dominion without the gospel is hollow. It produces infrastructure without redemption. Likewise, gospel proclamation without cultural engagement leaves creation care incomplete. In the final frontier, the stakes are high: the first Martian culture will likely set patterns for centuries. Will those patterns reflect Christ’s reign or human pride? The answer will depend on whether the Great Commission lands on Mars with the first settlers.

Why Mars Will Need the Gospel

It’s tempting to imagine that a fresh start on a new planet might avoid the sins of Earth. But as Albert Mohler reminds us, “wherever humans go, our sin goes with us.” Mars will not be a sinless Eden; it will be a place where the same pride, greed, and division that plague Earth can take root, unless the gospel is present to confront and heal.

Think of it in practical terms. A colony will need governance, justice, economic systems, and conflict resolution. Without Christ’s lordship shaping these, power can easily be abused. A Martian church, however, can be salt and light in that society: modeling servant leadership, proclaiming truth, and caring for both the souls and the daily needs of neighbors.

Moreover, isolation in a hostile environment can press the human spirit to its limits. The gospel offers hope that transcends oxygen levels and radiation counts. It roots identity not in survival capacity but in being known and loved by the Creator of Mars itself.

What the Great Commission Looks Like on Mars

Missiology gives us tools for this vision. Decades of global church planting have taught us that the gospel travels best through simple, reproducible, culturally adaptable methods. These principles, honed in jungles, deserts, and megacities, can serve us on Mars.

• Abundant Gospel Sowing. Every believer sees themselves as a witness. This will be vital in small, tight-knit colonies where relationships are deep and daily.
• Obedience-Based Discipleship. From the first Bible study, Martian believers would ask, “How will I obey this, and who can I tell?” This DNA ensures that faith grows outward, not inward only.
• Indigenous Leadership. A healthy Martian church will be led by Martians, settlers who understand the rhythms of a 687-day year, the feel of one-third gravity, and the emotional weight of distance from Earth.
• Holistic Mission. The first churches will likely double as counseling centers, aid stations, and community hubs, serving both physical and spiritual needs in an environment where survival is a daily concern.

These are not theories. They are field-tested models from movements that have reached millions in unreached places on Earth. The frontier context of Mars is, in many ways, another “unreached people group”, only the transportation time is measured in months instead of hours.

The Theology That Fuels the Launch

When Jesus says “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20), He includes the far side of the solar system. His presence, not our technology, is the ultimate guarantee of mission success. The apostle John’s vision in Revelation 7, a multitude from every nation worshipping before the throne, can include those born under a Martian sunrise. The final frontier is simply another corner of creation awaiting that day.

Baptist theologians have emphasized that exploring the heavens can be an act of worship. The Great Commission in space, then, is not a cold duty but a joyful continuation of worship: proclaiming Christ where He is not yet known, so that praise might rise in every habitat, dome, and outpost.

In academic terms, this is a fusion of missiology (the study of mission), eschatology (the hope of cosmic restoration), and theology of creation. But in plain language, it’s the simple truth that Jesus deserves to be known everywhere, and Mars is part of “everywhere.”

A Call to the Church: Before the Rockets Launch

We dare not wait until the first colony is established to think about this. If we delay, the cultural foundation of Mars will be laid without the gospel. The time to prepare is now.

1. Educate and Inspire. Churches should teach about the unity of the Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission, and how they apply beyond Earth.
2. Train Spacefaring Missionaries. Just as we train missionaries for specific cultures and climates, we can begin preparing believers for the technical, emotional, and cultural realities of life on Mars.
3. Partner with Exploration Efforts. Christian organizations can collaborate with space agencies and private companies to ensure spiritual support is part of crew welfare.
4. Pray for Open Doors. Pray now for those who will be in the first waves of settlers, that God would place witnesses among them.

Conclusion: The First Hymn on Mars

One day, perhaps in our lifetimes, a small group will gather inside a habitat on Mars. The air will be recycled, the walls will hum with machinery, and outside the temperature will be colder than any Antarctic winter. But inside, a voice will begin to sing praise to Jesus, the first hymn on the Red Planet. It will be both ordinary and historic: ordinary because Christians have sung in every place they have lived; historic because for the first time, worship will rise from another world.

The Great Commission in the final frontier is not about planting a flag; it’s about planting the cross in human hearts, wherever humans go. As we prepare to step onto Mars, let’s make sure we also prepare to carry the gospel there, so that, in the words of Habakkuk 2:14, “the earth” (and all that it will one day include) will be “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”