The Great Commission is one of the foundational precepts of Christianity. Yet only 49 percent of adult churchgoers in the U.S. have so much as heard of it, according to a new report from Barna Group.

Even those who have heard of the Great Commission aren’t necessarily well acquainted with Jesus’ command to go and make disciples of all nations. In fact, just 17 percent of churchgoers say they know what the term “Great Commission” means. A quarter say the phrase rings a bell but are unable to identify its meaning, and 6 percent can’t decide whether they’ve heard of it.

Respondents performed better when selecting from a list of five Bible passages: 37 percent of churchgoers correctly picked the text of Matthew 28:18-20 as the Great Commission, while one-third (33 percent) said they weren’t sure whether any of the choices represented the Great Commission.

Even among church attendees with college degrees, 51 percent have never heard of the Great Commission.

Even among church attendees with college degrees, 51 percent have never heard of the Great Commission.

Younger churchgoers were least likely to express familiarity with the Great Commission. Just 10 percent of millennials and 17 percent of Gen-Xers said they knew the meaning of the phrase, compared to 26 percent of baby boomers and 29 percent of elders (those born prior to 1946).

A lack of familiarity with the phrase “Great Commission” isn’t the only point of confusion regarding Christ’s call to spread the gospel. Nearly 1 in 5 churchgoers (18 percent) and 8 percent of pastors believe missions and social justice are essentially the same. Another 8 percent of churchgoers and 2 percent of pastors are unsure of the difference between missions and social justice.

Clearly, there is a need for more instruction. It’s not just a matter of passing on our Christian lexicon. We must articulate every believer’s responsibility to spread the gospel; this is the very heart of God.

After all, part of the Great Commission involves teaching Christ followers to obey everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:20). Without an understanding of God’s Word, how can the Church obey it and teach others to do the same?