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THE SO-CALLED GREAT COMMISSION Harry
Bethel The main work of the Church is to evangelize the unsaved and make disciples of the converts until Jesus returns. But the so-called Great Commission was given to the Eleven disciples. It was not given to them and the more than five hundred brethren by whom Jesus was seen after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:6). The Eleven were commissioned and empowered after becoming disciples (according to the conditions of Luke 14) to go and teach all nations (ethnos), to go into all the world (kosmos), and to preach the gospel to every creature (ktisis); and, before the end of Paul's ministry, they did exactly that. According to the Scriptures the world has already been evangelized in fulfillment of Matthew 28:19. Because of the apostasy of the Church, Christians will not evangelize the world again before Jesus comes back. The Gospel will, however, be proclaimed throughout the earth by an angel near the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 14:6). The commission to the Eleven, in part, was: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations [ethnos]" (Mt. 28:19); "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations [ethnos]" (Lk. 24:47); "Go ye into all the world [kosmos], and preach the gospel to every creature [ktisis]" (Mk. 16:15); "and ye shall be witnesses...unto the uttermost part of the earth [ge] (Acts 1:8)." Paul wrote, "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ...now is manifested, and...according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations [ethnos]" (Rm. 16:25-26 NASB). Paul used the word ethnos here, just as the Gospel writers did in Matthew 28:19 and Luke 24:47. To the Christians in Rome Paul also wrote, "Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world [kosmos]" (Rm. 1:8). Paul also used the word kosmos in Colossians 1:5-6: "The word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world [kosmos]." Jesus used the word "ge" for "earth" recorded in Acts 1:8, as Paul did in Romans 10:18: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth [ge], and their words unto the ends of the world [oikoumene]." Oikoumene denotes the inhabited earth. Paul said, "Therefore, let it be known to you that the salvation of God was sent to the nations [ethnos]...." (Acts 28:28, KJIIV). The word ktisis used by Mark in 16:15, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature [ktisis]," was also used by Paul: "The gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature [ktisis] which is under heaven" (Col. 1:23). Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! |