THE WIDESPREAD GOSPEL

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. The apostles were here given a monumental task. The glad tidings of the saving work of Messiah had "from the beginning of the world...been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph 3:9), hidden considerably to Israel due to the shadowy nature of the Law (Col 2:16-17; Heb 8:5; Heb 10:1), obscured to that nation which alone was "kept under the law, shut up unto the faith that should afterwards be revealed" (Gal 3:23), hidden for centuries from the Gentiles to whom the Scriptures were not even delivered (Psa 147:19-20; Rom 3:1-2). But Christ had now come and conquered death: the Immortal had become mortal "that mortality might be swallowed up of life" (2Co 5:4), Death "swallowed up in victory" (1Co 15:54) and by the publishing of such great salvation, the deliverance of "them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb 2:15). Life and immortality, the means thereto and the hope thereof, had been revealed in Him "Who only hath immortality" (1Ti 6:16), Who gave it to "as many as [the Father had] given him" (Joh 17:2) and was to now be brought "to light through the gospel" (2Ti 1:10), the believing of which shows one to be justified by grace (Acts 13:39). The world to which they were to preach this gospel was not limited to their immediate boundaries---they were to be witnesses unto Christ "both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile had been broken down, taken away in the cross of Christ (Eph 2:11-15) and they must soon see that God "had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27). And this solemn duty fell upon a few chosen men who could all identify with the later Apostle who would bear the bulk of the work of the gospel, "And who is sufficient for these things?" (2Co 2:16). The amazing thing is that they did it! Though many today deny or overlook the fact, the Holy Ghost Who empowered them to preach (Acts 1:8 c/w 1Pe 1:12) did also record that they fulfilled their commission to the letter! They were to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Consider: 1) "And they went forth, and preached everywhere...." (Mar 16:20). 2) "...the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world..." (Col 1:6). 3) "...the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature under heaven..." (Col 1:23). 4) They "turned the world upside down..." (Acts 17:6). The outbreak of the gospel was far greater then than many will now concede. That world and those creatures who were meant to receive it did so and though many nations have since sinned away the light of its message, yet the word went forth everywhere as commanded. Human reasoning says, "Impossible, ridiculous." Faith says "they went forth and preached everywhere in all the world to every creature under heaven, turning the world upside down in the process." Let God be His own interpreter. "...Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom 3:4).