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Article 0154 - The Reach of the Gospel
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The Reach of the Gospel in the Early Days of the Church
Jon Gary Williams
Jesus gave his apostles a pointed direction:
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..." (Matthew 28:19)
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"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).
Since the apostles were commissioned to carry the gospel into all the world, it can be reasonably assumed that the gospel was preached in all parts of the world.
Many additional passages attest to this command
"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:5).
When the church was established, Jews from everywhere were gathered at Jerusalem during the week of the Passover. No doubt many who were converted took the message of the gospel back to their homelands.
"But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against" (Acts 28:22).
In Rome Paul called together the chief among the Jews and explained how he had been wrongfully imprisoned. They knew little about Christianity, calling it a religious "sect." But they were distinctly aware that Christianity was being spoken against"everywhere."
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world" (Romans 1:8).
That knowledge of this congregation was spoken of the world over speaks to how far the gospel had spread.
"But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world" (Romans 10:18).
The apostle Paul, citing this prophetic message from Psalms 19:4, applied it to the preaching of the gospel. Where did the gospel go? It went into "all the earth" and to the "ends of the world." (Here, the Greek for "world" is the "inhabited earth." (Footnote - ASV)
"Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:6).
The apostle Paul told the Colossians that the "truth of the gospel" had come unto them. He then explained that this gospel had been proclaimed "in all the world."
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister" (Colossians 1:23).
Again, Paul tells the brethren at Colossae that the gospel they had learned was also preached to "every creature under heaven."
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (I Timothy 3:16).
By the time Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, he was aware that people had knowledge of Jesus "in the world."
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