The Spread of the Gospel

Acts 1:8

WHILE in the flesh, Jesus had promised his disciples that he would send them the Holy Spirit; and now, after his resurrection, and when he was with them for the last time before returning to the heavenly courts, he renewed this promise. In his previous references to the Holy Spirit Jesus emphasized that it would be a revealing power in their minds, enabling them to understand the things which he had taught them, even bringing to remembrance important teachings which otherwise they would entirely forget. Jesus had promised, in fact, that the Holy Spirit which he would send would guide them into “all” truth, and show them “things to come.”—John 16:13

But on the occasion of this last visit with his disciples, before his ascension, Jesus spoke of another important function of the Holy Spirit—it was to be a power in their lives which would enable them to be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Some time before this—before he was crucified—Jesus sent his disciples into the ministry, but restricted the field of their activity. They were not to go to the Gentiles, nor to any city of the Samaritans. (Matt. 10:5,6) But now these restrictions were removed. They were to continue their work among the Israelites in Jerusalem and in all Judea, but in addition were to spread the Gospel of the kingdom to other nations, even to the “uttermost part of the earth.”

Actually there were still three and one-half years of exclusive opportunity for the Jews to hear the Gospel before it could go to the Gentiles. This was the last half of the seventieth symbolic week of the prophecy recorded in Daniel 9:25-27. A prophetic week is a period of seven literal years. The prophecy stated that Jesus would be “cut off” in death in the midst, or middle, of this week, but that the covenant would be confirmed to the Israelites to the full end of the week. So there still remained the last half of this prophetic week before favor could be shown to the Gentiles by preaching the Gospel to them.

But Jesus did not mention this detail when he gave his disciples the commission to go into the uttermost part of the earth with the message. They were to begin in Jerusalem and in Judea, and he knew that in the natural course of events the short remaining period of special favor to the Jews would have expired before they were able to do any witnessing among the Gentiles, and this proved to be the case.

Cornelius was the first Gentile convert, but’ he did not hear the Gospel because of any effort the disciples were making to witness to the Gentiles. Indeed, it required a miraculous intervention of divine providence to induce Peter to go to the home of Cornelius and preach the Gospel to him. (Acts 10:9-48) When Peter was assured that it was the Lord’s will he gladly visited Cornelius. This devout Gentile accepted Christ, and from that time forward Gentiles came freely into the church and became fellow-heirs of the promises with the Jews.

Many have made the mistake of supposing that this world-wide proclamation of the Gospel was for the purpose of converting the world and preparing all mankind to go to heaven. But this is not true. James informs us that Peter had declared “how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” (Acts 15:14) This “people for his name” are the sons of God who will be united with Christ as the divine ruling family during the millennial age. The work of God in the earth during this present Gospel age is to reach these through a general proclamation of the truth, that through their acceptance of and obedience to it they might be prepared to live and reign with Christ.

Acts 4:5-12

IT WAS difficult for the religious rulers of Israel to accept the idea that God could use anyone but them to represent him among the people and to do his work. It was this difficulty, and their jealousy which accompanied it, that caused them to call for the death of Jesus. They thought that this would put an end to the challenge which was threatening their leadership, but not so; for his disciples, witnessing by the power of the Holy Spirit, were rapidly gaining the attention of the people. And these rulers noting the boldness, particularly of Peter and John, perceived that they had “been with Jesus” and were therefore just as dangerous as he.

Peter had performed an outstanding miracle in healing a man who had been lame from the time of his birth. (Acts 3:1-9) Using this miracle as a background of illustration, Peter preached a wonderful sermon on the second coming of Christ, explaining that then there would be times of “restitution” or restoration “of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21) The religious leaders of Israel did not like this, “being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”—Acts 4:1,2

Now it was the next day, and the religious rulers assembled themselves and summoned the disciples to appear before them for a hearing. They demanded to know “by what power, or by what name” the miracle of healing had been performed. Peter was prompt to reply. He explained that the miracles had been performed in the name of and by the authority of “Jesus Christ of Nazareth” whom they had crucified. Then he referred to a prophecy which had foretold their rejection of the Messiah, the prophecy concerning the stone which the builders rejected.—Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42-44

This rejected “stone” had become the “head of the corner,” Peter explained, and now no one could receive God’s favor except through Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other,” said Peter, “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The Jews had hoped to obtain salvation by keeping the Law. They had failed. To those who could see and appreciate the lesson, the Law had been a schoolmaster to guide and teach the necessity for a Redeemer; and Jesus had died as that Redeemer. Through him a new age in the plan of God was opening; and in this new age Jesus was to be “the way, the truth, and the life.”—John 14:6

Acts 28:15, 16, 30, 31

THESE verses from the closing chapter of the Book of Acts bring us to Rome with the great Apostle Paul. Paul went to Rome as a prisoner, and to a large extent by his own choice. When Peter and John and the other disciples began their ministry at Pentecost they could not foresee all the trying and the wonderful experiences that would result from their faithfulness. Each new contact of interest was an additional evidence of God’s blessing upon their work. It must have been thus when Cornelius was converted, and even more so when Saul of Tarsus was shown the light of the Gospel as he traveled on the Damascus road.

Saul had been a bitter enemy of the church, but when he became the Apostle Paul he was an intrepid defender of the faith. He was untiring in his devotion to the Lord, the truth, and the brethren, and displayed great faith and boldness in the face of opposition and persecution. While he was faithful in witnessing to the Jews in their synagogues and elsewhere whenever he had an opportunity, he was primarily an apostle to the Gentiles, and a very faithful and self-sacrificing one.

He was attacked by the Jews in Jerusalem and taken into protective custody by the Roman authorities and spirited out of the city until he could have a hearing. He could have been given his freedom, but he appealed to Rome, and the Roman law left no alternative under the circumstances but to abide by the prisoner’s request. However, it was many months after he was first arrested in Jerusalem before he finally reached Rome, and all that time he continued to be a prisoner.

Even so, he had not been idle. He had managed to witness to rulers, to soldiers, to shipmates, and others. Nevertheless it was a long period of hardship and privation. When we keep this in mind it helps us to appreciate more fully what it meant to the apostle that some of the brethren in Rome who had learned of his coming, and anticipating the route by which he would arrive, should come to meet him. The account states that when he saw these “he thanked God, and took courage.”

But Paul did not go to Rome to lie idle in prison. He knew what his rights would be as a Roman citizen, and he took full advantage of them, arranging to live in his own “hired house” while awaiting trial. True, he was not left entirely free, for he was continually watched by Roman guards, a guard being chained to him. But even to these he was able to proclaim the glad tidings.

This was his lot for two whole years, and during that time he “received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God.” Paul was enthusiastic about this providence of God which enabled him to give such a wide witness for the truth. Writing about it he said, “I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places.”—Phil. 1:12,13

“In all other places”—we do not know the full implication of these words. Rome was then the capital of the so-called civilized world, and no doubt entertained many visitors—for business or other reasons—from many countries. Probably some of these made it a point to visit the unusual prisoner, Paul. It does not seem unreasonable, then, that his imprisonment in Rome may have resulted in the Gospel being carried throughout Europe. The disciples had been commissioned to preach the Gospel in all the world, and perhaps Paul’s imprisonment in Rome was one of the divine providences which helped to carry out this commission.

QUESTIONS

What particular function of the Holy Spirit is emphasized in Acts 1:8?

Was Pentecost the due time for the Gospel to go to the Gentiles? Explain.

Who was the first Gentile convert, and for what purpose did God visit the Gentiles?

What miracle did the apostles perform which helped to stir up the animosity of Israel’s religious leaders?

What great feature of the divine plan did Peter illustrate by this miracle?

How had the Jews hoped to obtain salvation? Is there any other way to life except through Christ?

Why did Paul appeal his case to Rome? How did the Lord overrule his imprisonment in Rome in a way that caused the Gospel to reach many places?

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