THE CHURCH IN PROGRESS

THE WORK OF THE APOSTLES
And Those They Trained

After Jesus raised from the dead, and the soldiers made their false report and collected their money, the “eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. Then they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go, make disciples (teach) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:16-20).

While still upon the earth after raising from the dead and before his ascension, Jesus told his disciples (apostles) they were to “be his witnesses (preach the gospel) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This they accomplished when the church in Jerusalem was persecuted, “the gospel was preached throughout Judea and Samaria” by those who had been converted to the Lord. Through the work of Paul, Barnabas, Silas and John Mark the gospel was preached to many of the nations around the Mediterranean Sea as they traveled on three different Missionary Journeys (Acts 13-21). Later, Paul told the brethren at Colossae that “this gospel that you heard has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven” (Col. 1:23).

The witnessing they were to do was to preach the gospel. Peter had told them on the day of Pentecost that Christ, by his death, burial and resurrection, had “canceled the written code with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us…nailing it to the cross” (Acts 2:14). In preparation to preaching that gospel for the greatest effect, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). Holy living from a holy attitude was as effective in preaching the gospel as the words were. Stephen’s speech before the San Hedrin took attitude and life a step farther by being willing to sacrifice one’s self to preach the gospel (Acts 7:11-53). The end result of his sermon—they stoned him to death” in Jerusalem (7:59,60).

Following these events in Jerusalem, “a great persecution broke out against the church there, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria…Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:1,4). Philip, the evangelist, “went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ” (Acts 8:5). Peter was called from Joppa to Caesarea by Cornelius to preach to his household (Acts 10:34-38). As the gospel was preached throughout the known world, some believed it and were baptized into the body of Christ, but many did not. For those who received not the gospel as it was preached, he did not change it, but made foolish the wisdom of the world. “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him. God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks. Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1Cor. 1:21-25).
-Gene A. Ellmore-