Many of God's people accept false teachings on this subject. Familiar scriptures that are used to lead God's children astray are "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15) or "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:20). . These verses like John 3:16 have been mis-applied and driven into the minds of God's children, over and over, until a false understanding of the verse is gained by the false teachers.

    Usually those that believe these verses are the great commission to evangelize and convert the world also believe these verses were directed to the church and not to the Apostles. The scriptures quoted above were given directly to the apostles as a commandment. The commandment was "Go ye", not send ye, nor establish as a church function the spread of the Gospel. Today's ministers are not individually charged by these commandments to 'go into all the world' or 'teach all nations', neither are the churches. Although, the above commandments, along with the following companion scriptures do embrace and in essence pass on to God called ministers the duty of preaching to God's children anywhere they are lead by the Spirit to do so. "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47).  "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The Apostles that were given these commandments did not try and go to all geographical nations. Their field of labor was basically in the regions of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. God called and fitted another (Paul) for the furtherance of the Gospel to the gentile nations beyond the region, just as He still calls, prepares and sends ministers today. "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? (Rom 10:15).

   None of the verses quoted thus far give today's ministers freedom to go to any and all people without the evidence and guidance of the Spirit. We have no right to do that when we have been endued with power from the church, the mission board, by the influence of other ministers or any other source; but only when we are endued with power from on high and when sufficient evidence of the Spirit is in the matter." And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high". (Luke 24:49)

   The evidence that one is endued with power from on high is to witness his preaching of the truth in power and demonstration of the Spirit and watch him stand for and walk in the biblical practices of the church. If you need to conform the church to a movement then the work is not of the Lord. Any one that starts or joins in with a movement to spread the Gospel which has money generating schemes such as: book sales, frequent teachings on giving (intended to gain financial support) and frequent solicitations for help is not endued with power from on high.  We should be greatly alarmed when any among us use the first two quoted verses to teach that the church and today's ministers are commissioned by those verses to go and evangelize the world. 

 The Apostle Paul was called of God to be the Apostle to the Gentiles and the link between the mother Church at Jerusalem and succeeding churches in other nations. The authority we have to extend arms to other brethren (establish churches) was conveyed by Paul in verses such as: (Titus 1:5) "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:" and (II Tim 2) "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." The spread of the Gospel and planting of churches was by the direct influence of the Spirit of God and the Apostle Paul was obedient to the spirit and stayed within the area and places he was lead by the spirit. He did not take upon himself the work of spreading the Gospel without being impressed by and seeing the spirit at work.

 In conjunction with the verses called the great commission, Mark 16:20 is sometimes incorrectly used to indicate that the Apostles went forth and preached everywhere (all places). "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God and they went forth, and preached every where, the lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.  But Luke 24: says they returned to Jerusalem! "And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. and it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. and they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:".    They either went everywhere in Jerusalem and preached or the account given in Mark refers to some other place and time.  Either way the phrase "preached every where" should not be construed to be all places and to all people; because later scripture will disprove that. The scripture reads THEY (Apostles) went everywhere, not that all ministers following them should go everywhere! This everywhere spoken of in mark 16:20  was not to all Geographical locations (nations) and people. This can be verified by studying the scriptures to see what the Apostles did following these commandments. 

In the Book of Acts chapter 8 verse 1 reads "there was great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem: and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. Verse 4 further states "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."  Notice that the Apostles were still in Jerusalem and only THEY , meaning someone other than the Apostles ,were scattered abroad and THEY went every where preaching the word.  Care should be taken to not be deceived by those who want this scripture to falsely teach world evangelism and go anywhere freedom. The scriptures will confirm that the THEY, who preached the word, DID NOT preach to any and everyone they came in contact with as some among the old Baptist are erroneously teaching. Acts Chapter 11 verse 19 nullifies that false teaching. "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only." It was not an evangelistic effort to spread the Gospel to the world but was restricted to the Jews only .

 The people that were scattered to the surrounding  areas of  Jerusalem had need of God called (ordained) ministers to ministered unto them, so God endued someone with power  to go to them. Acts 8 verse 5 "Then Phillip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." The them refers to the ones that were scattered abroad. He wasn't sent to spread the Gospel to the Samaritans but he was sent to preach to them who were scattered abroad. However it is clear that there were new converts in the city of Samaria and Phillip's preaching was not hidden from them but it is also clear that his initial mission was not to the Samaritan region as a whole but it was to them that were scattered.  A very important distinction!

The Apostles were obedient to Christ's commands and preached to all nations under heaven. This was in large part accomplished at the day of Pentecost because  the Apostles preached to people of all nations under heaven "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." (Acts 2:5). And in following days they also preached to those same ones that were scattered abroad. In the letter to the Colossians The Apostle Paul speaks of this in the past tense. " 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;" (Col 1:23). A careful study of the travels of the true followers of Christ down to the present time in history, will reveal  how that God called  ministers have carried the word to the world as they were led by the Spirit to do so. The ideal of forming societies or gathering monies or teaching that we as a body should carry on the work of evangelizing the whole world is a relatively new invention among the Baptists.  It was in large part started by Andrew Fuller and William Carey in the late 1700's. It was not part of the Baptist denomination for almost 1800 years. That fact in itself should cause any honest thinking person to question whether it is  scriptural. 

 God still calls, prepares and sends his ministers by the Holy Spirit to the places it pleases the Spirit to give liberty "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2cor 3:17) . The Lord did not turn over to the Church nor to ministers the calling, preparing and sending of Gospel preachers. We are clearly taught that the world knoweth us not and we are to come out from the world and be a separate people. Those that are leading the present movement are causing many of God's children to cast their pearls before swine and will surely cause the precious truth to be trampled and his children to be rended.  

Elder Claude Mckee
1497 Bailee Way S. W.
Jacksonville, Alabama 36265