ALL THE WORLD

(Matthew 10:5-6) "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This is called "The Limited Commission" inasmuch as the territory is specifically limited to certain ones.

The same twelve (minus Judas), about three years later were sent forth with this charge: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, [or "Go into all the world] baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). This is commonly called "The Great Commission" but I choose to call it "The Unlimited Commission" inasmuch as it has no limitations.

A promise had been made to Abraham and reiterated to Issac and Jacob concerning a time that was referred to like this: "And in thy seed shall all the nations [families, kindred] of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:18). The seed was within the posterity of Abraham and the specific seed was Christ. (Galatians 3:16)

"In the fullness of time" Jesus, of the lineage of Abraham, came and made the sacrificial offering of the cross and sealed a new covenant with his blood. The new covenant was the gospel through which mankind would be saved. (Romans 1:16). The pattern of spreading it was like this: "... ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jerusalem and Judea was the land of the Jews, Samaria the land of the mixed Jews and the uttermost part of the earth was the Gentile nations. Peter said it would be for the Jews and those "afar off," the Gentiles. (Acts 2:39)

The "families, kindreds, nations" were words that described the totality of Jews and Gentiles. The word "world" was not every individual on earth but was , in like manner, simply Jew and Gentile and when the keys of the kingdom had opened the door to both Jew (Acts 2) and the Gentiles, (Acts 10 and 11:18) the unlimited commission had been fulfilled and it could be said, "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world" (Colossians 1:5-6).

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