And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. (Mark 16:20)

The Early Church Followed The Commission Of Jesus

When Jesus returned to His Father after the resurrection, twelve men took up the mantle of preaching the gospel to the world and established the work of the kingdom. It was a daunting task. The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all truth. Thousands of people became disciples of Jesus Christ as the church grew in number and the spirit of God. Luke wrote two books describing the life of Jesus, His final commission, and the fulfillment of the will of God in establishing the church of Christ. Jesus left instructions on the foundation of what would become a kingdom that would never be shaken, that continues until the end of time.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke included in their gospels the commission of Jesus to the eleven. Each writer shows how the kingdom of God would bring salvation to the world. Matthew shows that Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth. The eleven were told to make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. One of the foundations of the early church was the pattern of continued teaching, which was necessary to follow the pattern given by God. It was necessary to teach the first disciples to observe all that Jesus commanded.

Luke describes the appearance of Jesus to the eleven when the Lord dines with them, eating a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. He reminds the eleven of the words He spoke to them before His death that all things had to be fulfilled with were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning the Son of God. Jesus explained that He needed to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day so that repentance and remission of sins could be preached in His name to all nations. The kingdom of God would be established in the city of Jerusalem when the promise of the Father would be upon the eleven to endow them with power from on high.

Mark concluded his gospel with the wonder-working, powerful message of the gospel of Christ. The eleven struggled to understand what was happening after the death of Jesus. The Lord rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. He tells them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. The teaching of the gospel was the powerful message of grace that everyone who believed Jesus was the Son of God and was baptized would be saved. Those who did not believe Jesus was God’s Son would die in their sins. If a man did not believe, they would be condemned. Jesus further tells the eleven that signs will follow them, proving their message is of divine origin. Signs would follow those who believe. For example, demons would be cast out, disciples would speak in new tongues, and no harm would come to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Serpents would not kill them or harm them if they were given poison. The sick will be healed. Great signs will follow those who believe and obey the gospel.

Mark wrote his gospel nearly thirty years after the death of Jesus. During that time, the words of Jesus were fulfilled. After Jesus was received up into heaven, the disciples went out and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord worked with them, confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Luke confirms the story of Mark with his gospel called the Acts of the Apostles. Reading the book of Acts confirms that the early church taught the pattern of the gospel according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The first-century church followed the pattern Jesus Christ gave and expressed by the Holy Spirit.

Today, the Bible contains everything a man needs to obey the will of God. Jesus left instructions on what must be taught and the manner of confirming the word as divine. Paul would later describe how that revelation was given to men to read and understand the will of God. It is imperative that all men see what is necessary for salvation. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. There will be no excuse for those who refuse to obey the gospel of Christ. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. Those who refuse to believe and act upon the grace of God will be lost.