Into All the World

Here are two of most-loved and quoted passages from the New Testament:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15 )

Today, there are an astonishing number of Judeo-Christian ministries built around the effort to preach the Good News to all the peoples in the farthest reaches of the world. A tremendous amount of money and resources are expended in an attempt to teach all peoples of all cultures that Jesus died on the Cross for them. We are also taught that, by carrying out this gospel mandate, all the peoples of planet earth will eventually fall on their knees and worship the One True God.

In my soon-to-be available five-hour series Judeo-Christian Myths I proved, using the Bible alone, that the Judeo-Christian gospel is not the Gospel taught by Jesus Christ. It's a statement that I can make without fear of being refuted, because it is easily demonstrated as being true. Since the vast majority of the pulpits in America today preaches that focus of the Gospel of Christ is to all the peoples of the world, and Judeo-Christianity is loosing its gospel battle, I believe it's time to openly confront this serious doctrinal error.

Here are some demonstrable truths regarding the Gospel preached by our Savior, which will be considered very disturbing by mainstream Christians today

1. The scope of the Gospel of Christ was not spherical planet earth
2. The peoples to whom the Gospel mandate was targeted was the tribes of Israel ; specifically, the diaspora (the remnant of the ?lost? ten tribes of Israel )
3. The Good News of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ contained promises that were specific to Israel
4. The Gospel mandate of Mark 16:15 was successfully carried out in the first century

Let's work through each of these truths.

The Scope of the Gospel of Christ Was Not Planet Earth

How can Mark 16:15 be interpreted as NOT being geographically global in scope?

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15 )

If in the Inspired text, the Greek word kosmos is correctly interpreted as meaning the entire planet earth, then the common use of ?world? is a defensible translation. However, kosmos has no such inherent connotation:

Orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally)):--adorning, world. (Strongs G2889)

Consider other passages in the New Testament where kosmos is used:

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. (1 John 5:4)

These examples are among the many that demonstrate that kosmos does not demand a global interpretation. Greek scholars generally settle on kosmos as best being translated as ?order.? Here is its definition according to ANSWERS.COM:

1. The universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious whole.
2. An ordered, harmonious whole.
3. Harmony and order as distinct from chaos.

Kosmos is a complex and orderly system; the opposite of chaos. This has huge implications! Neither does it stand alone as an indicator that we should reconsider the scope of the Covenantal language in the Inspired Word. Consider that same Greek word was used to describe the ?world? of Noah:

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

That's right: Noah's flood did not cover spherical planet earth! The Hebrew word eretz translated as ?earth? in Genesis 6 does not have a geographically global meaning:

And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created1 from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (Genesis 6:7)

Here is the definition of the Hebrew word eretz as found in Strongs Concordance:

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world. (Strongs H776)

Do you see the problem? In most of the applications where eretz is used in the Old Testament, it does not mean spherical planet earth, but simply ?the land.? And, unless the ?world? of Hebrews 11 is a different ?world? of Genesis 6, we have confirmation of the scope of the Gospel and the Flood. I have spent over an hour concerning the scope of the Flood in Creation Science Examined series; there are many, many more supporting texts to reinforce the conclusion that ?world? must not always be interpreted as spherical planet earth. In fact, this is true today as well ? we use the word ?world? all often to describe the order of our lives, scope of influence or culture.

For instance, I have a daughter in college. In her ?world? all students must have parking passes and textbooks procured by a certain date. It would not even occur to her that the mandate might extend to everybody, everywhere on the planet, student or non-student. Likewise, the entire focus of the Word of God is upon a specific people and the lands wherein they dwelt; both in their Judgment and their Redemption. For the most part, the other peoples are only mentioned in the context of their interaction with the Covenant people.

It was into the ?world? that our Savior came (John 11:27 , 1 John 4:9, etc). What then was that world?

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

The Gospel Mandate Was Targeted Was Israel

Consider this: in whomever Christ reconciled, we can establish the scope of the reconciliation. Jesus could not be more specific in defining the scope of His Ministry:

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel . (Mark 15:24 )

Any reference Bible will tie this passage to the prophet Jeremiah:

My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. (Jeremiah 50:17)

Unless you can make the House of Israel a people other than the ?sheep? ? the Covenant people ? then you cannot extend the scope of our Saviors Gospel outside the Covenant people (who alone were called ?sheep? in the Bible.) See also Isaiah 53:6.

Did you know that Jesus did not tell His Apostles to go to all the peoples of planet earth? Let's look at the ?Great Commission?:

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: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel . (Matthew 10:5-6)

Unless you can make the ?House of Israel? all peoples of planet earth; a people other than the ?House of Israel? that were cast out and divorced by their God centuries earlier, then the Gospel mandate cannot be applied to them.

Let's establish this syllogistically:

• The Gospel was to be preached to all the ?world?
• But the Gospel was targeted to the ?lost sheep? of the House of Israel
• Therefore, the scope of the ?world? was limited to where the House of Israel ? Israelites from the old Northern Kingdom - were to be found

I certainly understand that this challenges the mainstream view of the Gospel in a major way. But, I believe this, because this is what the Inspired Word of God actually says! The Inspired Writers of the Epistles certainly understood that their audiences were descendents of Jacob/Israel. Sometimes, the proof is right in front of our faces, and we don't see it:

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. (James 1:1)

The Good News of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ Contained Promises Specific to Israel

Here is a fact that will make most Judeo-Christians squirm: we never find in the Old Testament that the Law of God (as well as the promises, and the Covenants) were given to any people other than His Bride: the Covenant People.

He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel . He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalms 147:19-20)

Moreover, there is no evidence anywhere in the New Testament that any other peoples were included in the covenant promises or given the Law. The Apostle Paul himself could not make this fact any clearer:

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. (Romans 9:3-5)

Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, wrote to descendants of Israel . Cornelius was a descendant of Israel . The assemblies in Galatia , Corinth and Thessalonica were descendants of Israel . You would think that if the promises and the Covenants were to be extended to all the races of people of planet earth, that you would find it in the Inspired Word. But, you can't. It's not in there!

Jesus was born to deliver Israel . Their government (the Kingdom) was to be on His Shoulders. His sacrifice served to be much more than ?saving us so we can go to heaven? ? it reconciled Covenant man to his God. Calvary put away THEIR sins (there is no sin outside the law, and only one people were under the law.) There is only one peculiar people to whom would be restored as the bride unto Yahweh. There is only one people that were to be known by their God, Yahweh, over all the peoples. Let's be honest ? do you seriously want to dispute this?

The Gospel Mandate of Mark 16:15 Was Successfully Carried Out 2000 Years Ago

I can hear the chorus of people saying: ?You're CRAZY!? But, don't believe me without proving it yourself. Here is Mark 16:15 again:

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15 )

Now, turn to Colossians:

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? (Colossians 1:23)

Unless Paul is referring to a different Gospel or a different ?world? the Gospel was preached ENTIRELY 2000 YEARS AGO! This is yet another proof that the ?world? could not have comprised all of literal planet earth, because it simply would not have been possible to do this in the few decades between Jesus' death on the Cross and the Judgment of Judah in 70AD. As always, the Holy Word always confirms itself:

But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. (Romans 10:18)

Conclusion

To summarize: we have established that the Greek word kosmos has no geographically global connotation. We have established that scope of the Gospel was limited to the regions in which Israel dwelt. We also have established that Jesus' Gospel mandate was fulfilled by His disciples 2000 years ago. Knowing these things, it should now be clear that the ?world? of Mark 16:15 is the Covenantal ?world?; it was limited to that which fell under the prophecies and the promises given to a specific people to whom alone Yahweh would restore, redeem and remarry.