The Unstoppable Spread of the Gospel

[Acts 28:23-31]

On April 3, 2008, the Korea Research Institute for Mission (Director Dr. Sang-cheol Moon, hereafter KRIM) presented ‘Recent Trends in Global Christianity and Mission Based on Recent Data’ at the Aurora Club, a missionary lecture gathering, covering 50 global mission trends.  In China alone, about 16,500 people convert every day. 4,340 mission organizations are handling overseas missions with 453,000 missionaries, including 210,000 professional missionaries and approximately 410,000 short-term missionaries serving for a year or less," as reported on the internet.  KRIM highlighted positive trends within the flow of global missions, stating, ‘In the 1800s, the Christian population, which was only 200 million, has spread to 2 billion in the year 2000.  The proportion of unreached people has decreased (76.4% in the 1800s to 28.3% in 2000), and Gospel-oriented Christians have increased (70 million in the 1900s to 220 million in 2000),’ according to the internet.  Referring to IBMR (International Bulletin of Missionary Research) data on global religious population, KRIM projected, ‘The world's four major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, which accounted for only 67% of the world's population in 1900, have increased to around 73% in 2008.  It is expected to continue growing to 80% by 2050 and 87% by 2200,’ emphasizing the continuous increase of these religions.  Looking at Matthew 24:14, the Bible says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."  This verse implies that the Lord will come when the gospel is preached to the ends of the earth.  Without missions reaching the ends of the earth, the imminent return of the Lord cannot occur.  Therefore, saints and churches eagerly awaiting the Lord's return must devote all their efforts to missions.  We must actively participate in missions to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth, anticipating the arrival of God's kingdom through the Lord's return (Internet).

In Acts 28, we encounter the figure of Paul, who dedicated himself to missions with the hope of the second coming.  As an innocent prisoner, Apostle Paul, brought to Rome, spent two years freely teaching about the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ to many who came to him from morning till evening (v. 30).  No one restrained him during this time (v. 31).  This indicates that Paul, without hindrance, boldly testified about the kingdom of God and the gospel of Christ to those who came to him diligently from morning till evening (v. 23).  Consistent with his previous practices, Paul prioritized sharing the gospel with the Jews upon his arrival in Rome.  When the Jews heard his preaching, their response was divided into two: "And some were persuaded by what he said, but others disbelieved" (v. 24).  In other words, those who heard Paul's preaching were divided into believers and non-believers (Park).  Ultimately, in the face of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the audience became divided.  Witnessing this division, the Jews quarreled among themselves (v. 25, Yoo).  Reflecting on this situation, Paul, in verses 26-27, refers to Isaiah 6:9-10, explaining the cause of the unbelief of the Jews who heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He points out that their hearts became calloused, their ears became dull, and their eyes were closed, emphasizing their refusal to hear and obey God's word.  Why did the hearts of these Jews become calloused, their ears dull, and their eyes closed, rendering them unable to understand the gospel even when they heard it and saw it?  The reason lies in their refusal to hear and obey God's word.  The hearts of these "disobedient Jews" (Acts 14:2) became more calloused as they rejected the gospel, eventually leading them to oppose both the gospel and its messenger even more vehemently.  Due to the unbelief of the Jews, God sent His salvation to the Gentiles (v. 28).  Unlike the disobedient Jews, these Gentiles actively embraced the message of salvation.  In the end, Paul told his Jewish audience that the gospel of Jesus Christ would spread even more among the Gentiles.  In essence, Paul was stating that the spread of the gospel would not cease but continue to flourish.  This reflects the fulfillment of the key verse we meditated on in the early chapters of Acts, Acts 1:8.  As the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, Jesus' disciples received power, becoming witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  The spread of the gospel did not stop there; it continues through us, Jesus Christ's disciples, to the ends of the earth.

The record of Acts concludes with today's passage, but the central theme of the continuous spread of the gospel, which is the essence of this book, has not ended.  Until the day of the Lord's coming, the gospel must be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.  The One overseeing this proclamation of the gospel is none other than the ascended Jesus.  Our Lord Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, desires and continues to spread the gospel through us, witnesses of the gospel, and believers (Yoo).  The spread of this gospel cannot be stopped.  Although disobedient Jews attempted to hinder the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, they could never stop the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in spreading the gospel.  Despite their attempts to spread malicious rumors, incite people, and create disturbances, ultimately aiming to eliminate Paul, they could not prevent the unstoppable work of the sovereign spread of the gospel.  I hope and pray that this unstoppable work of the spread of the gospel will continue to flourish through you and me.

Gratefully acknowledging the Lord who has enabled us to participate in the unstoppable work of the spread of the gospel,

James Kim Sharing

(Only by God's grace, only Jesus, only the gospel!)