“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
My Notes
What Does Mark 16:15 Mean?
The risen Jesus gives his final commission as recorded in Mark: go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. The scope is total — all the world, every creature. No geographic limit, no demographic exception.
"Go" is an imperative — not a suggestion. The mission is not optional for those who follow Christ. The sending is inherent in the believing.
"All the world" and "every creature" together eliminate every possible restriction. Not just your city. Not just your culture. Not just humans who look, speak, or live like you. Every creature in all the world.
"Preach the gospel" specifies the content: good news. Not rules, not cultural imperialism, not moral improvement programs. The gospel — the good news about who Jesus is and what he has done. That is the message. Everything else is commentary.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'all the world' mean for your personal sphere of influence?
- 2.How do you keep the gospel central without adding cultural baggage?
- 3.Who in your world is 'every creature' that you have not yet reached?
- 4.What holds you back from going — fear, comfort, uncertainty — and how does the risen Christ's authority address that?
Devotional
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. The commission could not be clearer. Go. Everywhere. Tell everyone.
All the world. Every corner. Every nation. Every street, every village, every megacity. The gospel is not a local message for a local audience. It is a global message for every human being.
Every creature. No one is excluded from the invitation. The most religious person and the least. The most moral and the most broken. The powerful and the powerless. Every creature.
Preach the gospel. Not preach your opinions. Not preach your culture. Not preach your denomination. The gospel — the good news that Jesus died, rose, and saves. That is the content. Keep it central. Keep it simple. Keep it going.
The risen Jesus — the one who just conquered death — says: go. If anyone has earned the right to give you a mission, it is the person who walked out of a tomb. And his mission is not complicated: go, tell everyone, everywhere.
Who in your world has not heard? What part of 'all the world' are you responsible for?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
He that believeth,.... Not notionally only, or that gives a bare assent to the truth of the Gospel; but spiritually, who…
Into all the world - To the Gentiles as well as the Jews. It was contrary to the opinions of the Jews that the Gentiles…
Go ye into all the world - See on Mat 28:19 (note).
And preach the Gospel to every creature - Proclaim the glad tidings…
Here is, I. The conviction which Christ gave his apostles of the truth of his resurrection (Mar 16:14); He appeared to…
And he said unto them St John informs us that on this occasion the Risen Saviour breathed on the Apostles, and gave them…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture