The risen Jesus appointed the disciples who had personally seen His trial, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to be eyewitnesses that His suffering and rising on the third day fulfilled what was written of Him. He spoke this to them in the upper chamber at Jerusalem during the forty days after opening their understanding of the Scriptures and before leading them to Bethany for His ascension. As His witnesses they were to proclaim repentance and remission of sins in His name, beginning at Jerusalem and reaching all nations, tongues and peoples. They were not to begin until they tarried at Jerusalem until endued with power from on high by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That same commission and promised power belongs to believers now, who are to preach what He commanded beginning at home and extending to the uttermost part of the earth.
Setting and Occasion
The risen Christ spoke these words to His disciples in the upper chamber at Jerusalem during the forty days He remained on earth preparing them for their work, just before His ascension, after He opened their understanding of the Scriptures. He had shown them that it was written that He must suffer and rise from the dead the third day, that every prophecy of His advent, rejection by the Jews, death, and rising had been fulfilled, and that repentance and remission of sins must be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem, and then appointed them witnesses of these things to tarry in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father and were endued with power from on high. It was definite instruction about individual duty outlining the work in which they as His followers were to engage, which they did not yet fully comprehend, and their commission to teach what He had commanded.
The disciples had stayed in Jerusalem through Passover week, because absence would have been taken as disaffection and heresy, and assembled together at evening in the upper chamber where some of them lived. There Jesus twice appeared to them and told them to remain for a time at Jerusalem before going to Galilee, in keeping with His promise before His death that He would rise and go before them into Galilee, a promise the angel at the tomb repeated to the women for the disciples and Peter. After appointing them witnesses He led them to Bethany, blessed them, was parted from them and carried up into heaven while blessing them, and they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.
Before appointing them witnesses He continued as their educator, teaching both the lonely, disappointed travelers to Emmaus and those assembled in the upper chamber from the Scriptures concerning Himself. He opened to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and the events concerning Jesus, binding their hearts with a holy, new, and sacred hope and joy. By this He fitted them to be witnesses of these things.
They were qualified as eyewitnesses because they had personally seen and experienced His trial, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and forty days on earth after rising, and understood the prophecies about Him and their fulfillment in His suffering, death, and resurrection. They had seen Him after His resurrection and at His ascension, recognized His voice and His nail-scarred hands and feet, and watched Him eat, so they could testify with assurance that He had truly risen and is a living Saviour, the hope of the world. Their testimony rested on this personal seeing and understanding, and empowered by the Holy Spirit it would move hearts.
They were fitted also because close and intimate association with Jesus and knowledge of His holy, spotless character had in some degree assimilated their character to His and fitted them to present His example, teachings, and gracious words to the world as the standard for life. This witness grew out of humbled hearts in true repentance and confession of unbelief, as they called to remembrance the words He had spoken before His death and understood their meaning more fully. They reproached themselves for misapprehension of the Saviour and meditated upon His pure, holy life until they felt no toil too hard and no sacrifice too great, with sorrow for having grieved Him by word or act of unbelief, comfort in being forgiven, and longing so far as possible to atone for unbelief and show how deeply they loved Him by bravely confessing Him before the world and bearing witness in their lives to the loveliness of His character.
Content of Witness
The things witnessed are Christ's suffering and His rising from the dead on the third day, His death and resurrection exactly as written of Him in the Scriptures. They are the events surrounding His suffering, death, and resurrection, with the fulfillment of every prophecy of His advent, rejection, death, and rising. The witness therefore concerns both His identity, suffering, and resurrection and the fulfillment of Scripture concerning Him. It also concerns the message that repentance and forgiveness of sins were to be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
The witness includes His life, death, and resurrection, and in fuller statements His life, suffering, death, and resurrection. It includes the harmony of prophecy with those events, prophecy fulfilled in them, the prophecies that pointed to them, and every prophecy of His advent, rejection by the Jews, death, and rising the third day as assurance for future labors. It includes the sacredness of the law of God, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, and the power of Jesus for the remission of sins, for forgiving sins. They were to make these truths known to all people and throughout the world, beginning at Jerusalem, preaching repentance and salvation through the Saviour, a gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour.
It includes the things He taught and did, His self-sacrifice for the world, His labors for Israel, His humiliation and self-denying life, and His rejection as the Scriptures foretold. It testifies that He is the living Saviour and Advocate whose saving work and promises continue, that Christ has risen from the dead, and that He is the hope of the world. It carries His invitation of mercy and of salvation to people of every class, declaring that Jesus freely receives those who come confessing sins so that all who believe may be reconciled to God and receive everlasting life. Their authority was only to prescribe and publish the terms of salvation entrusted to them, not to set conditions for forgiveness by personal judgment, and their message of mercy was to go first to Israel and then to every nation, tongue, and people, gathering Jews and Gentiles into one church, calling people to repentance, proclaiming that forgiveness comes only through Christ, offering even those who rejected Him another opportunity to accept Him, belonging to the church's appointed work of spiritual recovery and service to God.
His suffering of the penalty of death makes salvation possible, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save the sinful race. It makes salvation possible for everyone who repents and is converted. All who come to the Father through faith in Christ, laying hold of Him by faith and following His example, receive salvation and the assurance of forgiveness of sins. His sufferings make it possible for every soul to be sanctified through belief of the truth.
Commission to Proclaim
They were appointed as eyewitnesses charged to make known the wonderful truths entrusted to them, proclaiming repentance and remission of sins in His name, a gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour, beginning at Jerusalem and reaching all nations, tongues, and peoples. What they were to publish was Christ's life, suffering, death, and rising from the dead the third day exactly as written of Him, with the harmony of prophecy fulfilled in those events, the sacredness of the law of God, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, and the power of Jesus for the remission of sins. Their witness embraced His identity and what they had seen after His resurrection and at His ascension, and it was to be carried only after receiving the Father's promised power from on high.
They were to testify from what they had seen and heard of His sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, explaining the prophecies concerning Him and how they had been fulfilled, presenting convincing evidence and proclaiming salvation to the world. They were to repeat the gracious words that proceeded from His lips and present His spotless holy character as the standard for life, a fitness growing out of intimate association with Him that had in some degree assimilated their character to His. They were to bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of His character by bravely confessing Him before the world, out of humbled hearts in true repentance and confession of unbelief as they remembered His words, understood them more fully, reproached themselves for misapprehension, meditated upon His pure holy life, sorrowed for grieving Him, found comfort in forgiveness, and longed to atone by bold confession of love. This witness-bearing was a divinely appointed service for the saving of the world, and as they proceeded in the work entrusted to them they would more fully comprehend its nature and the manner in which His kingdom was to be set up on earth.
Their firsthand testimony in Jerusalem was to counter false reports about His resurrection and the claim that His enemies had extinguished the truth. They were to testify to the events they had witnessed, especially His resurrection and ascension and the truth of His words, carrying the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to others. They were to proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is the risen and ascended Messiah, and even those who had rejected Him and been involved in His death were to carry this message of pardon to others.
The work follows a widening pattern in which their own hearts must first be imbued with the Spirit of God and their labor begin at home, with family and neighborhood blessed and transformed, before the circle widens to adjoining cities and towns and finally to the whole earth. Beginning at Jerusalem, it was to widen through Judea and Samaria to the uttermost part of the earth, first to Israel and then to every nation, tongue, and people, gathering Jews and Gentiles into one church. They were not to begin until by the baptism of the Holy Ghost they knew of a surety they were connected with heaven, receiving heavenly illumination with new courage and joy to understand and reveal sublime truths and to comprehend the depth and breadth and fullness of God's love, then proclaiming pardon for sin and salvation through repentance and the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour and revealing the principles of His kingdom. This witnessing remains the special commission to teach all nations what He commanded, with the assurance that He goes with those who go forth.
They were charged to carry His invitation of mercy and salvation to people of every class. They were to declare that Jesus freely receives those who come to Him confessing their sins, so that all who believe may be reconciled to God and receive everlasting life. Their authority was only to prescribe and publish the terms of salvation entrusted to them by Christ, not to set conditions for forgiveness by personal judgment.
Empowered by Spirit
The appointment as witnesses was joined to a command to wait, for the work was not to begin until the disciples tarried in Jerusalem until endued with power from on high by the promise of the Father. That promise was the baptism of the Holy Ghost, by which they would know of a surety that they were connected with heaven before they undertook the witness entrusted to them. The charge was definite instruction about individual duty, spoken just before the ascension to outline the work in which they were to engage, which they did not yet fully comprehend. What they were to witness was what was written in the Scriptures, that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Their witness belonged to that commissioned work beginning in Jerusalem and carried to all nations, tongues, and peoples after Jesus ascended, resting on what they had themselves experienced of His trial, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and forty days on earth after rising.
To receive the power they had first to have their understanding opened to the Scriptures and receive the blessing of sanctification and heavenly illumination. They must then assemble together, put away all differences, and continue with one accord in prayer and supplication in expectation of the fulfillment of the promise. Christ breathing on them the Holy Ghost and imparting His peace and joy was only a few drops before the plentiful shower to be given on the day of Pentecost for their witnessing work. That coming of the Spirit would enlighten them and help them understand and carry on the work He had left them, so that as they proceeded in the work entrusted to them they would more fully comprehend its nature and the manner in which His kingdom was to be set up on earth. They were fitted for this also because intimate association with Him had in some degree assimilated their character to His.
That enduement would bring heavenly illumination with new courage and joy enabling them to understand and reveal sublime truths and to comprehend the depth and breadth and fullness of God's love. It would qualify them to preach the gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit and in the power of God, testifying with an assurance that moves hearts. The result would be preaching so mighty that thousands are converted in a day, with an efficiency that Satan and his angels cannot resist. Though their witnessing places them in great danger as sheep in the midst of wolves, they are of good courage because Christ has risen from the dead, has revealed Himself to them, and has promised the special blessing that qualifies them to go forth.
Witness Continues Today
The commission laid on the disciples as witnesses of the fulfillment of Scripture in Christ's suffering and rising the third day, and of the preaching of repentance and remission of sins in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem, is laid also on His followers now, with the same promised power for the work. Witnessing remains the special work of teachers to preach what Christ commanded and to teach others what they have learned from Him. That witness is empowered by the Holy Spirit, begins at home and locally before widening to all nations, and carries the light of present truth and redeeming love to those in darkness with urgent zeal, in dependence on the Spirit of God, even to people far away. The power given enables preaching so mighty that thousands are converted in a day.
Those whose understanding is opened to the Scriptures that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day are made witnesses to carry light to others with the missionary spirit. They are to go forth to labor in cities and towns that know not the truth, to warn fellow beings, to work for neighbors and the unenlightened, to bring Bible truth before many in unworked cities, to open new fields and lift the standard of truth in every city, and to make centers of truth to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord. They are to proclaim that the Lord is coming and the end of all things is at hand, instead of colonizing in one place, adding building to building, and holding meetings over and over in the same place. They must first tarry for the promise of the Father until endued with power from on high by the Holy Ghost to witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Advancing the work requires understanding the great work to be done and becoming filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, which gives an efficiency that Satan and his angels cannot resist. It calls for consecrating talents of means and influence to the Master's service and placing the truth before those who do not know it, laying up treasure in heaven. God's people are to arise and shine and to enter into Christ's joy by doing all possible to save souls perishing in sin, putting means into circulation for soul-saving so that those converted will in turn convert others, countering reproach upon God's cause and rapidly increasing infidelity.
The witness still calls people to repentance and proclaims that forgiveness of sins comes only through Christ. It offers even those who rejected Him another opportunity to accept Him, for those who had rejected Christ, including some involved in His death, were to carry the message of pardon to others and proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is the risen and ascended Messiah. The disciples were witnesses of His humiliation, self-denying life, self-sacrifice, suffering, resurrection, and saving work and promises, and were commissioned to testify to these things as they carried His message of mercy from Jerusalem to all nations. Their witness, grounded in the assurance of His resurrection and continuing work as the living Saviour and Advocate, belongs to the church's appointed work of spiritual recovery and service to God.
Those who know the truth are responsible for carrying it to people in spiritual darkness, warning neighbors, the unenlightened, and people far away in dependence on the Spirit. Their witness was to testify to what they had seen and heard about His sufferings, death, and resurrection, and about His sacrifice for sin that offers life to all who come to Him. That witness was to continue through persecution and could ultimately cost life, but Jesus promised help and power for the mission. Failing to warn others is unfaithfulness to Christ's commission and loss of Heaven's approval.
The risen Jesus appointed the disciples who had personally seen His trial, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to be eyewitnesses that His suffering and rising on the third day fulfilled what was written of Him. He spoke this to them in the upper chamber at Jerusalem during the forty days after opening their understanding of the Scriptures and before leading them to Bethany for His ascension. As His witnesses they were to proclaim repentance and remission of sins in His name, beginning at Jerusalem and reaching all nations, tongues and peoples. They were not to begin until they tarried at Jerusalem until endued with power from on high by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That same commission and promised power belongs to believers now, who are to preach what He commanded beginning at home and extending to the uttermost part of the earth.
Setting and Occasion
The risen Christ spoke these words to His disciples in the upper chamber at Jerusalem during the forty days He remained on earth preparing them for their work, just before His ascension, after He opened their understanding of the Scriptures. He had shown them that it was written that He must suffer and rise from the dead the third day, that every prophecy of His advent, rejection by the Jews, death, and rising had been fulfilled, and that repentance and remission of sins must be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem, and then appointed them witnesses of these things to tarry in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father and were endued with power from on high. It was definite instruction about individual duty outlining the work in which they as His followers were to engage, which they did not yet fully comprehend, and their commission to teach what He had commanded.
The disciples had stayed in Jerusalem through Passover week, because absence would have been taken as disaffection and heresy, and assembled together at evening in the upper chamber where some of them lived. There Jesus twice appeared to them and told them to remain for a time at Jerusalem before going to Galilee, in keeping with His promise before His death that He would rise and go before them into Galilee, a promise the angel at the tomb repeated to the women for the disciples and Peter. After appointing them witnesses He led them to Bethany, blessed them, was parted from them and carried up into heaven while blessing them, and they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.
Before appointing them witnesses He continued as their educator, teaching both the lonely, disappointed travelers to Emmaus and those assembled in the upper chamber from the Scriptures concerning Himself. He opened to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and the events concerning Jesus, binding their hearts with a holy, new, and sacred hope and joy. By this He fitted them to be witnesses of these things.
They were qualified as eyewitnesses because they had personally seen and experienced His trial, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and forty days on earth after rising, and understood the prophecies about Him and their fulfillment in His suffering, death, and resurrection. They had seen Him after His resurrection and at His ascension, recognized His voice and His nail-scarred hands and feet, and watched Him eat, so they could testify with assurance that He had truly risen and is a living Saviour, the hope of the world. Their testimony rested on this personal seeing and understanding, and empowered by the Holy Spirit it would move hearts.
They were fitted also because close and intimate association with Jesus and knowledge of His holy, spotless character had in some degree assimilated their character to His and fitted them to present His example, teachings, and gracious words to the world as the standard for life. This witness grew out of humbled hearts in true repentance and confession of unbelief, as they called to remembrance the words He had spoken before His death and understood their meaning more fully. They reproached themselves for misapprehension of the Saviour and meditated upon His pure, holy life until they felt no toil too hard and no sacrifice too great, with sorrow for having grieved Him by word or act of unbelief, comfort in being forgiven, and longing so far as possible to atone for unbelief and show how deeply they loved Him by bravely confessing Him before the world and bearing witness in their lives to the loveliness of His character.
Content of Witness
The things witnessed are Christ's suffering and His rising from the dead on the third day, His death and resurrection exactly as written of Him in the Scriptures. They are the events surrounding His suffering, death, and resurrection, with the fulfillment of every prophecy of His advent, rejection, death, and rising. The witness therefore concerns both His identity, suffering, and resurrection and the fulfillment of Scripture concerning Him. It also concerns the message that repentance and forgiveness of sins were to be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
The witness includes His life, death, and resurrection, and in fuller statements His life, suffering, death, and resurrection. It includes the harmony of prophecy with those events, prophecy fulfilled in them, the prophecies that pointed to them, and every prophecy of His advent, rejection by the Jews, death, and rising the third day as assurance for future labors. It includes the sacredness of the law of God, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, and the power of Jesus for the remission of sins, for forgiving sins. They were to make these truths known to all people and throughout the world, beginning at Jerusalem, preaching repentance and salvation through the Saviour, a gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour.
It includes the things He taught and did, His self-sacrifice for the world, His labors for Israel, His humiliation and self-denying life, and His rejection as the Scriptures foretold. It testifies that He is the living Saviour and Advocate whose saving work and promises continue, that Christ has risen from the dead, and that He is the hope of the world. It carries His invitation of mercy and of salvation to people of every class, declaring that Jesus freely receives those who come confessing sins so that all who believe may be reconciled to God and receive everlasting life. Their authority was only to prescribe and publish the terms of salvation entrusted to them, not to set conditions for forgiveness by personal judgment, and their message of mercy was to go first to Israel and then to every nation, tongue, and people, gathering Jews and Gentiles into one church, calling people to repentance, proclaiming that forgiveness comes only through Christ, offering even those who rejected Him another opportunity to accept Him, belonging to the church's appointed work of spiritual recovery and service to God.
His suffering of the penalty of death makes salvation possible, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save the sinful race. It makes salvation possible for everyone who repents and is converted. All who come to the Father through faith in Christ, laying hold of Him by faith and following His example, receive salvation and the assurance of forgiveness of sins. His sufferings make it possible for every soul to be sanctified through belief of the truth.
Commission to Proclaim
They were appointed as eyewitnesses charged to make known the wonderful truths entrusted to them, proclaiming repentance and remission of sins in His name, a gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour, beginning at Jerusalem and reaching all nations, tongues, and peoples. What they were to publish was Christ's life, suffering, death, and rising from the dead the third day exactly as written of Him, with the harmony of prophecy fulfilled in those events, the sacredness of the law of God, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, and the power of Jesus for the remission of sins. Their witness embraced His identity and what they had seen after His resurrection and at His ascension, and it was to be carried only after receiving the Father's promised power from on high.
They were to testify from what they had seen and heard of His sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, explaining the prophecies concerning Him and how they had been fulfilled, presenting convincing evidence and proclaiming salvation to the world. They were to repeat the gracious words that proceeded from His lips and present His spotless holy character as the standard for life, a fitness growing out of intimate association with Him that had in some degree assimilated their character to His. They were to bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of His character by bravely confessing Him before the world, out of humbled hearts in true repentance and confession of unbelief as they remembered His words, understood them more fully, reproached themselves for misapprehension, meditated upon His pure holy life, sorrowed for grieving Him, found comfort in forgiveness, and longed to atone by bold confession of love. This witness-bearing was a divinely appointed service for the saving of the world, and as they proceeded in the work entrusted to them they would more fully comprehend its nature and the manner in which His kingdom was to be set up on earth.
Their firsthand testimony in Jerusalem was to counter false reports about His resurrection and the claim that His enemies had extinguished the truth. They were to testify to the events they had witnessed, especially His resurrection and ascension and the truth of His words, carrying the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to others. They were to proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is the risen and ascended Messiah, and even those who had rejected Him and been involved in His death were to carry this message of pardon to others.
The work follows a widening pattern in which their own hearts must first be imbued with the Spirit of God and their labor begin at home, with family and neighborhood blessed and transformed, before the circle widens to adjoining cities and towns and finally to the whole earth. Beginning at Jerusalem, it was to widen through Judea and Samaria to the uttermost part of the earth, first to Israel and then to every nation, tongue, and people, gathering Jews and Gentiles into one church. They were not to begin until by the baptism of the Holy Ghost they knew of a surety they were connected with heaven, receiving heavenly illumination with new courage and joy to understand and reveal sublime truths and to comprehend the depth and breadth and fullness of God's love, then proclaiming pardon for sin and salvation through repentance and the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour and revealing the principles of His kingdom. This witnessing remains the special commission to teach all nations what He commanded, with the assurance that He goes with those who go forth.
They were charged to carry His invitation of mercy and salvation to people of every class. They were to declare that Jesus freely receives those who come to Him confessing their sins, so that all who believe may be reconciled to God and receive everlasting life. Their authority was only to prescribe and publish the terms of salvation entrusted to them by Christ, not to set conditions for forgiveness by personal judgment.
Empowered by Spirit
The appointment as witnesses was joined to a command to wait, for the work was not to begin until the disciples tarried in Jerusalem until endued with power from on high by the promise of the Father. That promise was the baptism of the Holy Ghost, by which they would know of a surety that they were connected with heaven before they undertook the witness entrusted to them. The charge was definite instruction about individual duty, spoken just before the ascension to outline the work in which they were to engage, which they did not yet fully comprehend. What they were to witness was what was written in the Scriptures, that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Their witness belonged to that commissioned work beginning in Jerusalem and carried to all nations, tongues, and peoples after Jesus ascended, resting on what they had themselves experienced of His trial, rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and forty days on earth after rising.
To receive the power they had first to have their understanding opened to the Scriptures and receive the blessing of sanctification and heavenly illumination. They must then assemble together, put away all differences, and continue with one accord in prayer and supplication in expectation of the fulfillment of the promise. Christ breathing on them the Holy Ghost and imparting His peace and joy was only a few drops before the plentiful shower to be given on the day of Pentecost for their witnessing work. That coming of the Spirit would enlighten them and help them understand and carry on the work He had left them, so that as they proceeded in the work entrusted to them they would more fully comprehend its nature and the manner in which His kingdom was to be set up on earth. They were fitted for this also because intimate association with Him had in some degree assimilated their character to His.
That enduement would bring heavenly illumination with new courage and joy enabling them to understand and reveal sublime truths and to comprehend the depth and breadth and fullness of God's love. It would qualify them to preach the gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit and in the power of God, testifying with an assurance that moves hearts. The result would be preaching so mighty that thousands are converted in a day, with an efficiency that Satan and his angels cannot resist. Though their witnessing places them in great danger as sheep in the midst of wolves, they are of good courage because Christ has risen from the dead, has revealed Himself to them, and has promised the special blessing that qualifies them to go forth.
Witness Continues Today
The commission laid on the disciples as witnesses of the fulfillment of Scripture in Christ's suffering and rising the third day, and of the preaching of repentance and remission of sins in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem, is laid also on His followers now, with the same promised power for the work. Witnessing remains the special work of teachers to preach what Christ commanded and to teach others what they have learned from Him. That witness is empowered by the Holy Spirit, begins at home and locally before widening to all nations, and carries the light of present truth and redeeming love to those in darkness with urgent zeal, in dependence on the Spirit of God, even to people far away. The power given enables preaching so mighty that thousands are converted in a day.
Those whose understanding is opened to the Scriptures that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day are made witnesses to carry light to others with the missionary spirit. They are to go forth to labor in cities and towns that know not the truth, to warn fellow beings, to work for neighbors and the unenlightened, to bring Bible truth before many in unworked cities, to open new fields and lift the standard of truth in every city, and to make centers of truth to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord. They are to proclaim that the Lord is coming and the end of all things is at hand, instead of colonizing in one place, adding building to building, and holding meetings over and over in the same place. They must first tarry for the promise of the Father until endued with power from on high by the Holy Ghost to witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Advancing the work requires understanding the great work to be done and becoming filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, which gives an efficiency that Satan and his angels cannot resist. It calls for consecrating talents of means and influence to the Master's service and placing the truth before those who do not know it, laying up treasure in heaven. God's people are to arise and shine and to enter into Christ's joy by doing all possible to save souls perishing in sin, putting means into circulation for soul-saving so that those converted will in turn convert others, countering reproach upon God's cause and rapidly increasing infidelity.
The witness still calls people to repentance and proclaims that forgiveness of sins comes only through Christ. It offers even those who rejected Him another opportunity to accept Him, for those who had rejected Christ, including some involved in His death, were to carry the message of pardon to others and proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is the risen and ascended Messiah. The disciples were witnesses of His humiliation, self-denying life, self-sacrifice, suffering, resurrection, and saving work and promises, and were commissioned to testify to these things as they carried His message of mercy from Jerusalem to all nations. Their witness, grounded in the assurance of His resurrection and continuing work as the living Saviour and Advocate, belongs to the church's appointed work of spiritual recovery and service to God.
Those who know the truth are responsible for carrying it to people in spiritual darkness, warning neighbors, the unenlightened, and people far away in dependence on the Spirit. Their witness was to testify to what they had seen and heard about His sufferings, death, and resurrection, and about His sacrifice for sin that offers life to all who come to Him. That witness was to continue through persecution and could ultimately cost life, but Jesus promised help and power for the mission. Failing to warn others is unfaithfulness to Christ's commission and loss of Heaven's approval.