Mark 16:20, commentary and pictures

After Christ finished speaking to His disciples He was received up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, and in obedience to His closing commission to preach the gospel to every creature they went forth and preached everywhere. Going forth everywhere means reaching all people without restriction of class or place, carrying the message to every city and country and to regions beyond where it has never been lifted. The Lord working with them teaches divine-human cooperation in which the frail human instrument goes and preaches while the Lord joins His power to the work, for all learning and talent fall infinitely short of bringing one soul to repentance without the moving of the Spirit. Confirming the word means He proved the preached message true both by miraculous signs following, such as casting out devils, speaking with new tongues, and healing the sick, and by the Spirit bringing conviction and conversion to hearers. That commission was given with no limit on its duration but with Christ's promise to be with His people until the end of the world, so it belongs to present believers with the same power available now to those who serve Him and rely on Him.

Setting and Wording

After He had spoken to the disciples He was received up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God, and then they went forth and preached everywhere with the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. This was obedience to and fulfillment of His closing earthly commission given just before His ascension, and it remains the work to be done now. The farewell included leading the disciples out to Bethany, lifting up His hands and blessing them, being parted from them and carried up into heaven, and their worshiping Him and returning to Jerusalem with great joy before they went forth preaching.

The commission commanded going into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature and to teach all nations, including telling of Christ and His resurrection, and the disciples fulfilled it by going forth and preaching everywhere with His promised presence working with them. Their obedience proved the preached message true by miraculous signs following their work, including casting out devils, speaking with new tongues, taking up serpents, drinking deadly things without hurt, and laying hands on the sick for their recovery. By His death Christ provided the way whereby man might be saved, and by rising He conquered the grave, so with His resurrection and ascension the passage gives assurance of a living Saviour who serves as Advocate in heaven and promises blessings to those who believe and are wholly consecrated to His work.

Confirming the word means the Lord labored together with the preachers and gave evidence that the word was true through accompanying signs. The same commission binds present ministers, physicians and evangelists as shepherds of God's flock to teach people to observe all things Christ commanded, trusting His universal authority as Creator and Redeemer, exercising constant faith and following His example in seeking to save souls, with the assurance that He will work with their faithful labor and bring fruit from it.

Preaching Everywhere

Going forth and preaching everywhere means not confining labor to any class of people or to any place, but reaching all people without restriction as a shepherd hunts for straying sheep to seek perishing souls. The scattered believers carried the message everywhere with missionary zeal, including healing the sick and preaching to the poor. Their going was joined to united prayer and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, with the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following.

The universal scope calls for carrying the message to every town, city, and country and offering eternal life to all, as preaching is the Lord's great method of saving souls. The work is to be carried forward in every city by the abilities God gives under the influence of His Spirit. It is to extend into new regions and establish missionary communities rather than concentrating effort in a few centers. The charge given just before the ascension is to enlarge the circle of operations and give the last warning to the world, encircling cities and towns by carrying truth from point to point, establishing in each place a little community of missionaries and sending help to unpromising fields in regions beyond where the standard has never been lifted, rather than colonizing and building up strong centers to the neglect of other fields.

Despite fierce opposition the gospel of the kingdom was sounded throughout the inhabited world in a short time. After the disciples received the Holy Spirit, people converted in Jerusalem returned to their homes and spread the news in many places. That rapidity of diffusion when they went out everywhere proclaiming a crucified, risen Saviour regulates expectations of success for present work in new places. Such missionary success comes only through God and by grace fully proportioned to effort put forth, through many seasons of prayer and much patient, persevering labor teaching according to understanding line upon line and precept upon precept, with every worker softened and subdued by the grace of Christ, the heart imbued with the Spirit of God to make impressions, and earnest self-denying zeal, persevering energy, most fervent prayer, and wrestling with God for the victory as laborers together with God intensely in earnest to reach souls perishing out of Christ.

The first preachers carried the gospel to all habitable parts of the earth within a short time despite abundant opposition and with only a small amount of means from poor believers in tithes and offerings. They preached to people assembled in companies, often in the open air or anywhere they could be reached. The same work now requires preaching the Word in short discourses that can be easily understood, carrying the message in house-to-house labor, and laying upon hearers the responsibility not only to hear but to practice it and communicate it to others, with every conversation seasoned with grace and free from lightness and joking, while telling of Christ and His resurrection from the dead. Their ministry revealed Christ through both words and lives. Their part was preparation before Pentecost by meeting together, putting away all differences, being of one accord, believing the promise, praying in faith burdened not for themselves only but for salvation of souls, and claiming the promised endowment of power to carry the gospel to the uttermost parts; the Lord's part was pouring out the Holy Spirit so thousands were converted in a day, a work continuing until Christ sees the full victory for which He died and is satisfied in making men free, pure, and holy. Their witness followed prayer, unity, and faith in the promise of power and was directed toward saving souls, showing that the Holy Spirit empowers gospel preaching, with the same blessing available to those who give themselves to God for the lost and an even greater outpouring in the latter rain. Because the Holy Spirit was with the workers, the medical gospel ministers were made successful, with souls healed of sinful maladies and bodies partaking of the healing balm in Gilead, for the Spirit's operation on hearts communicates healing to suffering bodies, and the reformation begun was a sign everywhere as converted ones talked and acted as Christ did when in the world. After the ascension the apostles testified to His work as teacher and healer, the Holy Spirit accompanying their witness with powerful influence, and the Lord worked for the church in Rome, which remained earnest and strong despite opposition.

Lord Working With Them

The verse teaches divine-human cooperation: the human channel goes and preaches while the Lord does the working, joining His power to the work, backing the message, and making labor fruitful and not in vain. They preach the Word, while Christ through the Holy Spirit makes it effective and powerful to conversion, an understanding faith, and willingness to obey. The same divine help is promised to humble ordinary workers who trust in God rather than their own gifts, so that guided by the Spirit and aided by angels they can bring people to Christ through persevering prayer and faithful work and bear fruit like the apostles. The frail human instrument is nothing alone, and all combined human effort with deep learning, restless energy, eloquence and talent falls infinitely short of convicting and bringing one soul to repentance without the deep moving of the Spirit of God. Christ's servants are therefore to carry the gospel to all people in reliance on His power, not their own, for preaching can do no good unless the Lord works with the effort. When soul, body and spirit cooperate with divine power much can be accomplished because the Lord is the worker, and when united with Him in spirit and action He accompanies the proclamation of truth with His power and removes obstacles to reach hearts.

In what sense Christ is with His disciples always even to the end is explained here: His presence means working with those who go forth and preach everywhere and confirming the preached word with signs following. This fulfills His own promises of another Comforter, the Spirit of truth to teach all things and guide into all truth, and of power from on high at Jerusalem, fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Like the prophecy of Joel and the promise of Christ, it was not confined to Pentecost but provides for the operation of the Holy Spirit in the church, even in special manifestations, to all coming time as long as mercy invites men to accept pardoning love. Under the influence of this power received on the day of Pentecost when like a rushing mighty wind He came down and filled the room where they were sitting, they went everywhere preaching the Word and thousands were converted. Their witness followed prayer, unity, and faith in Christ's promise of power and was directed toward saving souls, showing that the Holy Spirit empowers gospel preaching, a blessing available to Christians who give themselves to God for the salvation of the lost, with the latter rain to bring an even greater outpouring.

At Pentecost the apostles preached by the power of the Holy Ghost and the Lord worked with them to confirm their words with mighty miracles wrought through the outpouring of the Spirit, so their words could not be controverted. This filled all the people with amazement and astonished the disciples themselves at the quick and abundant harvest of souls. Large numbers who had ridiculed the idea of so unpretending a person as Jesus being the Son of God became thoroughly convinced and acknowledged Him as Saviour, three thousand souls were added to the church, and those who did not yield prejudice and bigotry were so overawed that they dared not by voice or violence try to stop the work and their opposition ceased for the time. The disciples' part was preparation before Pentecost by meeting together, putting away all differences, being of one accord, believing Christ's promise, praying in faith not for themselves only but burdened for the salvation of souls, and claiming the promised endowment of power to carry the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Lord's part was pouring out the Holy Spirit so that thousands were converted in a day, and that same work continues until Christ sees the full victory for which He died and is satisfied in making men free, pure, and holy.

God works through different workers and gifts, so one person's appointment does not destroy another's opportunity. His work advances when people let Him work through whom He chooses. Each is to do the work God has given and leave the outcome to Him.

Confirming Word With Signs

The signs that confirm the word include driving out demons, speaking with new tongues, taking up serpents, drinking deadly things without harm, and laying hands on the sick so that they recover.

Healing belongs to the work of the gospel, so the confirming of the word joins preaching with practical ministry to the sick and with preaching to the poor. Luke's work as both physician and gospel minister shows how medical skill opens hearts to receive the message. Empowered preaching that brought many into the church was accompanied by healing the sick and proclaiming hope to the poor even under threat.

The confirmation is also seen in souls healed of sinful maladies and in bodies sharing in healing power, for the Spirit's working on human hearts communicates healing to suffering bodies. The reformation thus begun becomes a sign everywhere, as those converted talk and act as Christ did when He was in the world. Confirming means the Holy Spirit brings conviction to the minds of hearers, so the work is to go forward without fear of forbidding appearances. When truth is preached under God's direction the work produces results and the promise is sure, with preaching joined by house-to-house labor and Bible readings in families through coordinated effort. Christ through the Holy Spirit makes the preached Word effective and powerful to bring people to conversion, to an understanding faith, and to willingness to obey His commands.

Driving out demons can still occur in the last days, and such experiences corroborate the Bible. God's help in difficult operations and in conversions and cures at the sanitarium shows Him working with medical missionary work, where it is the piety of the workers and not the size of the buildings that brings conviction. The physician is to recognize that help comes from God and to magnify God's truth, and other physicians who yield themselves wholly to God may likewise have God with them in their work.

Commission Continues Today

The commission carries no limit on its duration, and Christ's promise to be with His people to the end of the world means the whole Christian age, not merely the lifetime of the apostles or the Jewish age, so the gospel commission and the gifts that accompanied it extend throughout the Christian age. His being with the disciples is working with those who go forth and preach everywhere and confirming the preached word with signs following. That presence fulfills His promises of another Comforter, the Spirit of truth to teach all things and guide into all truth, and of power from on high received at Jerusalem and fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Like the prophecy of Joel, the provision was not confined to Pentecost but covers the operation of the Holy Spirit in the church, even in special manifestations, to all coming time as long as mercy invites men to accept pardoning love.

The commission given to the first disciples just before the ascension, after the Lord had spoken and was received up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, continues in force and remains the work of His followers to fulfill now. It belongs to present believers as well as to the first disciples, outlining their work as Christ's witnesses to reveal the character of God to a world lying in sin by living Christ before others and doing what He charged. Those who know the truth are therefore to go and proclaim the cross to every creature instead of staying clustered together or sitting with folded hands waiting for someone to lead them to fields of labor and set them to work. Fulfilling the Saviour's commission means being a working power through all time, going forth in the name of the Lord, believing every word Christ has spoken and looking to Him for grace and strength.

The same power that worked with the apostles as they preached everywhere and confirmed the message with signs is available now to those who serve God and rely on Him, so that their labor is not in vain. Christ's presence and power sustain the work through all time as He actively helps His people carry out His commission, and He gives power to perform the work He commands. Their witness followed meeting together, prayer, unity, and faith in His promise of power for saving souls, and the same blessing is available to Christians who give themselves to God for the salvation of the lost, with the latter rain to bring an even greater outpouring. That promised power enables mighty preaching that converts thousands in a day when believers fulfill the commission and place themselves where God can give the power. To receive it they must warn their fellow beings, work for neighbors and the unenlightened, enter unworked cities and make centers of truth, and bring Bible truth before many so it prepares them to stand in the day of the Lord. The power promised now is the power of the Holy Spirit received on the day of Pentecost when like a rushing mighty wind He came down and filled the room, under whose influence they went everywhere preaching the Word and thousands were converted. When believers filled with the Holy Spirit go forth quickly to proclaim the truth everywhere, the Lord works with them and confirms the word with signs following by voice and by the press, with the printed page carrying light to isolated ones who have no opportunity to hear the living preacher and with evangelistic canvassers as the Lord's helping hand opening doors for the entrance of truth.

The worldwide mission is carried forward through the Lord's cooperation and accompanying signs, yet it can stall when believers lack faith and fail to show it through their actions. The commission belongs to instruction that ministers, physicians, youth, and all church members need to study most earnestly, with Scripture as the alpha and omega of knowledge and as the textbook for life. Those who study it as they should will not dare to advocate theories that have no foundation in the Word of God, and when physicians are diligent students of the Scriptures and ministers live in accordance with the Word, the truth will be proclaimed with power and souls will be converted. Those who preach must take God's precious words just as they read without covering them with human suppositions, have faith in God, hold fast to the promise, keep the conviction that Jesus is working with them, and consecrate themselves wholly to God to clear the King's highway. It is a present assurance to preach the Word and to canvass everywhere that God works through those who are true and whole-hearted, so that with God nothing will be impossible and all sufficiency is of God.

Applying Verse Today

After the ascension the Lord qualified His chosen servants to take up medical missionary work, going with them as they preached everywhere and backing their message with miraculous signs. He works miracles for His people in this continuation of Christ's own ministry of teaching and healing, with His cooperation and confirming signs accompanying the spread of the gospel. In the physician's work He works with and through the one who speaks of the Redeemer's love and the power of repentance and faith, bringing comfort and spiritual peace that can help restore bodily health. Medical missionary work carried out by helpers filled with persuasion, grace and truth and deep constant love for the work at home and abroad will not be fruitless, for Christ works with His messengers and gives their efforts fruit in winning people to Him.

Going forth to preach everywhere means going especially to neglected unworked fields, new districts, cities, and places where truth has not yet been proclaimed, rather than only preaching an occasional sermon or concentrating in a few centers. It means enlarging operations to encircle cities and towns, carrying the message from point to point, establishing in each place a little community of missionaries, and sending help to unpromising fields in regions beyond where the standard has never been lifted, rather than colonizing strong centers to the neglect of other fields. Those who strive to do this are not alone but receive help from on high, for to everyone cooperating with Christ as the great Medical Missionary is promised His presence, the Holy Spirit bringing conviction to hearers. That commission believed and obeyed now concentrates effort on the great consummation, with God setting many plans in operation and using means entrusted to wealthy men to sustain His cause. Faithful stewards working in Christ's lines do aggressive evangelistic work instead of hovering over churches already raised up, preaching the Word in season and out of season and doing house-to-house work where truth has not been heard, raising up companies of believers here and there in the highways and byways, and then they understand the greatness of His promise which revives the message in their hearts and makes work in new fields encouraging.

The same work now includes pitching a tent in a new place and warning friends and neighbors of the nearness of Christ's coming and urging them to prepare to meet the Saviour, with accountability in the judgment for failure to warn, following Christ's example of traveling constantly and the disciples' living faith in a risen Saviour after Pentecost. It is to be done without fanaticism, with an eye single to God's glory, laboring with prayer and faith and taking God at His Word, and then heaven's light shines on the workers while God speaks to hearts. The message advances by coordinated effort through voice and press, with the printed page and printed books and canvassing carrying light to isolated ones who have no opportunity to hear the living preacher, and evangelistic canvassers opening doors as the Lord's helping hand. It advances by house-to-house visits and Bible readings in families, with the Holy Spirit bringing conviction and the Lord supporting the work. It requires preaching the Word in short easily understood discourses, telling of Christ and His resurrection, ministering to the sick, praying for the afflicted, singing, praying and opening the Scriptures, laying on hearers responsibility not only to hear but to practice and communicate to others, with every conversation seasoned with grace and free from lightness and joking, and with humble daily toil side by side where helpful action harmonizes with spoken sermon.

When humble consecrated unselfish workers wear Christ's yoke and learn His meekness and lowliness, knowing individual responsibility and depending on Him for strength, efficiency and supply, a power mightier than earthly power works with them, giving success and confirming preaching everywhere with signs as with the first disciples. The Lord works with common people when aroused to take their place as workers, sharing the sorrows of fellow men as the Saviour shared humanity's sorrows, and they see Him working with them by faith. Even rough unskilled workers from the common people with hearts moved by pity can serve needy people by faith amid hardship and apparent failure, and humble ordinary workers trusting God rather than gifts, guided by the Spirit and aided by angels through persevering prayer and faithful work, can bring people to Christ and bear fruit like the apostles with joy now and greater reward to come. Those who have received light are responsible to impart it by giving to darkened places the message of Christ's righteousness through faith, and as they share their own light grows clearer. This is the divine law proved after the resurrection when believers obeyed and preached everywhere with the Lord working with them: the Christian gains strength by strengthening others, and earnest work for the commission brings blessing as the secret of spiritual growth, while failure to communicate the precious knowledge leaves many going to the grave in error, but diffused light raises up laborers together with God.

Success follows first seeking the Lord and then going everywhere presenting the gospel, as the disciples obeyed and preached everywhere with confirming signs after Christ was received at the Father's right hand. Those accepting Bible truth receive new hearts and speak new words, going out to preach Christ's gospel with the Lord confirming what they preach. God works with ministers for salvation when lives conform to His will, hearts are prepared, and the soul temple is cleansed from self and sin so grace comes in, obtained through Scripture searching and humble earnest prayer in quietness and peace rather than excitement where stirred feelings replace thought, for His Spirit moves on the mind controlling emotions to produce rational thought, right feelings and a quiet strong sensible faultless life. Preaching does no good unless the Lord works with the effort, and going in humility with unshaken confidence to lift depression and discouragement brings His help, strength and blessing in marked manner so labors are received, seen when practical godliness is dwelt upon and Jesus with His mercy, love, evidences of truth and present position is talked of without self-display, self-pity or censure. The pattern also calls for patient persevering teaching line upon line with fervent intercession.

The Lord Himself is the worker and efficiency, so minds of gospel ministers and physicians must not be burdened with business cares and commercial interests. Christ was with the disciples confirming the word, manifesting Himself to true disciples and all laboring with them, so even the weakest disciple remaining with Him is not friendless. Those who preach must take God's precious words just as they read without covering them with human suppositions, have faith, hold fast the promise, keep conviction that Jesus works with them, and consecrate wholly to clear the King's highway, for His Word to work with their efforts will not fail and brings encouragement. Mission advance comes by divine-human cooperation where the human channel goes and preaches and the Lord does the working, joining His power to the work and backing the message, for the frail instrument is nothing alone and all combined learning, energy, eloquence and talent fall infinitely short of bringing one soul to repentance without the deep moving of God's Spirit, but when soul, body and spirit cooperate with divine power much is accomplished. It therefore calls for sending and paying Bible workers with facilities and means to needy fields close around where companies like sheep without a shepherd stretch out hands crying for help, with humility, self-denial, cross-bearing, following Christ and awaking from sleep to do much more, since man can do nothing without God who gives truth through the human channel. It also requires sustained effort and material support with added responsibilities, and can yield converts who return invested means.

The same work belongs now as laborers together with God, not spending time preaching discourses to those who know the truth but becoming spiritual through sanctification so preaching is in marked manner, opposite to pride-bound churches and the genius of the world, made in the Holy Spirit's power to thousands thirsting for truth as it is in Jesus, meeting the spiritually sickly and dwarfed who want the Bread of Life which is Christ, letting longing souls know the banquet is spread with the call to come for all things are ready. Those obediently taking up soul-saving can be sure of divine help and see progress through God working with and through them, and His cooperation accompanies united service, with work in the South likewise done with God alongside its workers. Using life and resources to make Christ's grace known brings others to salvation, as the disciples obeyed the command to witness by preaching everywhere. Humble intelligent opening of God's Word carries assurance of acceptance, for the Lord requires nothing He does not give power to perform, and what was written of the disciples may be spoken to those called to the same work now.