Ever wondered about Colossians 1:23?

scout575

Colossians 1:23b claims that by the time of writing, the good news had been preached, "to every creature ( "all creation" - NWT ) which is under heaven." Had the good news really been preached in 'ALL creation under heaven' when Colossians was written? Was this statement inspired by an all-knowing god or does it just reflect reflect the ignorance of the time, as to the size of the world?

fjtoth

I have a book that claims the apostles themselves went throughout the world of that time and got the gospel preached everywhere. The thought is that they accomplished this by the power of the Holy Spirit just as they were empowered by Jesus' authority to perform miracles such as speaking in tongues, healing and raising the dead.

Eyebrow2

did they mean throughout the Roman Empire? That is how I understood it back then....

fjtoth

The book I have claims Thomas went to India, that he or another apostle went to China and Japan, and that another one or two went even to the Americas.

scout575

If it meant the Roman Empire, then why doesn't the text say that? Also, the Roman Empire included Britain, which had been colonized by the time that Colossians was written. Had Christians really got as far as Britain just a few decades after the start of Christianity? As for the good news having been preached all around the world by the time that Colossians was written, had the good news really been preached to the aboriginal populations of Australia and America? Why is there no mention in the NT of Christianity reaching these places? The NT only refers to Christianity being preached in places around the area of the Mediterranean and the Near East.

fjtoth

Why is there no mention in the NT of Christianity reaching these places?

Depending upon whether you accept them at face value, "these places" are encompassed in the following verses:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." (Matthew 28:19)
"And [Jesus] said to [the apostles], 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15)
"Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven." (Acts 2:5)
"we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles" (Romans 1:5)
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." (Romans 10:18)
"the revelation ... has been made known to all the nations" (Romans 16:25, 26)
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (2 Corinthians 2:14)
"in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing" (Colossians 1:6)

scout575

Fjtoth - Are you saying that you genuinely believe that within a few decades of the inception of Christianity, the Apostles were in the Australian wilderness preaching to the native people there?

darth frosty

I know of one black CO who use to say that the ethiopian eunich took the good news to africa. But this scripture is tha main reason I never believed in the whole 144000 thing. If the message went out into all the earth during the first century you would think that there would have been more than 144000 christians back then.

you had 3000 added on pentacost alone. As the WT$ loves to track numbers and trends, If the Christian cong back then continued to grow at that rate of 3000 on a yearly bases in a mere 48 years (before the end of the first century) you would have 144000.

fjtoth

Are you saying that ... the Apostles were in the Australian wilderness preaching to the native people there?

All I'm saying is that it's possible, just as it was possible for the apostles to raise the dead and perform other miracles by divine authority and power.

gumby

Even IF these mentioned ones really did go to different countries.......do you think their visit should have been enough of an influence to CHANGE the beliefs of these nations to become christians? Missionaries who spend years and years in some countries don't even get close to getting their message to all people and they have transportation (cars)

It's just like the Noah story. An old man builds a boat and at the same time preaches to the entire world and expects people to believe him with his message of rain which they had never seen before........and they were supposed to believe him. They thought he was a nut.......why should they have listened to him especially when god only chose to deal with the Israelites?

It's also just like the dubs who think if householders do not listen to their message contained in two magazines..... they are going to perish. People think witnesses are nuts too. Should god kill people who truly feel his messengers are looney birds? Does god kill innocent people?

This idea of all people on the planet making an INFORMED choice not to follow the REAL god is ridiculous. All these people think in their heart they are pleasing god.....but he's gonna kill em anyways........how lovely.

Gumby

Ever wondered about Colossians 1:23?

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