Matthew 24:14

Context

After Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple, the disciples ask him on the Mount of Olives when these things will happen and what will be the sign of his coming and of the end of the world (Matthew 24:3). Jesus speaks of false christs; of wars, famines, and earthquakes; and of persecution and apostasy, calling these "the beginning of sorrows" (24:8). Then, in verse 14, he declares that the gospel will be preached to all nations: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." This section is known as the Olivet Discourse.

Interpretation

• As linking the missionary mandate with the Second Coming: This reading regards the proclamation of the gospel to all nations (Greek ethnē) as a condition of the Second Coming and emphasizes, as a motive for mission, that the church can hasten the Lord's return through missionary work (compare 2 Peter 3:12). In the twentieth-century missionary movement, this verse became associated with a trend that understood "nations" as linguistic and cultural groups and called for concentrating on unreached people groups that had not yet heard the gospel.
• As describing the entire church age: This reading holds that the preaching of the gospel spans the whole church age between the First and Second Comings and that no human being can determine when it has been completed. It is common in Reformed churches that hold to amillennialism.
• As fulfilled before the destruction of the Temple: Pointing to Paul's statement that the gospel "was preached to every creature which is under heaven" (Colossians 1:23), some interpreters hold that this prophecy was fulfilled within the known world of the time, before the Temple was destroyed in AD 70.

Controversies and Issues

Critics argue that placing too much emphasis on the idea that completing the missionary task will bring the Second Coming leads to attempts to gauge the timing of Christ's return by the completion of mission in particular regions. In Korea, some denominations have expressed caution toward the "Back to Jerusalem" movement of InterCP on the grounds that it emphasizes this kind of eschatological view of mission. InterCP, for its part, explains that the movement is a vision for mobilizing people for mission and does not set a date for the Second Coming.

In the Korean Church

Since Korean churches began engaging in world mission, this verse has become a standard text for mission conferences and Mission Sunday.

Related Passages

• Mark 13:10
• Matthew 28:19-20
• Revelation 7:9
• 2 Peter 3:9-12