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I. THE WORK. Preaching the gospel.

1. Speaking. Much of the real and useful work of life is wrought by words. They are the tools of almost every worker in some department of his toil. In preaching the gospel they are the chief agency.

2. The gospel. Gospel, in the lips of Jesus, represented facts in the eternal past and in the eternal future — promises, predictions, His own history, dispensations of the grace of God, and certain aspects of the government of God; and gospel, to the ears of the eleven, represented the same central truths, with the outlying truths unrevealed, so that they could not mistake what Jesus meant when He said, "Preach the gospel."

3. A new work this. Not preaching merely — that was old enough; but preaching the gospel.

4. A Divine work. Commenced by God Himself. A work which claims high esteem for all engaged in it; a work in which the loftiest ambition may be satiated; a work whose results surpass in blessedness the creation of earth and heaven.

II. THE WORKMEN.

1. Men of little refinement or education. This gave them sympathy with the common people, if not influence over them.

2. Men of ordinary secular occupations.

3. Great varieties of natural character among them. No two were alike. Yet these very different men were called to do the same work. The same gospel may be preached in very different styles with equal success.

4. They had received special training for their special work. As more was expected from them than from others, more had been done for them.

5. Yet they were far from being perfect men. Just before this commission was addressed to them they were upbraided by Christ with their unbelief and hardness of heart. A perfect man or a perfect preacher is not necessary for the preaching of a perfect gospel.

6. Although not perfect men, they were men to whom special promises were made — promises of the presence of Christ and of the Holy Ghost — promises of power.

7. They were representative men, foundation men, men who had to begin what others should carry on.

III. THE SPHERE OF WORK. The whole world. No limitations of country or climate; no distinctions of barbarism and civilization, bondage and freedom, preparedness or otherwise of particular peoples. Wherever there were men these workmen were to go. "Every creature" — for every creature hath sinned, and every creature is guilty before God, and every creature is going astray, and every creature is liable to punishment. For every creature there is gospel enough and to spare. What a glorious sphere for working — the world, man, men, all men, every creature! And what work! These workmen are builders of a temple that shall fill the world, and stewards of wealth which shall enrich the world, and ambassadors upon an errand of supreme importance to the world, and sowers in the field of the world, by whose agency the wilderness shall become a fruitful field, men shall be reconciled to God, the poor shall become heirs of God, and "the tabernacle of God," etc. (Revelation 21:3, 4).

IV. THE MASTER OF THE WORKMEN. He who saith "Go," came into the world. He who saith "Go ye," Himself came: came not by deputy or proxy, but Himself came. He who saith "Go ye and preach," Himself preached. He who saith "Go ye and preach the gospel," is the gospel. He who saith "Go into the world to every creature," is the propitiation for the sins of the world. With such a Master the lack of willing workmen is truly wonderful. Shall we neglect to obey? Shall we undervalue obedience as a means of redemption to others? All cannot preach, but all can repeat the faithful saying, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and all can unite in sending forth men qualified to preach, and in sustaining such men by contributions of property, by manifestations of sympathy, and by prayer.

(S. Martin, D. D.)

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KJV: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

WEB: He said to them, "Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.