He Commanded Us to Preach to the People

 

The word above is the message Peter preached when he went to the household of Cornelius, a Gentile. At that time, although it was unlawful for a Jew to join himself or come near to one of another nation (Acts 10:28), Peter did not refuse the invitation, but went to the house of Cornelius and preached. This was because, as Peter said, “He charged us to preach unto the people.” And Cornelius and those of his household desired to hear all the things that the Lord had commanded Peter, as follows:

 

Acts 10:33 “Forthwith therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.”

 

Therefore, Peter preached to them the word he had been commanded to testify. I believe this is exactly why preaching is necessary for us. Truly, now, according to the command of Jesus, whoever calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved; but if there is no one to proclaim this, sadly, people cannot know it.

 

Romans 10:13-14 “13For, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

 

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.”

 

This is the very reason we must preach. Therefore, Jesus Himself also said that He was sent to preach the gospel on this earth, and He went about preaching in many places.

 

Luke 4:42-44 “42And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them. 43But he said unto them, I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent. 44And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.”

 

Later, the apostle Paul mentioned this preaching of Jesus in his letter to Titus, saying:

 

Titus 1:3 “But in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour.”

 

Thus, he says that preaching is something “intrusted to me” according to the commandment of God. Of course, this command was not given only to the apostle Paul. That is why Peter also said, “He charged us to preach unto the people.” In other words, the preaching of the word of Jesus has been entrusted to all of us.

 

Therefore, the Spirit of truth, who was sent and came down to this earth, and the disciples of Jesus all testify of Jesus.

 

John 15:26-27 “26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me: 27and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”

 

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

Therefore, Peter testified to Cornelius and those of his household that Jesus is the Judge of the living and the dead.

 

James 4:12 “One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy...”

 

And he also preached that people must receive remission of sins through the name of Jesus, who is the Judge and who is able both to save and to destroy. In fact, this command was first given by the risen Jesus when He appeared to His disciples.

 

Luke 24:44-48 “44And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures; 46and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; 47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48Ye are witnesses of these things.”

 

This is what Peter, as a witness of Jesus, testified to Cornelius and those of his household. Earlier also, after healing the man who had been lame from birth, Peter preached salvation in the name of Jesus before Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the kindred of the high priest.

 

Acts 4:5-12 “5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power, or in what name, have ye done this? 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders, 9if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole; 10be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even in him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the head of the corner. 12And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.”

 

Thus, the name of Jesus is the only name of our salvation. Therefore, whoever calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved. The apostle Paul also preached this before King Agrippa.

 

Acts 26:19-23 “19Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me. 22Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come; 23how that the Christ must suffer, and how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.”

 

According to this testimony, truly all the prophets and Moses testify of Jesus.

 

John 5:39 “Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me.”

 

Therefore, today we also must preach, according to the command of Jesus, that “Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:40-42, Acts 18:5, Acts 18:27-28), so that whoever believes may receive remission of sins, that is, salvation, through the name of Jesus.

 

John 20:30-31 “30Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: 31but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name.”

 

Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 

Amen.