Col.1:3-6/23 - Gospel preached to "all the world"?

[tribesman]

In Colossians 1 we read about the gospel:

Col.1

[3] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
[4] Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
[5] For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
[6] Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

[23] If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

It says that the gospel which had come to the colossians have also come in "all the world" and has even been "preached to every creature which is under heaven". Colossians is said to having been written about 62AD. Also note that the word Paul use in verse 23, kerusso, denotes past tense.

Is there anyone here who believes that the gospel, at that time, literally had gone out in "all the world" and had been "preached to every creature which is under heaven". Even today there are at least some "unreached" peoples who have not been recorded to having been evangelized. In the period of early christianity the gospel spread relatively fast in the region and neighboring continents, but still it did not make up a very large area. See map below.

I especially challenge those who (unbiblically) claims that the word "world" must always mean "every-place-and-people-in-every-corner-of-the-earth" or that the word "all" (men) must always mean "every-person-that-ever-lived-or-ever-will-live".

What is your take on this?

 

[enochson]

I'm sorry by the word all means the whole of everything and what do you think god is to small to preach to all the world without man?

 

[tribesman]

I'm sorry by the word all means the whole of everything and what do you think god is to small to preach to all the world without man?

Scripture says:

Rom.10

[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
[15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
[16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But - since you obviously believe that "God saves" people without any means at all (and that "all men" will be saved - i.e. the universalist heresy) than your input is not very relevant.

 

[1still_waters]

My first interpretation is to believe Paul meant to all the world as he knew it at his time. The Bible can't mean something to us that it didn't mean to them. Hence he meant all the known world to him.

Another potential is that Paul was speaking prophetically, meaning ideally the gospel will be preached.

Like he says we're seated with Christ in the heavens, yet we certainly aren't actually there yet. Ephesians 2 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

I'll stick with my first interpretation for now.

 

[Laodicea]

This text is taking about the known world not the entire world for there were places undiscovered like Australia and America. This was a sign for the destruction of Jerusalem and is also a sign for the end of the world.

Matthew 24:3
(3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Matthew 24:14
(14) 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.
Colossians 1:6
(6) Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

 

[Avinu]

It says that the gospel which had come to the colossians have also come in "all the world" and has even been "preached to every creature which is under heaven". Colossians is said to having been written about 62AD. Also note that the word Paul use in verse 23, kerusso, denotes past tense.

Just my quick comment, nothing denotes the past here, this is the meaning for 'kerusso'

G2784
κηρύσσω
kērussō
kay-roos'-so
Of uncertain affinity; to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel): - preach (-er), proclaim, publish.

 

[SantoSubito]

My first interpretation is to believe Paul meant to all the world as he knew it at his time. The Bible can't mean something to us that it didn't mean to them. Hence he meant all the known world to him.

Another potential is that Paul was speaking prophetically, meaning ideally the gospel will be preached.

Like he says we're seated with Christ in the heavens, yet we certainly aren't actually there yet. Ephesians 2 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

I'll stick with my first interpretation for now.

This. Best not to take it literally since it is more or less a figure of speech common to Helenes and Romans.

 

[peacefulbeliever]

My first interpretation is to believe Paul meant to all the world as he knew it at his time. The Bible can't mean something to us that it didn't mean to them. Hence he meant all the known world to him.

Another potential is that Paul was speaking prophetically, meaning ideally the gospel will be preached.

Like he says we're seated with Christ in the heavens, yet we certainly aren't actually there yet. Ephesians 2 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

I'll stick with my first interpretation for now.

Yes. . .to the bold. It's a Jewish idiomatic expression called "prophetic perfect" when something that was absolutely going to happen in the future but is spoken of as occurring in the past, or is already in existence. In Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger shows that the Greeks referred to the switch from the literal future tense to the past tense for emphasis the figure of speech heterosis. So with this FOS, the following. . . .

Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world;
the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

would be speaking presently of what is going to happen in the future.

 

[tribesman]

*BUMP*

Thanks for your replies. Personally I see these scriptures as proof for preterism and particularism.