But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
This is a verse that mission folks and pastors love to quote to talk about ministry. Often it is used as a basis for strategizing ministry efforts. People talk about first focusing on your home – your Jerusalem – and then going to your state – your Judea – and then to a region – your Samaria – and lastly to the ends of the earth.
But this interpretation and strategy misses the verse completely. One, when you put it into some sequential order, you often feel fine with simply reaching the first part or the first few and never get around to the ends of the earth part, in spite of the fact that God’s entire written Word focuses on all the nations and every people. Two, nothing in Acts 1:8 ever suggests sequence. It just says that after you receive the Holy Spirit you will be God’s witness in each of those places. There is no “first” or “last.” Three, it absolutely cannot be used as a rationale to focus on home ministry, not only because of the absence of the word “first,” but also because of another important fact.
Jesus is about to ascend. He gives this instruction. And then, after ascending, the disciples are all just standing around looking up into Heaven. Angels address them, “Men of Galilee . . . why do you stand here looking into the sky?” Acts 1:11. These followers are all from Galilee. Galilee is the next area right above Samaria. It would have been natural to assume that Jesus would say to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, to Galilee, and to the ends of the earth. Or, he could have said to Galilee, to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. But He said neither. He omits Galilee altogether. There is no call to the disciples to minister in their home land. Jesus simply tells them to go to all nations. And God throughout the Word calls us to the nations. And, if you study through the scripture you won’t find prophets going to their home town. Even Jesus struggled in that setting.
We are called to go. We are called to all. And God desires that every nation would be reconciled to Him.
