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.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Ep. 199, 46: But that this preaching “the Gospel of the kingdom in all the world” was accomplished by the Apostles, we have not any certain evidence, to prove. There are numberless barbarous nations in Africa, among whom the Gospelis not even yet preached, as it is easy to learn from the prisoners who are brought from thence. But it cannot be said that these have no part in the promise of God. For God promised with an oath not the Romans only, but all nations to the seed of Abraham.
And this Gospel, &c. This was fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem, for a witness unto all nations. For thereby God testified unto all nations His love towards the Jews, and their perfidy to Christ. And the calling of the Gentiles for that reason into their place, and this election of the Gentiles in place of the Jews, was just, as S. Chrysostom proves from Romans 1:8, "Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world;" and "Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world." And from Col. i6 , "Which (Gospel) is come unto you, and beareth fruit in you, as it doth in all the world."
But this must be understood hyperbolically, meaning, that before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus , the Gospel was promulgated in the greatest number and chief countries and provinces of the world, not in every small and remote spot. Wherefore S. Jerome, Bede, and other Fathers teach that this will clearly and fully take place before the end of the world. "...
This gospel . shall be preached in the whole world, to serve as a testimony to all nations, of the solicitude of heaven in having the doctrine of salvation announced to them. This then is a fifth sign, and not till then shall the consummation come.
And then shall the consummation come. The end of the world, says St. Jerome. The destruction of Jerusalem, says St. Chrysostom and others. (Witham)
If the final destruction of Jerusalem be here meant, the gospel had been preached throughout the major part of the then known world. See Romans x. and Colossians i. 6, 23. If the end of the world, there is the greatest probability that the true faith will have been announced to every part of the globe, before that period.
Such Was Nicolaus, one of the seven deacons, who led astray many by his pretences. And Simon Magus who, armed with diabolic works and words, perverted many by false miracles.
Observe, He says, “the love of many,” not ‘of all,’ for in the Apostles, and those like them, love would continue, as Paul speaks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” .
And the sign of the Lord’s second coming is, that the Gospel shall be preached in all the world, so that all may be without excuse.
After this again, what is more grievous than all, they shall not have so much as the consolation from love. Then indicating, that these things will in no degree harm the noble and the firm, He says, Fear not, neither be troubled. For if you show forth the patience that becomes you, the dangers will not prevail over you. And it is a plain proof of this, that the word shall surely be preached everywhere in the world, so much shall you be above the things that alarm you. For, that they may not say, how then shall we live? He said more, You shall both live and preach everywhere. Therefore He added moreover, And this gospel shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come, of the downfall of Jerusalem.
For in proof that He meant this, and that before the taking of Jerusalem the gospel was preached, hear what Paul says, Their sound went into all the earth; Romans 10:18 and again, The gospel which was preached to every creature which is under H...
Or otherwise; The disciples when they heard these things which were spoken of Jerusalem might suppose that they should be beyond reach of harm, as though what they now heard was the sufferings of others, while they themselves should meet with nothing but prosperous times, He therefore announces the grievous things which should befal them, putting them in fear for themselves. First He had bid them be on their guard against the arts of false teachers, He now foretels to them the violence of tyrants. In good season He thus introduces their own woes, as here they will receive consolation from the common calamities; and He held out to them not this comfort only, but also that of the cause for which they should suffer, hewing that it was for His name’s sake, “And ye shall be hated of all men formy name’s sake.”.
Having named two sources of opposition, that from seducers, and that from enemies, He adds a third, that from false brethren; “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one a...
That is, true love towards God and our neighbour, in proportion as each surrenders himself to iniquity, in that proportion will the flame of charity in his heart be extinguished.
“Whoso shall endure unto the end,” i.e. to the end of his life; for whoso to the end of his life shall persevere in the confession of the name of Christ, and in love, he shall be saved.
For the Lord knew that the hearts of the disciples would be made sad by the destruction of Jerusalem, and overthrow of their nation, and He therefore comforts them with a promise that more of the Gentiles should believe than of the Jews should perish.
But the whole passage might be referred to the end of the world. For then "shall many be offended,” and depart from the faith, when they see the numbers and wealth of the wicked, and the miracles of Antichrist, and they shall persecute their brethren; and Antichrist shall send “false Prophets, who shall deceive many; iniquity shall abound,” because the number of the wicked shall ...
. Take courage, you will not be hindered from preaching. For the Gospel will be preached to all the nations as a witness, that is, as a reproof, a condemnation of those who do not believe, and then the end will come, not of the world, but of Jerusalem. For prior to the taking of Jerusalem, the Gospel was already preached [as a witness to all the nations], for St. Paul, in writing to the Colossians, speaks of "the Gospel which was preached to every creature under heaven" (Col. 1:23). That Christ is speaking of the end of Jerusalem is clear from what follows, for He says:
