A Difficult Assignment

As was the building of the Ark in Noah's day, the work of the Kingdom preaching has been an enormous project-both in the first century and in modern times. The task of reaching all peoples with any message is difficult enough, but this task was especially challenging. In the first century, the disciples were relatively few. Their Leader, Jesus, had been executed as an alleged seditionist. The Jewish religion was well established. A magnificent temple stood in Jerusalem. Non-Jewish religions in the Mediterranean area were also well established, with temples and priesthoods. Similarly, as "the time of the end" began in 1914, the anointed Christians were few, and adherents to other religions claiming to serve God were many.-Daniel 12:9.

Jesus had warned his followers that they would be persecuted. He said: " People will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name." (Matthew 24:9) Added to such problems particularly in "the last days," Christians would find themselves amid "critical times hard to deal with." (2 Timothy 3:1) The magnitude of the work, the certainty of persecution, and the difficult of the times have made the work of preaching challenging and difficult. Great faith has been needed.

While Jehovah knew that there would be difficulties, he also knew that nothing would stop the work. Success was foretold in a well-known prophecy having a remarkable fulfillment in both the first and the 20th centuries: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth." -Matthew 24:14.

Filled with faith and holy spirit, God's servants in the first century went forth to carry out their commission. Because Jehovah proved to be with them, they achieved success far beyond what they might have expected. By the time Paul wrote to the Colossians, about 27 years after the death of Jesus, he could say of the good news that it was "preached in all creation that is under heaven." (Colossians 1:23) Comparably, by the close of the 20th century, the good news is being preached in 233 lands

Millions have embraced the good news in recent decades. Many have done so under unfavorable circumstances-during periods of war, ban and intense persecution. That was true also in the first century. On one occasion Paul and Silas were brutally beaten with rods and thrown into prison. What an unlikely situation to do just that. Paul and Silas were released, and the jailer together with his family became believers. (Acts 16:19-33) Such experiences show that the good news cannot be silenced by those who oppose it. (Isaiah 54:17) Still, the history of Christianity had not been one of unrelenting adversity and persecution. Let us now focus on some favorable developments that have helped smooth the way for the successful preaching of the good news in both the first and the 20th centuries.

Next time: Religious Environment

Watchtower, 1999