Mark 16:15 · Bible study
Mark 16:15 Commentary: Preach to Every Creature, Meaning & Commission
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of Mark 16:15: the universal scope of the gospel commission, the meaning of 'whole creation,' and the call to every believer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The risen Christ commands his followers to take the good news of salvation to every human being, breaking all ethnic and geographic barriers.
- Key words: κηρύξατε (aorist imperative: authoritative, urgent proclaiming); κτίσις (creation, but in context = all humanity).
- Main debate: Whether the commission belongs only to the original apostles or extends to all Christians in every age (Gill affirms the latter; others imply a wider application).
- Theological theme: Universal scope of the gospel; the church’s missionary vocation as rooted in resurrection authority.
- Best use: A foundational text for missionary preaching and personal evangelism; a call to examine how we are participating in the global spread of the gospel.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to the whole creation.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and he said to them, `Having gone to all the world, proclaim the good news to all the creation;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the glad tidings to all the creation.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y les dijo: Id por todo el mundo; predicad el evangelio á toda criatura.
E disse-lhes: Ide por todo o mundo, pregai o Evangelho a toda criatura.
Puis il leur dit: Allez par tout le monde, et prêchez la bonne nouvelle à toute la création.
Und er sprach zu ihnen: Gehet hin in alle Welt und prediget das Evangelium aller Kreatur.
En Hij zeide tot hen: Gaat heen in de gehele wereld, predikt het Evangelie aan alle kreaturen.
E disse loro: Andate per tutto il mondo e predicate l’evangelo ad ogni creatura.
I rzekł im: Idąc na wszystek świat, każcie Ewangieliję wszystkiemu stworzeniu.
И сказал им: идите по всему миру и проповедуйте Евангелие всей твари.
他又 對他們 說：「你們往 普 天下 去，傳 福音給萬民（萬民：原文是凡 受造的）聽。
And he said to them, Go into all the world, and give the good news to everyone.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 16:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions read this verse as Christ’s climactic command to take the good news to every human being without exception. The Greek phrase πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει (all the creation) is understood by every supplied source as a reference to all people, not animals, angels, or the inanimate world. Vincent notes that the Revised Version rightly renders it “to the whole creation,” and several commentators (Barnes, Clarke, Gill) stress that the Jewish restriction of the Messiah’s kingdom is now abolished. Gill explicitly says “every creature” means “men, the offspring of fallen Adam,” and that the commission extends beyond the apostles to all ministers of the gospel in every age. Wesley adds that the Lord speaks “without any limitation or restriction.” The aorist imperative κηρύξατε (proclaim) carries the force of a definitive, authoritative sending, this is not a suggestion but a charge. The consensus is clear: Mark 16:15 announces a global gospel mission directed at every person, and it remains binding on Christ’s followers.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse commands the proclamation of the gospel to every human being — no one is excluded from the offer of salvation in Christ.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'every creature' (πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει) | All supplied commentators agree it refers to every human being, the whole human race, without restriction. | No significant debate; the only question is whether it could also include the non-human creation, but every source explicitly rejects that reading. |
| Who is sent? (the commission's addressees) | All agree the immediate recipients are the eleven apostles. | Some interpreters (e.g., Gill) argue it extends to all ministers and to the church in every age; others see it as a unique apostolic commission that the rest of the church participates in indirectly. |
| Timing and location of the commission | The verse records a post-resurrection appearance that includes a sending. | Gill places it in Galilee forty days after resurrection; others (Cambridge) connect it to the Easter evening. The difference is about harmonizing the Gospels, not about the verse's meaning. |
| Relationship of baptism to salvation (v. 16) | Verse 16 is directly linked to v. 15: belief and baptism accompany the preached gospel. | Traditions differ on whether baptism is necessary for salvation (some see it as a condition, others as a sign that follows faith). The verb 'will be saved' is seen by some as conditional on both belief and baptism, by others as a promise for believers who then testify through baptism. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This commission was spoken by the risen Christ to the eleven apostles shortly before his ascension (Mark 16:19). The location, as Gill and the Cambridge Bible explain, is likely Galilee, the same mountain setting found in Matthew 28:16, 20. The timing is critical: just days earlier, the disciples had been hiding in fear, unable to believe the resurrection reports (Mark 16:11, 14). Now the risen Lord rebukes their unbelief and entrusts them with a mission that shatters every boundary they knew.
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus had restricted the apostles to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5, 6). Even after the resurrection, Peter needed a special vision to preach to a Gentile centurion (Acts 10). The command to go “into all the world” was therefore a dramatic reversal of that earlier limitation. Barnes points out that the Jews believed Gentiles should not share in the Messiah’s privileges; this order tore down that wall. The word κτίσις (creation) was used in rabbinic writings to refer to humanity, specifically the Gentile world (Clarke cites the Hebrew berioth as a parallel). The command thus signals the inclusion of every nation, tribe, and language in the offer of salvation.
Culturally, “all the world” did not mean every geographical inch known to modern cartography. It meant every human society accessible to the apostles, the Roman empire and beyond. The cross-references from Psalms (22:27; 67:2; 98:3) and Isaiah (45:22) show that this universal vision was always God’s intention. The command of the risen Christ simply unleashes what the prophets had long foretold.
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sender: The risen Christ, fresh from conquering death, personally commissions his church. The setting is resurrection authority, he has the right to send.
- The Scope: No limits. Not just Israel, not just the religious, but “the whole creation”, every human being, everywhere. This is God’s heart for the world.
- The Task: “Preach the gospel.” The verb κηρύσσω means to herald a royal announcement, not to debate or coerce. We announce what God has done in Christ.
Five-point outline
- Christ’s authority, He speaks as the one who has overcome sin and death.
- The command to go, πορευθέντες (“having gone”) is a participle that implies action: our movement initiates the mission.
- The universal audience, “all the world” and “whole creation” leave no person excluded.
- The message, The good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.
- The urgency, The aorist imperative signals that this is not optional; it is the defining task of the church.
Illustration hooks
- A doctor who learns a life-saving treatment does not keep it secret, she tells every patient who needs it. The gospel is news too urgent to hoard.
- Consider a parent who receives a letter containing a huge inheritance for the whole family. They do not read it only to themselves, they call everyone together to share it.
- Think of the way news spreads after a natural disaster: people drop everything to alert others to safety. The resurrection is the ultimate rescue announcement.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this command mean I have to become a missionary overseas? Or does “go into all the world” include my neighbourhood and workplace?
- What counts as “preaching the gospel”, do I have to stand on a street corner, or can I live it out in conversation?
- If the gospel is for “every creature,” how do we reach people who have never heard? What is my part in that?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is Jesus’ final marching order before he ascends to the Father. The disciples had failed to believe the resurrection, yet they were sent anyway. That grace is the foundation for our own sending.
Discussion questions
- Read Mark 16:14 first. Why does Jesus begin by rebuking the disciples’ unbelief? What does that tell us about the kind of people he sends?
- The Greek word κτίσις (“creation”) usually refers to the whole created order. Why do most commentators agree this means every human being, not animals or angels?
- How does this commission compare with Jesus’ earlier instruction in Matthew 10:5, 6 not to go to the Gentiles? What changed?
- Gill says this command reaches to “all the ministers of the Gospel in succeeding ages.” Do you think it also applies to every Christian, or is it limited to those called to official ministry? Why?
- If the gospel is truly for “every creature,” how should that affect our prayers, our giving, and our personal sense of responsibility?
- What practical barriers do we face in “going into all the world”, and which of those are internal (fear, apathy) versus external (resources, access)?
- How can we “preach the gospel” in daily life without necessarily using pulpit language? Give concrete examples from your own context.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 22:27 | All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you. |
| Psalms 67:1 | For the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song. May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah. |
| Psalms 67:2 | That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations, |
| Psalms 96:3 | Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. |
| Psalms 98:3 | He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. |
| Isaiah 42:10 | Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants. |
| Isaiah 42:12 | Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands. |
| Isaiah 45:22 | “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sees the phrase "every creature" as a specific reference to the Gentile world, not every individual person. He supports this by noting rabbinical usage of the corresponding Hebrew term and points out that after the Jews rejected the Gospel, it was sent to all nations.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that this command breaks down the Jewish barrier separating Gentiles from the Messiah's kingdom. The gospel must be preached to every human being without exception, offering pardon and eternal life through repentance and faith in Jesus. No barrier or human limitation can restrict this universal offer of mercy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights the dramatic shift between Jesus’ earlier restriction to Israel and His risen command to reach every creature. The same Lord who once forbade going to Gentiles or Samaritans now sends His disciples to the whole creation without exception.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And he saide vnto them, Goe ye into all the worlde, and preach the Gospel to euery creature.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that Christ gave this commission in Galilee just before his ascension, not on resurrection day. He stresses that each apostle received a specific region, not the whole world individually, and that the command extends to all future ministers. The phrase "every creature" means all human beings, especially Gentiles, a point Gill supports with Jewish sources.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points readers to the parallel commission accounts in John and Luke, suggesting that Mark's version is best understood alongside them. By cross-referencing rather than commenting directly, the writer implies these passages together give a fuller picture of Christ's missionary charge to his disciples.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the rebuke of the disciples' unbelief as the turning point: Christ's personal upbraiding drives out their hardheartedness and perfects their faith, enabling their commission. He then emphasizes that the promised signs—casting out demons, new tongues, protection from harm—apply to all believers throughout history, not only the apostles, symbolizing the Gospel's ongoing transformation of the whole creation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Christ rebuked his disciples not for lack of evidence but for hardness of heart. Their unbelief stemmed from pride: they doubted the resurrection because Christ showed himself first to others, not to them.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek phrase behind "to every creature," noting it properly means "to the whole creation." He endorses the Revised Version's rendering as the accurate translation, emphasizing the universal scope of the proclamation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that Christ's command to preach the Gospel to every creature is absolute and without exception. If any person in any age has not heard it, the fault lies either with those who should have preached or those who should have listened, not with God's clear intention.