This is a great error, for, according to his explanation, this promise would have belonged to the apostles alone, and been limited by their life time, since they traveled everywhere to preach, so that their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.[38] Compare Mark 16:20 with Rom. 10:18.
[38] The words of David, Ps. 19:6, which he spoke of the circuit of the sun around the whole earth every twenty-four hours, the apostle Paul applies to the traveling and preaching of the apostles through the whole world, saying, Rom. 10:18: “Verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” Since the apostles, in their time, traveled through the whole world, to preach the Gospel, and, consequently, have been at the ends or uttermost limits of the earth, it would follow, according to our opponents’ own words, that the promise of Christ, “Lo, I am with you” (or by you), etc., was completely fulfilled in the apostles, excluding their descendants from assuming any part of it whatever. This would certainly be a comfortless matter for us, their descendants; but the case is quite a different one as is shown in this column.
But, in order that all true followers of Christ and his apostles, to the end of time, might comfort themselves with this promise, the Lord has expressly spoken of the consummation of the ages, and declared that so long (understand: spiritually) he will be with them.
We arrive now at the point we had in view from the beginning, and which we shall now present more plainly and fully. It is certain that the Lord has spoken here of the preaching of the holy Gospel, of faith, of baptism, and of the manner of establishing and building up his church, as it was his will that the same should be built up and maintained through all ages. After saying this, he gave the before mentioned promise.
It is settled, therefore, that the visible church of Jesus Christ (for this is the one in whom the preaching of the holy Gospel, faith, baptism, and whatever there is more besides, have place) shall exist through all time, even unto the consummation of the ages; for, otherwise, the promise, “Lo, I am with you all the days,” etc., can not be fulfilled in her.
Even as, besides preaching and faith, baptism shall continue in the church to the end of time, so also the holy supper. This appears from the words of Paul, 1 Cor. 11:26: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death till he come.”
Thus, if mention is made here of the eating of the bread, the drinking of the cup, and the shewing forth of the Lord’s death, with the additional clause that this shall be observed, and continue, till the Lord come (that is, in the end of time, to judge the world), it follows: that there will be, throughout all ages to the end of the world, a church which will observe the external ordinances of Christ not only in respect to holy baptism, but also to the holy supper, and the shewing forth of the Lord’s death; unless it can be shown that the words, “till he come,” have another signification, such as we have never yet met with in any commentator, since the text is not only too clear, but also too conclusive.[39] Compare this with Matt. 25:31; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 22:12,20.
[39] Whenever, in the New Testament, the coming of Christ is spoken of, there is generally, yea, universally, meant by it his last coming to judgment. “Then ... they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:30. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.” Rev. 1:7; also 1 Cor. 11:26.