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Mat_24:14. Having just uttered the words εἰς τέλος , Christ now reveals the prospect of a most encouraging state of matters which is immediately to precede and usher in the consummation indicated by this εἰς τέλος , namely, the preaching of the gospel throughout the whole world in spite of the hatred and apostasy previously mentioned (Mat_24:9-10 ff.); ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν δεινῶν περιγενήσεται τοῦ κηρύγματος , Euthymius Zigabenus. The substantial fulfilment of this prediction is found in the missionary labours of the apostles, above all in those of Paul; comp. Act_1:9; Rom_1:14; Rom_10:18; Rom_15:19; Mat_28:19; Col_1:23; Clem. 1 Corinthians 5.
τοῦτο τὸ εὐαγγ .] According to de Wette, the author here (and Mat_26:13) so far forgets himself as to allude to the gospel which he was then in the act of writing. The τοῦτο here may be accounted for by the fact that Christ was there and then engaged in preaching the gospel of the Messiah’s kingdom, inasmuch as eschatological prediction undoubtedly constitutes an essential part of the gospel. Consequently: “hoc evangelium, quod nuntio.”
ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμ .] must not be limited to the Roman empire (Luk_2:1), but should be taken quite generally: over the whole habitable globe, a sense which is alone in keeping with Jesus’ consciousness of His Messianic mission, and with the πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι which follows.
εἰς μαρτύριον , κ . τ . λ .] in order that testimony may be borne before all nations, namely, concerning me and my work, however much they may have hated you for my name’s sake. The interpretation of the Fathers: εἰς ἔλεγχον , is therefore substantially in accordance with the context (Mat_24:9), though there was no need to import into the passage the idea of the condemnation of the heathen, which condemnation would follow as a consequence only in the case of those who might be found to reject the testimony. There are other though arbitrary explanations, such as. “ut nota illis esset pertinacia Judaeorum” (Grotius), or: “ut gentes testimonium dicere possint harum calamitatum et insignis pompae, qua Jesus Messias in has terras reverti debeat” (Fritzsche), or: “ita ut crisin aut vitae aut mortis adducat” (Dorner).
καὶ τότε ] and then, when the announcement shall have been made throughout the whole world.
τὸ τέλος ] the end of the troubles that are to precede the Messiah’s advent, correlative to ἀρχή , Mat_24:8. Comp. Mat_24:6; consequently not to be understood in this instance either as referring to the end of the world (Ebrard, Bleek, Dorner, Hofmann, Lange, Cremer), which latter event, however, will of course announce its approach by catastrophes in nature (Mat_24:29) immediately after the termination of the dolores Messiae.