Were There People in the New Testament Who Did Not Have a Formal Church Ordination, Yet Preached the Gospel?
Yes. The New Testament shows many who preached by the call and anointing of the Holy Ghost without a formal church ordination.
Scriptural Explanation
- The man casting out devils in Jesus’ Name who didn’t follow the apostles (Mark 9:38–40; Luke 9:49–50). Jesus said, “Forbid him not.”
- The seventy were sent by the Lord Himself, not by a council (Luke 10:1, 9).
- The delivered man of Gadara was told, “Go home…and tell,” and he published Christ in Decapolis (Mark 5:19–20).
- Persecuted believers “went everywhere preaching the word,” not just ordained officers (Acts 8:1, 4).
- Philip, originally chosen as a deacon, preached Christ in Samaria with signs following (Acts 6:5; 8:5–8, 12).
- Stephen, full of the Holy Ghost, preached with wisdom and power (Acts 6:8–10; ch. 7).
- Apollos preached Christ powerfully before any recorded formal ordination; Aquila and Priscilla instructed him more perfectly (Acts 18:24–28).
- Saul/Paul preached Christ “straightway” after his conversion, before consulting men (Acts 9:20; Galatians 1:15–17, 23).
- Men of Cyprus and Cyrene preached the Lord Jesus at Antioch, and “a great number believed” (Acts 11:19–21).
- The promise is broad: “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17–18). The Great Commission is to all believers (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19–20).
Simple Clarifying Logic
Now notice, the Bible shows a clear pattern: God calls and fills; the Church recognizes and sends. Laying on of hands in Acts 13:2–3 confirmed those whom the Holy Ghost had already separated. Authority to preach the gospel comes from the Word and the Spirit, not from human papers. If God vindicates the message with Scripture and the fruit, that is Heaven’s endorsement.
Final Word
So yes—there were many who preached without formal ordination. The New Testament puts the emphasis on the Holy Ghost calling and the Scriptures being proclaimed.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Who is this?
59-0510E §25
I had an interview Friday afternoon with the Roman Catholic priest from the Irish church in Louisville. And no more than I'd been introduced to him, a fine scholarly man, he said, "Mr. Branham, what denomination are you with?" I said, "I'm not with any." And he said, "Then, were you ordained?" I said, "Yes, sir." He said, "Who ordained you?" I said, "The Lord Jesus gave me the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel, and gave me a commission." Well, that's the ordination that we need. Jesus never said to His disciples, "G...
The End-time Evangelism
62-0603 §29
The first time He ever ordained any persons to preach the Word and go throughout the country, He said, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils; as freely as you have received, freely give." St. Matthew, the 10th chapter, sending out the seventy, two by two. That was the first commission He gave to His church. Now, the last commission He gave to His church just before He was received up into glory, He said, "Go ye into all the world." He had just risen from the dead. And many of them was sitting together, an...
The Great Commission
57-0804A §49
Jesus said, "Into all the world, these signs shall follow." Someone says now, "That meant to all the world then. And they did evangelize the world then." Well, if that's so, then Jesus told something wrong in Matthew 24, "When this gospel's been preached to all the world, then the end shall be." No, just might as well admit that we've laid down on the job. We've went forth and organized churches, built seminaries, educated people, had schools, hospitals; that's all fine, nothing against it. But that's not what Jesu...
Earnestly contending for the faith once delivered
55-0815 §10
Now, how many in here has ever read the New Testament? Would you raise your hand? Wonderful! Now, you can follow me and see if I misquote the Scripture. It is so hard through an interpreter. I would just quote it. Now, in the beginning, the first one of the New Testament, was John the Baptist. John stood between law and grace. He never come under the Christian dispensation, neither was he under the law. He was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. "A voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make a way, a path for the Lord...
Ordination
62-1104E §10
Now, these outward expressions... And we see Brother McKinney, who is an ordained Methodist minister, who has seen the light of full gospel. We believe him. A lovely brother, got a nice family, and he's come to us. And he's trying to hold a little group together there in Ohio, with Brother and Sister Dauch, and the rest of the brethren there. And we love him here, and we believe him to be a man called of God. So, as we did to Brother Jim Sink, to Brother Grim Snelling, to Brother Junior Jackson, to Brother Willard...