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.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
61-0205E §12
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Church Ages, part 8: The Philadelphian Church Age
60-1210 §18
but His commission to the church was, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." And the gospel is not altogether the Word, but it's making the Word come to life, see, because Jesus said, immediately, "These signs shall follow them that believe." You know, Mark 16, His last mission to the church was, "These signs shall follow them that believe." His first commission to the church, in Matthew, the 10th chapter, was, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils: as freely as you have received, freely give." An...
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56-1209A §25
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Token
63-0901M §137
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59-1125 §21
So man takes and builds churches and puts creeds in them. When Jesus came to the earth, He found precious people trying to find salvation in the church. What were they getting? Ceremonies, pouring of water, washing of plates and wearing of clothes. That's what they had: ceremonies. They didn't get salvation; salvation is deliverance. So they did not get salvation; they got a bunch of ceremonies. If He'd come today, what would He find? Just about the same. The people are looking to the church for salvation and getti...