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.
God making His promise
56-1209A §25
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Token
63-0901M §137
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From the beginning it wasn't so
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...
Only one true living Church
51-0727 §18
Could you imagine people freezing to death, and I would paint them a picture of a fire. I'd say, "Look at the fire burning. Isn't it warm? Look at the people standing around, warming." But that's only a picture of something that has been. You'd freeze just the same, looking at the picture. What it takes is that fire to be reproduced again for your warmth. And the Gospel that was in that day, it's written in the Word as a history, a painted fire of what was. Accept the same seed that they accept, and it'll be a livi...
But from the beginning it was not so
58-1002 §52
Jesus said, "You teach for doctrine the traditions of men, and you make the commandments of God of none effect with your traditions." If He said it in that day, what about this? Let's go back to the beginning now. What about it? If the branch come forth on the day of Pentecost, and brought forth a church of that type... They went to all the world. Signs and wonders followed them everywhere. Not signs and wonders that we call today. But the day when they went forth, they preached everywhere, they baptized the people...