“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”— Matthew 24:14 ESV
The phrase “of all nations” is found throughout Scripture, but what does it actually mean? The New Testament Greek phrase is “panta ta ethne”. The word “ethne” is very similar to our English word “ethnic.” Another way to say this verse is “the gospel will be preached to all the ethnic peoples or people groups of the world.” Ultimately, we see this Biblical reality fulfilled in Revelation 7:9-10. As we take a look at the current status of this task, we see that all people are equally lost without Jesus, but all people do not have equal access to the message of saving faith through Jesus.
What is a People Group?
A people group is the largest group through which the Gospel can flow without encountering significant barriers of understanding and acceptance. There are approximately 11,690 people groups worldwide.
How do we determine if a People Group is Reached or Unreached?
An unreached people group (UPG) is a people group in which less than 2% of the population is Evangelical Christians. Globally there are approximately 6,400 UPGs.