‘And he called to him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.' It is apparent that the twelve had already been appointed by this stage. This was a sign of the future that Jesus saw as ahead. U... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the public servant; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Juda... [ Continue Reading ]
‘These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, “Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Jesus now sent out the twelve, and His instructions were that they were not to take roads that led... [ Continue Reading ]
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand'.” And as they go out the twelve are to preach ‘The Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand'. But while the words are the same, this is not the same message as that of John. For John was looking ahead to a Kingly Rule that was about to b... [ Continue Reading ]
“Heal sick people, raise dead people, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” And the evidence that the Kingly Rule of Heaven is here is found not only in the establishing of His renewed Law (Matthew 10:5), but in the establishing of the well-being of His people and the c... [ Continue Reading ]
“Do not procure for yourselves gold, or silver, or copper in your money belts; no food wallet for your journey; neither two tunics, nor shoes, nor staff. For the labourer is worthy of his provision.” The first point that Jesus makes is that they are not to provision themselves out beyond the bare ne... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THEIR GOING OUT (10:9-15). Having declared to them their main responsibilities and objectives Jesus now instructs them about the way in which they are to go about their ministry. and it is immediately apparent that while the principles behind these instructions are permanent... [ Continue Reading ]
“And into whatever city or village you enter, search out who in it is worthy, and there stay until you go forth.” This verse further explains the situation. They were going in the Name of the King. They should therefore expect provision of their needs by the King's subjects. Thus their very way of t... [ Continue Reading ]
“And as you enter into the house, salute it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.” As they entered the house that welcomed them they were to salute it, probably with the words ‘shalom elechem' (peace to you), a regular Jewish g... [ Continue Reading ]
“And whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, as you go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.” These words are very solemn words and indicate the seriousness of the situation they speak of. If they were not received, whether by house or city, they were to s... [ Continue Reading ]
“Truly I say to you, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.” And so serious would be their crime that in the Day of Judgment the infamous Sodom and Gomorrah, who had shown scant hospitality to Lot (Genesis 19), and had become proverb... [ Continue Reading ]
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be you therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Jesus introduces His warnings about the future by likening their going forth as similar to that of sheep going among wolves. This in itself is a reminder of the uniqueness of the eve... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DANGERS THAT THEY WILL FACE IN THE FUTURE. Having declared the positive side of what their experiences will be Jesus now turns to the problems that they will face. For while they go trusting their heavenly Father for His provision, and as representatives of the Coming One, they must not thereby... [ Continue Reading ]
“But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” Thus they are to beware of men, for they are ‘the wolves' that He had in min... [ Continue Reading ]
“But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you shall speak, for it will be given you in that hour what you shall speak, for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” And when these dreadful experiences did happen they were not to be afraid and anxio... [ Continue Reading ]
“And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.” Jesus then moves His attention from the judges to the ones who will cause His disciples, and those who hear and respond to them, to be judged, or in... [ Continue Reading ]
“And you will be hated of all men for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.” Note how in the chiasmus this parallels their being sheep among wolves. The hatred of ‘all men' (whether Jew, Samaritan or Gentile) because they went out in the Name of the Messiah was somet... [ Continue Reading ]
“But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for truly I say to you, You will not have gone through (literally ‘finished') the towns of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” The disciples are not to allow persecution to depress them, rather they are to see it as a spur driving the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE TO PREACH BOLDLY, REMEMBERING WHOSE THEY ARE, AND ARE NOT TO BE AFRAID FOR THREE REASONS (10:23-33). Having warned His disciples of the opposition that they will face, Jesus now puts everything in the light of eternity. They are to consider everything in the light of eternal realities, and... [ Continue Reading ]
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household!” But they must expect persecution. For Jesus their... [ Continue Reading ]
“Do not be afraid of them therefore, for there is nothing covered, that will not be revealed, and hid, that will not be known.” Thus in the light of eternal realities they are not to be afraid of them. They persecute Him, they will therefore persecute them. But in the end all truth and falsehood wi... [ Continue Reading ]
“What I tell you in the darkness, speak you in the light, and what you hear in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops.” So what He is telling them ‘in the darkness' they must speak out in places where all can see, and what He as it were whispers in their ear they are to yell out from the housetops. F... [ Continue Reading ]
“And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” For they are to face up to final consequences, and therefore not be afraid. What does it matter if the body is killed off? What they should rem... [ Continue Reading ]
“Are not two small birds sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall on the ground without your Father, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” So let the disciples remember Who this One is Who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna. He is their Father Who has counted the hairs on... [ Continue Reading ]
“Do not be afraid therefore, you are of more value than many small birds.” The third reason why they do not have to be afraid is because they are of more value than many small edible birds which can be bought at a penny a time. And yet, as Deuteronomy 22:6 makes clear, God was concerned enough abou... [ Continue Reading ]
“Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.” And they can be sure of one further thing, and that is that if they confess (acknowledge the... [ Continue Reading ]
“Do not think that I came to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword.” These remarkable words appear to set at nought what has He has previously taught, and yet deliberately so, for they describe the means by which the ends will be reached. Note first the statement ‘I came'.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT WILL RESULT FROM HIS COMING, AND WHAT HE REQUIRES OF THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM (10:34-42). As Jesus comes to the end of His instructions He wants His disciples to be aware of the waves that they are going to cause. He wants them to know that what He has come to bring will not result in peace... [ Continue Reading ]
“For I came to set a man at variance against his father, And the daughter against her mother, And the daughter in law against her mother in law, And a man's foes will be those of his own household.” (Note the pattern, which will be repeated again twice below, a threefold statement followed by a... [ Continue Reading ]
“He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”... [ Continue Reading ]
a “He who receives you receives me, a And he who receives me receives him who sent me. b He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, b He will receive a prophet's reward, b And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, b He will receive a righteous man's reward. a... [ Continue Reading ]