Matthew 10 - Introduction
The Mission of the Twelve Matthew 10:1-4, and the Charge to them, Matthew 10:5-42; Mark 3:14-19; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 6:12-16; Luke 9:1-6... [ Continue Reading ]
The Mission of the Twelve Matthew 10:1-4, and the Charge to them, Matthew 10:5-42; Mark 3:14-19; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 6:12-16; Luke 9:1-6... [ Continue Reading ]
_his twelve disciples_ The first passages in St Mark and St Luke record the _choice_or _calling_of the Twelve, this chapter and Mark 6 and Luke 9 narrate _the_mission or _a_mission of the disciples. Possibly they were sent forth more than once. _sickness … disease_ See note ch. Matthew 4:23, and Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_apostles_ the only passage in this Gospel where the word occurs. The Greek word lit. = "sent forth," "envoys." This sense, though scarcely recognised by classical authors, was not new. It seems to have been a "title borne by those who were despatched from the mother city by the rulers of the race o... [ Continue Reading ]
Philip, also a Greek name prevalent at the time, partly through the influence of the Macedonian monarchy, whose real founder was Philip, father of Alexander the Great. Lebbæus, Thaddæus, Jude the [son] of James, ARE all names of one and the same person. He was the son in all probability of a James... [ Continue Reading ]
Simon the _Cananæan_(not Canaanite), or _Zelotes_, equivalent terms. The fierce party of the Zealots professed a rigid attachment to the Mosaic law; they acknowledged no king save God. Under Judas the Gaulonite they rose in rebellion at the time of the census. We hear of a Theudas (which is another... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go not into the way of the Gentiles_ For the expression "way of the Gentiles" cp. ch. Matthew 4:15, "the way of the sea." This prohibition is not laid on the Seventy (St Luke 10:1-16), they are expressly commissioned to carry tidings of the gospel to cities and places which our Lord Himself propos... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ's Charge to the Apostles This discourse falls naturally into two divisions; of which the first (Matthew 10:5) has reference to the immediate present, the second relates rather to the church of the future. The subdivisions of the first part are: (1) Their mission field, 5, 6. (2) Their words... [ Continue Reading ]
_cleanse the lepers_ Leprosy is not classed with the other diseases. As especially symbolical of a sin-stricken man, the leper requires cleansing or purification. _raise the dead_ These words are omitted in a large number of important MSS. but not in the two most ancient Codices.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Provide neither gold_, &c. The disciples must not furnish themselves with the ordinary equipment of an Eastern traveller. _gold … silver … brass_ Of the three metals named the brass or copper represents the native currency. The coinage of Herod the Great was copper only. But Greek and Roman money w... [ Continue Reading ]
_scrip_ A wallet such as David wore when he went to meet Goliath. It was fastened to the girdle. Cp. "Though not with bag and baggage, yet with _scrip_and scrippage." Shakspeare. "And in requital ope his leathern _scrip_." Milton. _two coats_=two tunics. See ch. Matthew 5:40. In like manner the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_when ye come into a house_ Translate, _when ye_ ARE ENTERING _into_ THE _house_, i. e. the house of him who is indicated as "worthy." The injunction to remain in the same house was, perhaps, partly to avoid feasting from house to house, partly for the sake of secrecy a necessary precaution in after... [ Continue Reading ]
_shake off the dust of your feet_ as St Paul did at Antioch in Pisidia, Acts 13:51. The cities of Israel that rejected the Gospel should be regarded as heathen. The very dust of them was a defilement as the dust of a heathen land. See Lightfoot, _ad loc_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Comp. ch. Matthew 11:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
_as sheep in the midst of wolves_ Clemens Rom., who quotes these words, adds to them: "Then Peter answered and said, If then the wolves rend the sheep? but Jesus said to Peter, Let not the sheep fear the wolves after death." _wise as serpents, and harmless as doves_ The qualities required for the s... [ Continue Reading ]
The Church of the Future (1) The Apostolic character, 16. (2) Persecution, 17 25. (3) Consolation the care of the Father, 26 31. (4) The reward, 32. (5) The Christian choice, 33 39. (6) The hosts of the Church, 40 42.... [ Continue Reading ]
_beware of men_ Perhaps with a reference to the serpents and the doves, which shun the approach of men; but comp. ch. Matthew 17:22, "The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men." _councils_ i. e. provincial synagogue-tribunals. See note, ch. Matthew 4:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
_governors_ Such as Felix and Festus at Cæsarea, the Prætors or Duumviri at Philippi (Acts 16:20), the Politarchs at Thessalonica (Acts 17:6). _kings_ As Herod Agrippa or the Roman Emperor.... [ Continue Reading ]
_take no thought how or what ye shall speak_ Curiously enough this has been quoted as if it justified want of preparation for sermons or addresses to a Christian congregation. The direction points definitely to the Christian -apologies," of which specimens have come down to us.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Spirit of your Father_ The Christian "apologist" shall not stand alone. The same Spirit instructs him which inspires the universal Church. St Paul experienced this consolation: "At my first answer no man stood with me.… notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me." 2 Timothy 4:16... [ Continue Reading ]
_the father the child_ The history of persecutions for religion affords many instances of this. It is true even of civil disputes. Thucydides, describing the horrors of the Corcyrean sedition, says (3:82), "The ties of relationship became weaker than those of party.... [ Continue Reading ]
_he that endureth to the end shall be saved_ The parallel expression in Luke 21:18 is made clear by this verse; "by your patience win for yourselves your souls," i. e. win your true life by enduring to the end. Comp. Romans 5:4-5, "we glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patie... [ Continue Reading ]
_when they persecute you_ Such words indicate that these "instructions" have a far wider range than the immediate mission of the Apostles. They are prophetic, bringing both warning and consolation to all ages of the Church. _till the Son of man be come_ The passage in Luke 21, which is to a great e... [ Continue Reading ]
_The disciple is not above his master_ The disciples of Jesus can expect no other treatment than that which befell their Master Christ. The same proverb occurs in a different connection Luke 6:40, where Christ is speaking of the responsibility of the Apostles as _teachers;_"as they are, their discip... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beelzebub_ The MSS. vary between Beelzebul and Beelzebub. Beelzebub, or Baal Zebub= "Lord of flies," i. e. "averter of flies," a serious plague in hot countries. By a slight change of letter the Jews threw contempt on their enemies" god, calling him Baal Zebel "Lord of mire" and lastly identified... [ Continue Reading ]
_for there is nothing covered_, &c. Two reasons against fear are implied: (1) If you fear, a day will come which will reveal your disloyalty; (2) Fear not, for one day the unreality of the things that terrify you will be made manifest.... [ Continue Reading ]
_what ye hear in the ear_ Lightfoot (_Hor. Heb._) refers this to a custom in the "Divinity School" of the synagogue (see ch. Matthew 4:23), where the master whispered into the ear of the interpreter, who repeated in a loud voice what he had heard. _upon the housetops_ Travellers relate that in the... [ Continue Reading ]
_him which is able to destroy_ Either (1) God, whose power extends beyond this life. Clemens Rom. (_Ep._II. 4) with a probable reference to this passage says, "We ought not to fear man but God." Or (2) Satan, into whose power the wicked surrender themselves. _in hell_ Literally, IN GEHENNA. See not... [ Continue Reading ]
_one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father_ Two deductions may be drawn (1) That human life is more precious in God's sight than the life of the lower animals (Matthew 10:31); (2) That kindness to animals is part of God's law. The word translated _sparrow_means any kind of small... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall confess me_ Literally, confess IN me: make me the central point and object of his confession.... [ Continue Reading ]
_not to send peace, but a sword_ The contrast is rather between union and division than between peace and war. The "sifting" of Christ causes division or perplexity, and conflict of opinion, both in the thoughts of the individual and between man and man. The same idea is illustrated by the husbandma... [ Continue Reading ]
_to set … at variance_ The Greek word occurs here only in the New Testament, and is rare elsewhere. The root is the same as that of the word translated to "cut asunder." The word is used by Plato of a scientific distinction. Here the thought of the dividing sword is carried on. Comp. Micah 7:6, wher... [ Continue Reading ]
The connection is this: there will be divisions in families; My disciples must not hesitate to side with _Me_rather than with father or mother, or son or daughter. The new life changes the old relationships: everything is viewed now in reference to Christ, to whom His followers are related as mother... [ Continue Reading ]
_he that taketh not his cross_ A further advance in the devotion and self-abandonment required in the disciples of Jesus. These are deeply interesting and solemn words. The cross is named for the first time by the Saviour. The expression recurs ch. Matthew 16:24, following upon the announcement of t... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that findeth his life shall lose it_ The Greek word for life (ψυχή) embraces every form of life from mere vegetative existence to the highest spiritual life of the soul. Sometimes this variety of meaning is found within the limits of a single sentence "He that findeth the life of external comfor... [ Continue Reading ]
The Reception of the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ 40. _receiveth_ In the sense of receiving as a teacher, and of welcoming as a guest, see Matthew 10:14. Whoever welcomes the Apostles and listens to them, listens to the voice of Jesus Christ and of God the Father Himself, and They "will m... [ Continue Reading ]
_in the name of_=for the sake of, out of regard to the prophet's character. _a prophet's reward_ Such reward as a prophet or preacher of the gospel hath. _righteous_ Those who fulfil the requirements of the _Christian_law (comp. ch. Matthew 1:19), true members of the Christian Church the saints.... [ Continue Reading ]
_one of these little ones_ The reference may be to the disciples. But there appears to be a gradation in the lowest step of which are "_these_little ones." Possibly some children standing near were then addressed, or, perhaps, some converts less instructed than the Apostles had gathered round. "The... [ Continue Reading ]