Matthew 10
10
The Twelve Apostles
1And #Mark 3:13; Luke 6:13when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, #John 1:42who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4#Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13Simon the Cananite, and Judas #Matt. 26:14; Luke 22:3; John 13:2, 26Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Sending Out the Twelve
5These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: #Matt. 4:15“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of #2 Kin. 17:24; Luke 9:52; 10:33; 17:16; John 4:9the Samaritans. 6#Matt. 15:24; Acts 13:46But go rather to the #Is. 53:6; Jer. 50:6lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7#Luke 9:2And as you go, preach, saying, #Matt. 3:2; Luke 10:9‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. #(Acts 8:18)Freely you have received, freely give. 9#1 Sam. 9:7; Mark 6:8Provide neither gold nor silver nor #Mark 6:8copper in your money belts, 10nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; #Luke 10:7; (1 Cor. 9:4–14); 1 Tim. 5:18for a worker is worthy of his food.
11#Luke 10:8“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12And when you go into a household, greet it. 13#Luke 10:5If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. #Ps. 35:13But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14#Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, #Neh. 5:13; Luke 10:10, 11; Acts 13:51shake off the dust from your feet. 15Assuredly, I say to you, #Matt. 11:22, 24it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Persecutions Are Coming
16#Luke 10:3“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. #2 Cor. 12:16; Eph. 5:15; Col. 4:5Therefore be wise as serpents and #(Phil. 2:14–16)harmless as doves. 17But beware of men, for #Matt. 23:34; Mark 13:9; Luke 12:11they will deliver you up to councils and #Acts 5:40; 22:19; 26:11scourge you in their synagogues. 18#Acts 12:1; 2 Tim. 4:16You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19#Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:14, 15But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For #Ex. 4:12; Jer. 1:7it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20#2 Sam. 23:2; (2 Tim. 4:17)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21#Mic. 7:6; Luke 21:16“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22And #Matt. 24:9; Luke 21:17; John 15:18you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. #(Dan. 12:12); Matt. 24:13; Mark 13:13But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23#Matt. 2:13; Acts 8:1When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have #(Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10)gone through the cities of Israel #Matt. 16:28before the Son of Man comes.
24#Luke 6:40; John 15:20“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If #Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19; John 8:48, 52they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26Therefore do not fear them. #Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2, 3; (1 Cor. 4:5)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, #Luke 12:3; Acts 5:20speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28#Luke 12:4; (1 Pet. 3:14)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather #Is. 8:13; Matt. 5:22; Luke 12:5fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two #Luke 12:6, 7sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30#1 Sam. 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11; 1 Kin. 1:52; Luke 21:18; Acts 27:34But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men
32#Ps. 119:46; Luke 12:8; (Rom. 10:9)“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, #(Rev. 3:5)him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33#(Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26); 2 Tim. 2:12But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Christ Brings Division
34#(Luke 12:49)“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35For I have come to #Mic. 7:6; Matt. 10:21; Luke 12:53‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36and #Ps. 41:9; 55:13; John 13:18‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37#Deut. 33:9; Luke 14:26He 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. 38#(Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39#Matt. 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
A Cup of Cold Water
40#Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; John 12:44; Gal. 4:14“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41#1 Kin. 17:10; 2 Kin. 4:8He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42#(Matt. 25:40); Mark 9:41; Heb. 6:10And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 10
10
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
1Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil#10:1 Greek unclean. spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2Here are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James’s brother),
3Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,#10:3 Other manuscripts read Lebbaeus; still others read Lebbaeus who is called Thaddaeus.
4Simon (the zealot#10:4 Greek the Cananean, an Aramaic term for Jewish nationalists.),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
5Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.#10:7 Or has come, or is coming soon. 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
9 “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. 10Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.
11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.#10:18 Or But this will be your testimony against the rulers and other unbelievers. 19When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22And all nations will hate you because you are my followers.#10:22 Greek on account of my name. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man#10:23 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.
24 “Students # 10:24 Or Disciples. are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons,#10:25 Greek Beelzeboul; other manuscripts read Beezeboul; Latin version reads Beelzebub. the members of my household will be called by even worse names!
26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 27What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!
28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. # 10:28 Greek Gehenna. 29What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin#10:29 Greek one assarion [i.e., one “as,” a Roman coin equal to 1/16 of a denarius].? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!’ # 10:35-36 Mic 7:6.
37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,#10:41 Greek receive a prophet in the name of a prophet. you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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