The Twelve Apostles
1 Mark 3:13-15;6:7-13;Luke 6:13;9:1,2And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 For ver. 2-4, see Mark 3:16-19;Luke 6:14-16;Acts 1:13The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, ch. 16:18;John 1:42who is called Peter, and ch. 4:18,21Andrew his brother; ch. 4:18,21James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and ch. 9:9Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus4 Simon the Zealot,10:4 Greek kananaios, meaning zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
5 [See ver. 1above] These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of 2 Kgs. 17:24;Ezra 4:10;Luke 9:52;10:33;17:16;John 4:9,39,40;8:48;Acts 8:25;[Acts 1:8]the Samaritans,6 ch. 15:24;[Acts 3:25,26;13:46] but go rather to Ps. 119:176;Isa. 53:6;Jer. 50:6;[ch. 9:36;18:12] the lost sheep of Acts 2:36;7:42;Heb. 8:8,10the house of Israel.7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ch. 3:2;4:17;Luke 10:9‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’10:7 Or The kingdom of heaven has come near8 [ch. 11:5] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13cast out demons. [Isa. 55:1;Acts 3:6;20:33,35]You received without paying; give without pay.9 For ver. 9-15, see Mark 6:8-11;Luke 9:3-5;[Luke 10:4-12;22:35]Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts,10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skinor sandals or a staff, for 1 Tim. 5:18;[1 Cor. 9:4,7-14]the laborer deserves his food.11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.12 As you enter the house, [1 Sam. 25:6;1 Chr. 12:18]greet it.13 And if the house is [ch. 8:8;Acts 16:15] worthy, let [See ver. 12above]your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let [See ver. 12above]your peace return to you.14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, Acts 13:51;[Neh. 5:13;Acts 18:6]shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.15 Truly, I say to you, ch. 11:24it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Gen. 18:20;19:28;2 Pet. 2:6the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Persecution Will Come
16 Luke 10:3;[John 17:18] "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be Gen. 3:1wise as serpents and Rom. 16:19(Gk.);Phil. 2:15;[1 Cor. 14:20]innocent as doves.17 Beware of men, for See Mark 13:9,11;Luke 12:11,12they will deliver you over to courts and flog you See ch. 23:34in their synagogues,18 [See ver. 17above] and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, See ch. 8:4to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.19 [See ver. 17above] When For ver. 19-22, [Mark 13:11-13;Luke 21:12-19;2 Tim. 4:16,17] they deliver you over, See ch. 6:25do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for Deut. 18:18;[Num. 23:5]; See Ex. 4:12what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.20 Luke 12:12;Acts 4:8;6:10;13:9;1 Cor. 15:10;2 Cor. 13:3;[ver. 40; 1 Thess. 2:13;Heb. 1:1] For it is not you who speak, but [John 15:26]the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.21 ver. 35, 36Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,22 ch. 24:9;John 15:18-21and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. ch. 24:13;Mark 13:13;[Dan. 12:12,13;James 5:11;Rev. 2:10]; See Heb. 3:6But the one who endures to the end will be saved.23 When they ch. 23:34persecute you in one town, [ch. 12:15;Acts 8:1;9:25,30;14:6;17:10,14] flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ch. 16:28before the Son of Man comes.
24 Luke 6:40;John 13:16;15:20;[Heb. 12:3]"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant 10:24 Or bondservant ; also verse 25 above his master.25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. ch. 9:34;12:24;Mark 3:22;Luke 11:15;See John 7:20If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign10:25 Greek lacks will they malignthose of his household.
Have No Fear
26 "So have no fear of them, Mark 4:22;Luke 8:17;[1 Tim. 5:25]; For ver. 26-33, see Luke 12:2-9for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on See Luke 5:19the housetops.28 And Isa. 8:12,13;51:12,13;Jer. 1:8;1 Pet. 3:14do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him James 4:12who can destroy both soul and body in hell.10:28 Greek Gehenna29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?10:29 Greek assarion, Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.30 But See 1 Sam. 14:45even the hairs of your head are all numbered.31 Fear not, therefore; ch. 6:26;12:12you are of more value than many sparrows.32 [Rom. 10:9,10;Heb. 10:35;Rev. 3:5]So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,33 but 2 Tim. 2:12;2 Pet. 2:1;1 John 2:23;[Mark 8:38] whoever denies me before men, ch. 7:23;25:12;Luke 13:25I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 See Luke 12:51-53"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. [Rev. 6:4]I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.35 [See ver. 34above] For I have come ver. 21;[Mic. 7:6]to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.36 Cited from Mic. 7:6;[Ps. 41:9;55:12,13;John 13:18]And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.37 Luke 14:26Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.38 And ch. 16:24;Mark 8:34;Luke 9:23;14:27whoever does not take his cross and ch. 9:9;John 8:12;12:26;21:19follow me is not worthy of me.39 ch. 16:25;Mark 8:35;Luke 9:24;17:33;John 12:25Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 Luke 10:16;John 13:20;Gal. 4:14;[ver. 20;ch. 18:5; 25:40] "Whoever receives you receives me, and Mark 9:37;Luke 9:48;[John 12:44,45]whoever receives me receives him who sent me.41 1 Kgs. 17:10-15;18:4;2 Kgs. 4:8;[3 John 5-8]The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.42 And ch. 25:35,40;Mark 9:41;Heb. 6:10whoever gives one of ch. 18:10these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."