Jesus Appoints the Twelve^(A)

¹³ Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.^{(B) 14} He appointed twelve^[a](C) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons.^{(D) 16} These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),^{(E) 17} James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law^(F)(G)

²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered,^(H) so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.^{(I) 21} When his family^[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”^(J)

²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem^(K) said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!^(L) By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”^(M)

²³ So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:^(N) “How can Satan^(O) drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷ In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.^{(P) 28} Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”^(Q)

³⁰ He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

³¹ Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived.^(R) Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³ “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”