The Twelve Apostles

10 (A)And 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. (B)The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, (C)who is called Peter, and (D)Andrew his brother; (E)James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and (F)Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[a] Simon the Zealot,[b] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

(G)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of (H)the Samaritans, (I)but go rather to (J)the lost sheep of (K)the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, (L)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[c] (M)Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[d] cast out demons. (N)You received without paying; give without pay. (O)Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics[e] or sandals or a staff, for (P)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, (Q)greet it. 13 And if the house is (R)worthy, let (S)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let (T)your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, (U)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, (V)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for (W)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

16 (X)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be (Y)wise as serpents and (Z)innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for (AA)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you (AB)in their synagogues, 18 (AC)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, (AD)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 (AE)When (AF)they deliver you over, (AG)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for (AH)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 (AI)For it is not you who speak, but (AJ)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 (AK)Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 (AL)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (AM)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they (AN)persecute you in one town, (AO)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel (AP)before the Son of Man comes.

24 (AQ)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[f] above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. (AR)If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[g] those of his household.

Have No Fear

26 “So have no fear of them, (AS)for 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 (AT)the housetops. 28 And (AU)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him (AV)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[h] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[i] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But (AW)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; (AX)you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 (AY)So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but (AZ)whoever denies me before men, (BA)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 (BB)“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. (BC)I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 (BD)For I have come (BE)to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 (BF)And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 (BG)Whoever 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 (BH)whoever does not take his cross and (BI)follow me is not worthy of me. 39 (BJ)Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

40 (BK)“Whoever receives you receives me, and (BL)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 (BM)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 (BN)whoever gives one of (BO)these 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
  2. Matthew 10:4 Greek kananaios, meaning zealot
  3. Matthew 10:7 Or The kingdom of heaven has come near
  4. Matthew 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  5. Matthew 10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
  6. Matthew 10:24 Or bondservant; also verse 25
  7. Matthew 10:25 Greek lacks will they malign
  8. Matthew 10:28 Greek Gehenna
  9. Matthew 10:29 Greek assarion, Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)

Jesus Grants The Twelve Power Over Demons And Every Disease

10 And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits so as to be casting them out, and to be curing every disease and every infirmity. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these— first, Simon (the one being called Peter) and Andrew (his brother), and James (the son of Zebedee) and John (his brother), Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew (the tax-collector), James (the son of Alphaeus) and Thaddaeus, Simon (the Cananaean[a]) and Judas the Iscariot[b] (the one also having handed Him over).

Jesus Instructs The Twelve On Where To Go, What To Say, What To Do, How To Live

Jesus sent out these twelve, having instructed[c] them, saying— “Do not go into the path of Gentiles, and do not enter into a city of Samaritans. But be proceeding instead to the lost[d] sheep of the house of Israel. And while proceeding, be proclaiming, saying that ‘The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near’. Be curing ones being sick, raising dead ones, cleansing lepers, casting out demons. You received freely— give freely. Do not acquire[e] gold nor silver nor copper [money] for your [money] belts— 10 not a [traveler’s] bag for the journey, nor two[f] tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff. For the worker is worthy of his food. 11 And into whatever city or village you enter, search-out[g] who is worthy in it, and stay there until you go forth. 12 And while entering into the house, greet[h] it. 13 And if the house is worthy let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever does not welcome you nor listen-to your words— shake-out the dust from your feet while going outside of that house or city. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more-tolerable[i] for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.

Jesus Pre-Warns The Twelve About The Persecution They Will Face In The Future

16 “Behold— I am sending[j] you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be shrewd[k] as the snakes, and innocent[l] as the doves. 17 And beware of people. For they will hand you over to councils[m] and whip you in their synagogues. 18 And you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake— for a testimony to them[n] and to the Gentiles. 19 But whenever they hand you over, do not be anxious-about how or what you should speak. For what you should speak will be given to you in that hour. 20 For you are not the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the One speaking in you. 21 And brother will hand-over brother to death, and a father his child. And children will rise-up-in-rebellion[o] against parents and they will put them to death. 22 And you will be being hated by all because of My name. But the one having endured to the end[p], this one will be saved. 23 But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For truly I say to you— you will by no means finish the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes[q].

Proclaim The Truth Boldly; Do Not Fear Them. God Will Watch Over You

24 A disciple[r] is not above the teacher, nor is a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they called the Household-Master[s] Beelzebul[t], how much more His household-members! 26 So do not fear[u] them. For nothing has been covered which will not be revealed, and is secret which will not be known. 27 What I am saying to you in the darkness, speak in the light. And what you are hearing in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 And do not be fearing[v] anything from the ones killing the body but not being able to kill the soul. But be fearing instead the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna[w]. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion[x]? And one of them will not fall on the ground apart from[y] your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been numbered! 31 So do not be fearing. You are more valuable than many sparrows.

Jesus Instructs Them About His Mission: I Came To Divide The World Over Myself

32 “Everyone therefore who will confess Me in front of people, I also will confess him in front of My Father in the heavens. 33 But whoever denies[z] Me in front of people, I also will deny him in front of My Father in the heavens. 34 Do not suppose that I came to cast peace over the earth. I did not come to cast peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause-a-separation[aa]a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And the enemies of the person will be his household-members. 37 The one loving father or mother above Me is not worthy of Me. And the one loving son or daughter above Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who is not taking his cross[ab] and following after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 The one having found his life will lose it, and the one having lost his life for My sake will find it. 40 The one welcoming[ac] you is welcoming Me. And the one welcoming Me is welcoming the One having sent Me forth. 41 The one welcoming a prophet in the name[ad] of a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet. And the one welcoming a righteous one in the name of a righteous one will receive the reward of a righteous one. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple— truly I say to you he will by no means lose his reward”.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:4 That is, the zealot.
  2. Matthew 10:4 This may mean the one from Kerioth, a town in southern Judea or Moab.
  3. Matthew 10:5 Or, commanded, ordered.
  4. Matthew 10:6 Lit, having gotten lost, having become lost.
  5. Matthew 10:9 Or, get, obtain, procure.
  6. Matthew 10:10 That is, an extra undergarment, an extra pair of sandals, an extra staff (walking stick). Take no extra provisions, nor the means to buy or carry them.
  7. Matthew 10:11 Or inquire into.
  8. Matthew 10:12 That is, express good wishes and God’s blessing toward the house and the people in it.
  9. Matthew 10:15 Or, more endurable, more bearable.
  10. Matthew 10:16 This section is prophetic, looking beyond this mission to their life ministry and beyond.
  11. Matthew 10:16 Or, wise, prudent.
  12. Matthew 10:16 Or, pure.
  13. Matthew 10:17 That is, local Jewish courts, local sanhedrins.
  14. Matthew 10:18 That is, the Jews.
  15. Matthew 10:21 Or, stand-up against.
  16. Matthew 10:22 That is, the end of his life, or the second Coming, whichever comes first.
  17. Matthew 10:23 That is, comes to you at the end of this preaching tour; or, comes as Messiah in Jerusalem in 21:9; or, the coming may refer to His transfiguration, or resurrection, or to the day of Pentecost, or to His coming to destroy Jerusalem in a.d. 70, or to His second Coming.
  18. Matthew 10:24 Or, learner, pupil, student.
  19. Matthew 10:25 That is, Jesus.
  20. Matthew 10:25 That is, the devil.
  21. Matthew 10:26 The grammar implies, Do not become fearful of them.
  22. Matthew 10:28 The grammar implies, Stop fearing or, Do not be in the habit of fearing.
  23. Matthew 10:28 That is, hell.
  24. Matthew 10:29 This Roman coin was worth 1/16th of a denarius (a day’s wage).
  25. Matthew 10:29 That is, without His consent.
  26. Matthew 10:33 Or, repudiates.
  27. Matthew 10:35 Or, divide in two, separate, disunite.
  28. Matthew 10:38 That is, carrying the instrument of his death, his suffering loss for Him, his death to self for Him. In this context, rejection by family members is in view. Note that this is an ongoing, life-long matter.
  29. Matthew 10:40 Or, accepting.
  30. Matthew 10:41 That is, because he is a prophet.