Matthew 10
10
Jesus Sends His Apostles on a Mission
(Mk. 3:13–19; 6:7–13; Lk. 6:12–16; 9:1–6)
1Jesus called his twelve followers together. He gave them power over evil spirits and power to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles:
Simon (also called Peter),
Andrew, the brother of Peter,
James, the son of Zebedee,
John, the brother of James,
3Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew, the tax collector,
James, the son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
4Simon, the Zealot,
Judas Iscariot (the one who handed Jesus over to his enemies).
5Jesus sent the twelve men out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the non-Jewish people. And don’t go into any town where the Samaritans live. 6But go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that are lost. 7When you go, tell them this: ‘God’s kingdom is now very near.#10:7 is now very near Or “is coming soon” or “has come.”’ 8Heal the sick. Bring the dead back to life. Heal the people who have leprosy. And force demons out of people. I give you these powers freely, so help others freely. 9Don’t carry any money with you—gold or silver or copper. 10Don’t carry a bag. Take only the clothes and sandals you are wearing. And don’t take a walking stick. A worker should be given what he needs.
11“When you enter a city or town, find some worthy person there and stay in his home until you leave. 12When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13If the people in that home welcome you, they are worthy of your peace. May they have the peace you wished for them. But if they don’t welcome you, they are not worthy of your peace. Take back the peace you wished for them. 14And if the people in a home or a town refuse to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.#10:14 shake the dust off your feet A warning. It would show that they were finished talking to these people. 15I can assure you that on the judgment day it will be worse for that town than for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jesus Warns About Troubles
(Mk. 13:9–13; Lk. 21:12–17)
16“Listen! I am sending you, and you will be like sheep among wolves. So be smart like snakes. But also be like doves and don’t hurt anyone. 17Be careful! There are people who will arrest you and take you to be judged. They will whip you in their synagogues. 18You will be taken to stand before governors and kings. People will do this to you because you follow me. You will tell about me to those kings and governors and to the non-Jewish people. 19When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how you should say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. 20It will not really be you speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.
21“Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and will have them killed. 22Everyone will hate you because you follow me. But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved. 23When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I promise you that you will not finish going to all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes again.
24“Students are not better than their teacher. Servants are not better than their master. 25Students should be happy to be treated the same as their teacher. And servants should be happy to be treated the same as their master. If those people call me ‘the ruler of demons,’ and I am the head of the family,#10:25 call me … family Literally, “call the head of the household Beelzebul.” See verse 9:34. then it is even more certain that they will insult you, the members of the family!
Fear God, Not People
(Lk. 12:2–7)
26“So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. 27I tell you all this secretly,#10:27 secretly Literally, “in the dark.” but I want you to tell it publicly.#10:27 publicly Literally, “in the light.” Whatever I tell you privately,#10:27 privately Literally, “in the ear.” you should shout for everyone to hear.#10:27 for everyone to hear Literally, “on the housetops.”
28“Don’t be afraid of people. They can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is God, the one who can send the body and the soul to be destroyed in hell. 29When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of those little birds can die without your Father knowing it. 30God even knows how many hairs are on your head. 31So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than a whole flock of birds.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Faith
(Lk. 12:8–9)
32“If you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you belong to me. 33But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you do not belong to me.
Following Jesus May Bring You Trouble
(Lk. 12:51–53; 14:26–27)
34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace. I came to bring trouble.#10:34 trouble Literally, “a sword.” 35I have come to make this happen:
‘A son will turn against his father.
A daughter will turn against her mother.
A daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law.
36Even members of your own family will be your enemies.’ Micah 7:6
37“Those who love their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy of me. And those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy of me. 38Those who will not accept the cross that is given to them when they follow me are not worthy of me. 39Those who try to keep the life they have will lose it. But those who give up their life for me will find true life.
God Will Bless Those Who Welcome You
(Mk. 9:41)
40“Whoever accepts you also accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. 41Whoever accepts a prophet because he is a prophet will get the same reward a prophet gets. And whoever accepts a godly person just because that person is godly will get the same reward a godly person gets. 42Whoever helps any of these little ones because they are my followers will definitely get a reward, even if they only give them a cup of cold water.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 10
10
The Twelve Apostles
(Mk 3.13–19; Lk 6.12–16)
1Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Patriot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
The Mission of the Twelve
(Mk 6.7–13; Lk 9.1–6)
5These twelve men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: “Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. 6Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. 7#Lk 10.4–12Go and preach, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is near!’ 8Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid. 9Do not carry any gold, silver, or copper money in your pockets; 10#1 Cor 9.14; 1 Tim 5.18do not carry a beggar's bag for the journey or an extra shirt or shoes or a stick. Workers should be given what they need.
11 “When you come to a town or village, go in and look for someone who is willing to welcome you, and stay with him until you leave that place. 12When you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting. 14#Acts 13.51And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. 15#Mt 11.24; Gen 19.24–28I assure you that on the Judgement Day God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than to the people of that town!
Coming Persecutions
(Mk 13.9–13; Lk 21.12–17)
16 #
Lk 10.3
“Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves. 17#Mk 13.9–11; Lk 12.11–12; 21.12–15Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues. 18For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles. 19When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say. 20For the words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 #
Mk 13.12; Lk 21.16 “Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 22#Mt 24.9, 13; Mk 13.13; Lk 21.17Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, run away to another one. I assure you that you will not finish your work in all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 #
Lk 6.40; Jn 13.16; 15.20 “No pupil is greater than his teacher; no slave is greater than his master. 25#Mt 9.34; 12.24; Mk 3.22; Lk 11.15So a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and a slave like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names!
Whom to Fear
(Lk 12.2–7)
26 #
Mk 4.22; Lk 8.17 “So do not be afraid of people. Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. 27What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. 30As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!
Confessing and Rejecting Christ
(Lk 12.8–9)
32 “For those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same before my Father in heaven. 33#2 Tim 2.12But if anyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
(Lk 12.51–53; 14.26–27)
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35#Mic 7.6I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law; 36your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.
37 “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples. 38#Mt 16.24; Mk 8.34; Lk 9.23Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples. 39#Mt 16.25; Mk 8.35; Lk 9.24; 17.33; Jn 12.25Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.
Rewards
(Mk 9.41)
40 #
Mk 9.37; Lk 9.48; 10.16; Jn 13.20 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes God's messenger because he is God's messenger, will share in his reward. And whoever welcomes a good man because he is good, will share in his reward. 42You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these my followers because he is my follower, will certainly receive a reward.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.