Chapter 10
Note that we did Matthew 12, then 11, then 13, and now finally, chapter 10. So the Chronological Bible says that this chapter is well out of order. However, remember that Matthew is not hung up on chronology at all, so there could be verses in here that really belong later. Just need to keep that possibility in mind.
My Harmony of the Gospels puts 9:35-11:1 as a single continuous section. So it breaks things up differently than my Chronological reading. I need to remember that the Harmony's purpose is to put like with like, and it uses Mark as the backbone. It does not claim anywhere that Mark is a completely chronological book. It puts Mt 10:1 beside Mk 6:7, 8 and Lk 9:1-3. Just for reference.
2026 - I need to look at all three of these for clues as to the "when" of this speech. When are these things going to happen? All before the mount of transfiguration? So not for us? Specific to the 12 in Jesus time uniquely? Or would the 144k not need these same instructions? So sort of with the twelve, but perfectly with the 144k? Well...it isn't really a prophecy it is a command. Needs more context from these other passages.
The twelve named. Jesus sends them out - away from him. He gives them authority to cast out demons and heal every disease and affliction. The authority was His to give. Power over the random - over cancer and such. Things that aren't out to get us, but rather just part of a corrupted world.
2020-Without Jesus expressly giving them this power, they could not have cast out spirits - at least not completely. Not permanently. That's where the spirit coming back with 7 even worse comes from. It would seem that at the time of Jesus, pretty much no man had the power to get rid of demons. These demons were loose in the world, causing misery and pain, and no one - from everyday men to religious elite - could do much of anything about it except make it even worse. But when Jesus appears, as wholly man, this all changes. He can throw any demon he wants into the abyss where they wait for Trib/Great Trib. Now he gives his twelve apostles the power to throw out most demons. There will still be an occasional exception. And after the resurrection...perhaps demons are prohibited from possessing people at all and confined to working in the spiritual realm only, with parlor tricks and whispers to mediums and like that. But maybe they no longer are able to just "take over" a human being? I really wonder.
2025 - Before Jesus, Satan was the most powerful on earth. Men had no authority over him at all. The demons could be bold, show themselves, control people, make them harm themselves, and do so with impunity. They had no reason to be subtle. But when Jesus appeared, his power was apparent in the spiritual world, and they recognized him as having the power to send them immediately and permanently into punishment, where they would await their final fate in the lake of fire (or is that place just for men?). Jesus not only had this power, but could bestow it on others - first the twelve, then the seventy...and after the coming of the Holy Spirit, to all the saved. EACH OF THESE today, now, has the power to send demons to the pit. Most don't know they have it, or even that they need it. But the demons are smart enough to stay hidden now. They must hate that, hiding from puny humans. When the 70th week starts, though, they will know that it is their last chance, and they will burst back into the open. That's what I think is going on now.
2022 - Ever hear of a faith healer - one with "power" - who was able to delegate that power to others and send them out to do more of the same? Why would they not, if they could?
When Jesus sent them out, he gave them these specific instructions:
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [Mat 10:5-6 ESV]
By this time, Jesus had already said the Centurion - not a Jew surely - had great faith. He had talked to the woman at the well - also not a Jew. Specifically a Samaritan. BUT, Jesus is saying don't heal anyone but Jews. He is NOT saying don't preach the gospel to them. I think. MSB says vs 5 is the beginning of the second of 5 major discourses of Jesus that are recorded in Matthew. Runs through 11:1. MSB also points out that the message was for all, the healing for the Jews. It also notes that in vs 6, the healing is only for the lost sheep - those who know they are lost and are seeking. So not even all the Jews. Jesus goes on with his instructions telling them not to take extra clothes, not to take pay for the healing they do, and to find those who are worthy and stay with them. It doesn't say they were only to heal the worthy...but only the lost sheep. And at this time in history, I think we'd say that most of the Jews they were likely to encounter in Galilee would count as lost sheep. Still, this was not just an indiscriminate show of healing power. It was specific and directed. MSB puts it this way: "This was an unheard of display of power, never before seen in all redemptive history, to announce Messiah's arrival and authenticate Him plus His apostles, who preached His gospel." In vs 8 he even tells them to raise the dead. He is giving them power beyond power. An unprecedented time up until then, and it has never come again. Will the 144,000 be given this kind of power? If not, I'm not sure we can really connect the next verses that far forward.
2020 - Vs 13 tells us more about the power Jesus gave them: 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. [Mat 10:13 ESV] Seems like the power they had could "flow" out of them. Just as the bleeding woman was healed, and Jesus knew power had gone out. So with peace it appears. The apostles could choose whether or not their "peace" would fill the house. Remember, Matthew would have received this power himself, directly, from Jesus. He went out on this trip and did these things. Not so Mark or Luke. And John does not talk about it at all. This, then, would seem to be the only first hand account of these events.
2025 - The peace that goes out is the Greek "eirene". The common word for peace, used 92 times in the KJV. If it was some mystical kind of peace, surely in 92 iterations we would pick that up. So this verse does give us a bit of a mystery as to whether during this mission, there was some special kind of peace that was given. But we are not given any explanation of it, so let's not dwell on it.
2025 - Notice this in vs 11: 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. [Mat 10:11 ESV]. Inquire! Ask who is "good people" in that village. Seek out the devout. Many translations use either inquire or seek out.
2025 - The 12 are given very specific instructions. First, greet the house you enter. Then, if you find it worthy, give it your "blessing of peace" in the NASB. Ahhh...but "blessing of" is supplied, there is nothing in the Greek about a blessing. Very few translations insert this word. NASB95 and 20 both do so. NLT does, but NIV does not.
Jesus warns the 12 of the reception they should expect.
2020 - This verse:
16 "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. [Mat 10:16 ESV] So. This verse - this instruction - was about 12 specific men on a single specific trip. The words may show up again later, but for now, this is the only place this serpent instruction has shown up. I double checked and this is the ONLY place this instruction is given. I no longer see this as something I can use to say I have to be devious as those I'm dealing with. This is not an instruction for us today for how to deal with the world. How to be a Christian in a non-Christian world. It just isn't that at all. Or....is it. Look at 18, where he tells the 12 they will be dragged before kings. Well that surely didn't happen on this mission. Not even close. We see the instruction for them not to prepare their remarks beforehand when this happens. Mark 13:9 has this same instruction almost word for word and there it corresponds with the end times instruction of Matt 24. In the Harmony, they link Mk 13:9 with Mt 24:9 and Lk 21:12. These last two leave out the part about preparing your remarks beforehand, but the rest of the description is the same. I did not realize that Jesus had referred to these events so much earlier, in Mt 10. This is interesting. It makes it pretty certain that Jesus is, in MSB's words, speaking eschatologically here. All these are about the end times. Very likely the connection has to do with the power of the Holy Spirit that will come to them at Pentecost. After that time, they also did many miracles, and the persecution came at that time. So....maybe not so eschatological after all...maybe all this happens before 70 AD?
2025 - Look how this starts. "Behold..." This word is in the imperative, an extra emphasis is to be placed on what will follow. We might well interpret the use of the imperative here as a shift of subject, or we can fit it right into the possibility that Matthew believed this applied here also, even though Jesus does not actually use these words until 24. I short word search says behold is used 213 times in the KJV NT, so we can figure out exactly how often it appears to be a noteworthy change of subject or emphasis. Here is the first one in that list of other places this word is used:
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [Mat 1:20 ESV]. An angel appeared. A very big deal indeed.
2025 - Extending the above idea...Matthew pulls this warning back to here from Matthew 24 to specifically deliberately contrast the expectations the Apostles had at this point, when first sent out to preach the Kingdom, with the expectations they would have after Matt 24, when Jesus warned them that the "protection" wasn't going to be the same at all. The imperative is there to emphasize the differences.
This verse also:
23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. [Mat 10:23 ESV] Second time he's told them to leave if they are not well received. The first time seems undoubtedly about the mission at hand. The second clearly seems to be after they have received the Holy Spirit, and says they won't be done before the Son of Man comes....what then could this possibly be about? Two ideas. "Son of Man comes" could refer to transfiguration. Here are those verses: 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." [Mat 16:27-28 ESV] MSB says it was the transfiguration that Jesus referred to when he said some standing there wouldn't be dead before the saw the Son of Man coming. Surely if it means that in Matthew 16, it could mean the very same thing in Matthew 10. In fact...second, Matthew might just have some of this out of order. Maybe this wasn't said at this time, but Matthew has linked them for other reasons. Matthew may have been so impressed by the story of the transfiguration - and what was said just before it, that he applied it here also. Have to keep that in mind with Matthew. MSB has no comment at all on vs 23, but of 21-23, it says clearly eschatological. But in view of what MSB says about 16, maybe it is not at all about the end times. Though there is much language in common, remember that this is Matthew, and that he is the only one who records these items in connection with the first sending out of the apostles. All these things in Matt 10:16-42 are recorded only by Matthew as happening as they are sent out. On the other hand...Matthew was there, Mark and Luke were not, and John is silent on the matter. There is just so much similarity to Matt 24. So did Jesus say these things twice, or did Matthew only record them twice?
2025 - Look at the contrast between vs 14 and vs 23. In 14, they leave and brush the dust off their feet. In 23, they RUN. These are not talking about the same time. Vs 14 is about the immediate trip, and then it shifts to a future time at "behold" in vs. 16. After vs 16 we are talking about the rest of the apostle's lives - their ministry after the resurrection of Jesus. During that time they will again be given this power in abundance, and they will go out again, but then it will be into serious opposition and persecution. Before all that hardship comes, though, they will have seen the glory of the Son, they themselves will KNOW that he is the Messiah, and that he rose from the dead. This is not about us. This is Matthew telling us what it was like for the 12. It started here, and they knew it would get worse before it got better.
This paragraph from 2019/ See the 2020 version above. I think it is closer. Short version is that it may not be eschatological at all, just an insert of a later discourse. He tells them they will get flogged, dragged before governors and kings, hated by all for His name's sake. Brother will deliver brother to death, fathers their children, and so on. Through vs 20, Jesus seems to be talking about the persecution of the early church, about the things that will happen after his ascension. But then vs 23 seems to bring it back to the present. "When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next...". Then this vs:
23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. [Mat 10:23 ESV]
Before the Son of Man comes? But he is already there? What does this mean? MSB punts. Doesn't even reference the phrase specifically, but says that 21-23 are clearly eschatological, referring to the end times, and the second coming. That seems to be quite a stretch to me. After re-reading, it seems to me that 16-20, or possibly even as far as 23a, could refer to their current mission in the lesser matters, and to the early persecution of the church in the more severe matters. But 23b...that almost has to refer to the second coming. Perhaps to the evangelism of the 144,000 during tribulation and great tribulation. That's a lot more evangelists covering Israel. Seems like they might get it done...but the verse says they won't finish before He comes.
Persecution, and the explanation of why it is so severe toward those who follow Jesus - then as now - is here:
"25 ...If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. [Mat 10:25 ESV]"
So true. They saw the miracles, and in order to deny the truth, gave credit for good to the author of evil instead of to Jesus Christ, when He was right there in front of them. They will be far more fearless about the actions they take against those who follow the teacher than they are before the teacher himself. This is characteristic of weak and cowardly men.
2023 - There is another possibility I think....Maybe the connection from Matthew 10 to Matthew 24 means that in 24, Matthew is NOT speaking eschatologically. Maybe in that part of 24, Jesus is talking about the early church, leading up to AD 70. I believe that part of 24 is about that earlier time, and then it switches to talking specifically about the end times. Maybe 10 here is doing the same thing. That would be worth some extra study time.
2023 - Seems pretty "easy" to say that through vs 15 at least, all that Jesus is saying applies to this missionary journey of the 12 that is happening immediately. There is nothing eschatological to this point.
2023 - Vss 16-23 seem to be about a different time. We certainly don't have any indication that any of the 12 are dragged before magistrates on this journey. We know that this DID happen post resurrection, post Pentecost. Then we get to 23b "...for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. [Mat 10:23 ESV]" So...let's say this coming of the Son of Man is about the transfiguration. They would not have gone through all those towns before that happened. So this could be Jesus conveying a sense of urgency about what they were heading out to do. The gospel...no...the kingdom is being offered to Israel as evidenced by great signs and wonders and healings and casting outs, and soon, by the transfiguration of Jesus. The kingdom for which they have waited is hard upon them. So...all the warnings of 16-23a are about the future they have to face, the lives that they must live. But they will soon see the Son of Man in his glory, as verification that Jesus - the one they follow as teacher and master - is truly the Messiah. Think of these verses in summary as "Be encouraged. You will have no doubt that you follow the awaited Messiah. You will be shown this before all this violence descends upon you.". These verses in Mt 10 correspond to Matt 24:4-14. All these things happen BEFORE the A of D is recognized. Some of this persecution happened in the apostles' lifetimes, it happens today, it will continue to happen. And the marker that the "persecution age" is ending and the "tribulation age", which is much more intense, is beginning, is the recognition of the A of D. So yeah...I think that resolves Matt 10 and 24. It is still entirely possible that Matthew has pulled these words that impressed him so much in 24 all the way back into 10, in order to emphasize the information being conveyed. Perhaps he is making a distinction between this pretty much unopposed mission they are embarking on and the future full of opposition that is their future. Maybe also that is why they weren't to take extras this time - because they would find sympathetic people where ever they went - but the next time they are sent out, they are told to carry extra everything, because opposition will have increased tremendously. Yes. Many things come together this way.
2023 - 26-33 seem to be a continuation of encouragement in the face of what will come. Death at the hands of men is foretold for them. And they are told not to have any fear of that.
Then we move to the verse about everything covered being revealed. This is about OT prophecy. He is telling them that those who persecute them will be ignorant of the truth, and won't accept it, even when it is explained to them. Jesus tells them they'll be killed, and that they are not to fear physical death. This is quite a statement. These verses:
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. [Mat 10:32-33 ESV]
This is talking about direct persecution. This is about speaking up when it matters, when it will cost you - when those with authority over you give you an ultimatum. This is about big deals, not about whether you pray in the restaurant. MSB comments on this as shown in Lk 12:9 as follows:
"This describes a soul-damning denial of Christ - not the sort of temporary wavering Peter was guilty of - but the sin of those who through fear, shame, neglect, delay, or love of the world reject all evidence and revelation and decline to confess Christ as Savior and King, until it is too late." So I was partly right - it is about big deals, but it is about lifetimes, not moments. About those who go through a whole lifetime with evidence constantly on display before their eyes, with access to countless resources that reveal the truth, and yet despite all this, reject Christ to the very last breath in their bodies. These Christ will deny before His Father.
2020-Or, he is talking directly to the twelve about the things they will personally face in their lifetimes after he is gone. And once again, Matthew is consolidating points from different discourses according to how he relates them to events. Don't get me wrong. Matthew is certainly scripture, so these verses belong here. But they may be here so that we understand better what goes where and what really relates to what. And that very telling point...only Matthew puts this here, at the sending out of the apostles. Three of them put most of it at Matthew 24.
Jesus says his way won't be a peaceful way for those who accept him. Salvation will divide families, make enemies within households. But He also says that He is the way, and that we are to choose Him over detractors, skeptics, and compromisers even among those we dearly love.
Then Jesus talks about rewards, summing up with this verse:
42 And whoever gives one of 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." [Mat 10:42 ESV]
Isn't this almost a direct command to support other Christians? Especially disciples? But aren't all who follow disciples? MSB puts it as those who come in Christ's name are his ambassadors, and how we receive them is how we are receiving Christ. As just plain old believers, rather than say apostles or prophets, we are little ones, but we are rewarded even for treating the little ones well.
I need to take Roy out to lunch. And Wade too! (I never got to take Roy to lunch. He passed away about a year after this was written.)
And I need to take meals to those in need, and I need to financially help those that I can help. This is fruit, and this fruit is rewarded.