Matthew 10

The Twelve Apostles

(Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16)

¹ And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

⁴ Simon the Zealot,¹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.²

The Ministry of the Twelve

(Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6)

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.

⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

⁷ As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’

⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,³ drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.

¹⁰ Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.

¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house ⁴ until you move on.

¹² As you enter the home, greet its occupants.⁵

¹³ If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return to you.

¹⁴ And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Sheep among Wolves

(2 Timothy 1:3–12)

¹⁶ Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

¹⁸ On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say.

²⁰ For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

²² You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

²⁵ It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,⁶ how much more the members of his household!

Fear God Alone

(Luke 12:4–7)

²⁶ So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.⁷

²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?⁸ Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

³¹ So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Confessing Christ

(Luke 12:8–12)

³² Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.

³³ But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

Not Peace but a Sword

(Micah 7:1–6; Luke 12:49–53)

³⁴ Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

³⁵ For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

³⁶ A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’⁹

³⁷ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;

³⁸ and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

(2 Kings 4:8–17)

⁴⁰ He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.

⁴¹ Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”