Matthew 10
Sending Out the Twelve Apostles
1 Jesust called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spiritss so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.t2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles:s first, Simons (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother;3 Philip and Bartholomew;s Thomass and Matthew the tax collector;s James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;s
4 Simon the Zealott and Judas Iscariot,s who betrayed him.t
5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows:t “Do not go to Gentile regionst and do not enter any Samaritan town.t6 Got instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’8 Heal the sick, raise the dead,s cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.9 Do not take gold, silver, or copper in your belts,10 no bagt for the journey, or an extra tunic,t or sandals or staff,s for the worker deserves his provisions.11 Whenevert you enter a town or village,t find out who is worthy theret and stay with themts until you leave.12 As you enter the house, give it greetings.t13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.s14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust offs your feet as you leave that house or that town.
15 I tell you the truth,t it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrahs on the day of judgment than for that town!
Persecution of Disciples
16 “It am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves,s so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.17 Bewaret of people, because they will hand you over to councilss and flogt you in their synagogues.s18 And you will be brought before governors and kingss because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.19 Whenevert they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say,t for what you should say will be given to you at that time.t
20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brothert will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise againstt parents and have them put to death.22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
23 Whenevert they persecute you in one place,t flee to another. I tell you the truth,t you will not finish going through all the townst of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slavet greater than his master.
25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!
Fear God, Not Man
26 “Dot not be afraid of them, for nothing is hiddent that will not be revealed,s and nothing is secret that will not be made known.27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear,t proclaim from the housetops.t28 Dot not be afraid of those who kill the bodys but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.s29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?s Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.t30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered.
31 So do not be afraid;s you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever, then, acknowledgest me before people, I will acknowledgets before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 “Do not think that I have come to bringt peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.t
37 “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 whoever does not take up his crosss and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his lifet will lose it,s and whoever loses his life because of met will find it.
Rewards
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.s41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoevert receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth,t he will never lose his reward.”
MATTHEW 10
Jesus Chooses His //Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3.13-19; Luke 6.12-16)
1 Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2 The first of the twelve apostles was Simon, better known as Peter. His brother Andrew was an apostle, and so were James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. 3 Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, t James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles.
4 The others were Simon, known as the Eager One, t and Judas Iscariot, t who later betrayed Jesus.Instructions for //the Twelve Apostles
(Mark 6.7-13; Luke 9.1-6)
5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:
Stay away from the Gentiles and don't go to any Samaritan town. 6 Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. 7 t As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.t 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, t and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid. 9 Don't take along any gold, silver, or copper coins.
10 t And don't carryt a traveling bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick.
Workers deserve their food. 11 So when you go to a town or a village, find someone able and willing to have you as their guest and stay with them until you leave. 12 When you go to a home, give it your blessing of peace. 13 If the home is deserving, let your blessing remain with them. But if the home doesn't accept you, take back your blessing of peace. 14 t If someone won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave their home or town. And shake the dust from your feet at them.t
15 t I promise you the day of judgment will be easier for the towns of Sodom and Gomorraht than for that town.Warning about Trouble
(Mark 13.9-13; Luke 21.12-17)
16 t I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 t Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their synagogues. 18 Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. 19 But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say.
20 But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say.
21 t Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 22 t Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved.
23 When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come.
24 t Students are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master.
25 t It is enough for students to be like their teacher and for slaves to be like their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?The One To Fear
(Luke 12.2-7)
26 t Don't be afraid of anyone! Everything is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. 27 Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must tell in the light. And you must announce from the housetops whatever I have whispered to you. 28 t Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell. 29 Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. 30 Even the hairs on your head are counted.
31 So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.Telling Others about Christ
(Luke 12.8,9)
32 If you tell others you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven you are my followers.
33 t But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven you don't belong to me.Not Peace, but Trouble
(Luke 12.51-53; 14.26,27)
34 Don't think I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. 35 t I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law.
36 Your worst enemies will be in your own family.
37 t If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. 38 t And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow me, you are not fit to be my disciples.
39 t If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.Rewards
(Mark 9.41)
40 t Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. 42 And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will be rewarded.