Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

10:1 Jesus calls the disciples to him as an initial answer to the prayer for the Lord to send workers (9:38). twelve. Probably reflective of the 12 tribes of Israel and symbolic of the continuity of God's plan of salvation. The disciples will have authority . . . to heal every disease just as Jesus did (e.g., 4:23; 9:35).

10:2 Apostles (plural of Gk. apostolos; used only here in Matthew; see note on Rom. 1:1) describes those commissioned to be Jesus' special representatives, while "disciples" (Matt. 10:1) was also used more broadly to refer to anyone who believed in Jesus. Peter heads all the lists of the Twelve (cf. Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13) and serves as their spokesman. Peter, along with James and John, made up Jesus' inner circle.

10:3-4 There is remarkable diversity among the 12 apostles, including fishermen, a tax collector (Matthew), and a zealous revolutionary (Simon the Cananaean). Judas Iscariot is always listed last; "Iscariot" most likely denotes where he was from. He was the treasurer for the group (John 12:6) and the betrayer of Jesus. See notes on Luke 6:14; 6:15; 6:16 for additional information on the 12 disciples.

10:5 Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans. The mission was restricted to Jewish Galilee, which was surrounded on all sides by Gentile territory except for Samaria to the south (see note on John 4:4). Though the gospel would later go to the whole world (see Acts 1:8), Jesus' initial ministry was to the Jewish people.

10:6 Lost sheep of the house of Israel denotes the whole lost nation of Israel rather than just part of it. God's plan is that the gospel would be proclaimed first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (cf. Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16; 2:9-10).

10:7-8a And proclaim . . . "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Heal the sick . . . Jesus instructed the 12 disciples to minister to both the spiritual and the physical needs of the lost. Thus the apostles' message (the kingdom of heaven) is the same as that of Jesus (3:2; 10:1), and their power is an extension of Jesus' own power ("authority," v. 1), enabling them to do the same works he has done.

10:8b You received without paying; give without pay. The disciples have received the gift of the kingdom of heaven, and they are likewise to share this gospel freely. But see note on vv. 9-10.

10:9-10 Acquire no gold nor silver . . . nor sandals nor a staff. Jesus is not prohibiting the Twelve from owning any of these items; rather, he is stressing the specific requirements of this particular mission. This is to be a relatively quick preaching journey, so they are not to spend time procuring extra supplies; those to whom they minister must support their mission (for the laborer deserves his food). Although some have seen a contradiction between the commissioning of the 12 disciples in Matthew (and Luke 9:3) as compared to a similar commissioning account in Mark 6:8-9, it seems best to understand the two accounts as being complementary--that is, that they report two different parts of a longer set of instructions, in which Jesus told the Twelve not to acquire new supplies, but that they could take the essential supplies needed for the journey, i.e., the staff and sandals that they already had. See also note on Luke 9:3.

10:11 Worthy indicates someone who responds positively to the disciples' message.

10:13 Individuals (v. 14), homes (v. 13), or cities (v. 11) that receive the greeting, "peace be to this house" (cf. Luke 10:5), show that they recognize the Twelve as God's emissaries.

10:14 shake off the dust from your feet. A sign used by Jews after leaving a Gentile region. For the missionaries it is a sign of judgment on those rejecting the gospel (cf. Acts 13:51).

10:15 it will be more bearable on the day of judgment. Increased understanding of God's revelation means increased responsibility.