Mat 10:1-15 | PNT | STEP | The Call and Charge to the Apostles SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 10: The Twelve Apostles. The Charge. To Whom Sent. How to Go. What to Preach. How to Act If Received or Rejected. Persecution. Prudence Required. Trials to Be Met. Need Have No Care for a Defense. Fear Not Men, but God. The Father's Care. Not Peace, but a Sword. Loving Christ More Than Father or Mother. No Kind Act Lost. He had called unto [him] his twelve disciples . Compare . The twelve had already been called, and had attended the Lord for some time. They were now commissioned and sent forth as apostles. This must be connected directly with the last three verses of the preceding chapter, which should belong to Chapter 10. He gave them power . To do the same kind of works of mercy which Jesus had done, and thus to carry out his mission. Works of mercy and love are inseparable from the true preaching of the gospel.

Matthew 10:1-15

The Call and Charge to the Apostles SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 10: The Twelve Apostles. The Charge. To Whom Sent. How to Go. What to Preach. How to Act If Received or Rejected. Persecution. Prudence Required. Trials to Be Met. Need Have No Care for a Defense. Fear Not Men, but God. The Father's Care. Not Peace, but a Sword. Loving Christ More Than Father or Mother. No Kind Act Lost.

He had called unto [him] his twelve disciples. Compare Mr 3:13-19 Lu 9:1-6. The twelve had already been called, and had attended the Lord for some time. They were now commissioned and sent forth as apostles. This must be connected directly with the last three verses of the preceding chapter, which should belong to Chapter 10.

He gave them power. To do the same kind of works of mercy which Jesus had done, and thus to carry out his mission. Works of mercy and love are inseparable from the true preaching of the gospel. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. Of the twelve apostles there are four lists, found in Mt 10:2-4 Mr 3:16-19 Lu 6:14-16 Ac 1:13. They differ in the following particulars: (1) Luke, in the book of Acts, does not insert the name of Judas Iscariot, who was then dead; (2) both in the Gospel and in Acts he entitles the Simon, who, here and in Mark, is called the Canaanite, Simon Zelotes; Matthew gives as the tenth disciple, Lebbeus; Mark calls him Thaddeus; (3) Luke and Acts, Judas of James, i.e., either son or brother of James; and Mark says that James and John were surnamed by Christ, Boanerges, i.e., the sons of thunder. In other respects the four lists are identical. There are three pairs of brothers among them. Andrew and Peter, James and John, James the Less and Judas, or Thaddeus. James and John I believe to have been cousins of our Lord. With the exception of Judas Iscariot, all were Galileans; several of them were by trade fishermen, a laborious and profitable calling; there was neither priest nor scribe among them; all were from the ranks of the common people. Go not into the way of the Gentiles. The Jews called all "Gentiles" who were not Jews.

Samaritans. The inhabitants of Samaria, a district between Judea and Galilee; descendants of a remnant of the Ten Tribes, mixed with Gentiles colonized there. They accepted the five books of Moses, but worshipped on Mount Gerizim, instead of at Jerusalem. They and the Jews had been for ages bitter enemies. The lost sheep of the house of Israel. The lost descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Compare this commission with the one given to the apostles after the death and resurrection of the Lord (Mt 10:5,6 28:19). In this commission the apostles are forbidden to go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, and are confined to the house of Israel. In the other they are commanded to go into "all the world" (Mt 24:14) and to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mr 16:15); to go "first to Jerusalem, and to Judea, and to Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth" (Ac 1:8). The first commission is Jewish; the second is world-wide. Yet both are given by the same Lord; why this wide difference? Because the new dispensation was not ushered in until after the resurrection. The Jewish law, national, exclusive, a wall of partition from Gentiles, was yet in force. Christ, "born under the law", and the apostles also were under it until it was removed. They could not keep it and yet become missionaries to the Gentiles. But when Christ died the old dispensation, the law, died with him. "The handwriting of ordinances was nailed to the cross" (Col 2:14). The old covenant passed away when the new came into force, sealed with the blood of Christ. After the death and resurrection of Christ, the law ceased to be binding upon the apostles. The distinctions of Jew and Gentile were destroyed. Hence, under the new covenant, the world-wide covenant, there was a new commission that would send the gospel to all the world. The old covenant was with the seed of Abraham; the new covenant embraced all nations. See Heb 8:13. Preach, . . . The kingdom of heaven is at hand. John the Baptist, and Christ also, had preached, "The kingdom is at hand" (Mt 3:2 4:17). It had not yet been inaugurated. So the apostles were still to preach. It was near, but not in existence. There was no such charge in the second commission. Then "all power . . . in heaven and in earth" (Mt 28:18) was in the hands of Christ. He became King after he suffered, and his kingdom was inaugurated on earth on the day of Pentecost. When he was "lifted up" (Joh 3:14), he became King. Heal the sick, etc. Not only in order to do a beneficent work, but to demonstrate that they had the Lord's commission. Provide neither gold, etc. Because "the workman is worthy of his meat" (Mt 10:10) and those to whom they preached should supply all their wants. Compare 1Ti 5:18 1Co 9:7-14. This has always been the law of Christ. Nor scrip. A wallet, or valise.

Nor shoes. They were allowed to wear sandals, such as the common people wore (Mr 6:8,9). They should go with simply their ordinary wear. They were required to dress as the people.

Nor staves. With the staff each one had, but without an extra supply. A staff was always carried in walking over the rugged mountains of Palestine. There abide. With some one noted for hospitality and worth. They were not to board round from house to house. When ye come into an house, salute it. Courteously salute the household. Let your peace come upon it. The Oriental salutation is, "Peace be with you". If the household were hospitable and friendly, let this blessing rest upon them. If they proved unfriendly, leave them to their own course and its results. Shake off the dust of your feet. This was done when there was a positive rejection of the gospel. It was a symbolical act, signifying that all responsibility for the stubborn household or city had ended. Compare Mr 6:11 Lu 9:5 Ac 13:51. Nor can the gospel be forced upon an unwilling people in any age. More tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, etc. The cities of the Jordan valley destroyed for their sins in the time of Abraham (Ge 19:1-28). These cities did not have the opportunity, and hence, not the responsibility, of those to which Christ or his apostles preached.