Mat 10 | HCSB | STEP | Summoning His 12 disciples , He gave them authority over unclean spirits , to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness .

Matthew 10

Commissioning the Twelve

1 Summoning His 12 disciples, ^a He gave them authority over ^{▼▼unclean: When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.}unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every ^{▼▼Or every kind of} disease and sickness. ^d 2 These are the names of the 12 apostles: ^e

First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew; ^{▼▼Probably the Nathanael of Jn 1:45-51}
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ^{▼▼Other mss read and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus}
4 Simon the Zealot, ^{▼▼Lit the Cananaean} and Judas Iscariot, ^{▼▼Iscariot is probably “a man of Kerioth,” a town in Judea.}
who also betrayed Him. ^j

5 Jesus sent out these 12 after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any ^{▼▼Samaritan(s): People of mixed, Gentile/ Jewish ancestry who lived between Galilee and Judea and were hated by the Jews}Samaritan ^l town. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep ^m of the house of Israel. ⁿ 7 As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ^o 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons. ^p You have received free of charge; give free of charge. 9 Don’t take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. ^q 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker ^r is worthy of his food.

11 “When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it, ^s 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. ^t 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet ^u when you leave that house or town. 15 ^{▼▼I assure you: This is a phrase used only by Jesus to testify to the certainty and importance of His words; in Mt, Mk and Lk it is literally Amen, I say to you, and in Jn it is literally Amen, amen, I say to you.}I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment ^w for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. ^x

Persecutions Predicted

16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves. ^y 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins ^{▼▼Local Jewish courts or local councils} and flog you in their ^{▼▼synagogue(s): A place where the Jewish people met for prayer, worship and teaching of the Scriptures}synagogues, ^ab beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. ^ac 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. ^ad For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit ^ae of your Father is speaking through you. ^af

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death. ^ag 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name. ^ah But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. ^{▼▼Or saved
,} ^aj 23 When they persecute you in one town, escape to another. ^ak For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the ^{▼▼Son of Man: The most frequent title Jesus used for Himself; Dn 7:13}Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple ^{▼▼Or student} is not above his teacher, or a ^{▼▼slave: The strong Greek word doulos cannot be accurately translated in English by "servant" or "bond servant"; the HCSB translates this word as "slave," not out of insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of modern English speakers, but out of a commitment to accurately convey the brutal reality of the Roman empire's inhumane institution as well as the ownership called for by Christ.}slave above his master. ^ao 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘ ^{▼▼Beelzebul: A term of slander, which was variously interpreted "lord of flies," "lord of dung," or "ruler of demons"; 2 Kg 1:2; Mk 3:22}Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household! ^aq

Fear God

26 “Therefore, ^ar don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. ^as 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, ^{▼▼Lit in the ear} proclaim on the housetops. ^au 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; ^av rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^{▼▼hell/hellfire: Greek Gehenna; Aramaic for Valley of Hinnom on the south side of Jerusalem; it was formerly a place of human sacrifice and in NT times a place for the burning of garbage; the place of final judgment for those rejecting Christ.}hell. ^ax 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? ^{▼▼Gk assarion, a small copper coin} Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s ^az consent. ^{▼▼Lit ground apart from your Father} 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. ^bb 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows. ^bc

Acknowledging Christ

32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. ^bd 33 But whoever denies Me before men, ^be I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^bf 35 For I came to turn

a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be
the members of his household. ^{bg
,} ^bh

37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; ^bi the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow ^{▼▼Lit follow after} Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding ^{▼▼Or The one who finds} his life will lose it, ^bl and anyone losing ^{▼▼Or and the one who loses} his life because of Me will find it. ^bn

A Cup of Cold Water

40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me, ^bo and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me. ^bp 41 Anyone who ^{▼▼Or The one who} welcomes a prophet ^br because he is a prophet ^{▼▼Lit prophet in the name of a prophet} will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who ^{▼▼Or And the one who} welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous ^{▼▼Lit person in the name of a righteous person} will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives ^bv just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple ^{▼▼Lit little ones in the name of a disciple
,} ^bx– I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”