Christ's charge to his apostles. After a night spent in prayer, Jesus called his twelve disciples and constituted them into an apostolic college. With his commission he gave them his charge. Notice— I. THE PERSONS COMMISSIONED AND CHARGED . 1 . They were twelve in number. 2 . Their names are given in order. II. THE CHARGE . 1 . As to the apostles preaching. (a) Not to the Gentiles. (b) Not to the Samaritans. (c) They were to limit their... read more
The external conditions of conveying Christ ' s message , with special reference to the immediate occasion. Our Lord points out (a) the sphere of their work ( Matthew 10:5 , Matthew 10:6 ); (b) the substance of their message ( Matthew 10:7 ); (c) its accompanying signs ( Matthew 10:8 ); (d) the external means and methods that they should employ ( Matthew 10:9-15 ). read more
The Lord's charge to his apostles. I. DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE MISSION . 1 . It leas to be confined to the house of Israel. This was a temporary limitation; it was wholly removed at the ascension. The Lord himself entered into the city of the Samaritans; lie healed the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman. But for the present the apostles were to preach only to the Jews; it was necessary that the gospel should be first offered unto them; they were the covenant... read more
Parallel passages: Luke 9:2 (the twelve); Luke 10:9 (the seventy; observe that the substance of the proclamation was to be the same). And as ye go . For your journey is not to one place, but many. Preach . Aloud and publicly. Saying , The kingdom of heaven is at hand . That which men had so long been desiring ( vide Matthew 3:2 ; Matthew 4:17 ) was now near. But had it not come ( Matthew 12:28 ; Matthew 11:12 )? Not in full realization. But its near realization was then... read more
We have here the details of the orders summarized in Matthew 10:1 . The details are not given in Luke 9:1 , Luke 9:2 or Luke 10:9 . Heal the sick , etc. According to the true order of these commands, solely physical ills are mentioned first in their partial ( sick ) and in their final effect (dead); then physical and ceremonial pollution ( lepers ), which forms a transition to the mention of ills primarily spiritual, even though they ultimately affect the body ( devils ) .... read more
The free use of freely given powers. "Freely ye have received, freely give." Some of our Lord's directions were suitable only for the occasion, and only after much forcing can they be made illustrative of permanent principles; but our text gives succinctly the absolute law on which Christian work must be done and always done. We are monuments of mercy; we must be dispensers of mercy. We are saved by grace; we must be ready to save and help others, "hoping for nothing again," "without money... read more
The kingdom of heaven is at hand - Or, more literally, the “reign” of heaven, or of God, draws near. See the notes at Matthew 3:2. read more
Freely ye have received, freely give - That is, they were not to sell their favors of healing, preaching, etc. They were not to make a money-making business of it, to bargain specifically to heal for so much, and to cast out devils for so much. This, however, neither then nor afterward precluded them from receiving a competent support. See Luke 10:7; 1Co 9:8-14; 1 Timothy 5:18. read more
Matthew 10:7-8. And as ye go, preach Κηρυσσετε , proclaim, namely, with ardour and zeal, as becomes my heralds. The word is derived from κηρυξ , a herald. “Probably,” says Doddridge, “they were to make this proclamation with a loud voice, as they passed through the streets of the towns they went to, as Jonah delivered his message to Nineveh.” The kingdom of heaven is at hand Ηγγικεν , hath approached. Publish everywhere the glad tidings of the approach of the Messiah’s kingdom,... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 10:1-42
The "commanding" of the twelve. This was a grand historic occasion indeed. The honoured but ever-comparatively feeble and now dimmed, dying, or dead schools of the prophets are to be succeeded by a scion of Christianity that marks at one and the same time its noblest and most amazing human institution, and Heaven's most condescending gift and human trust. Now begins "the great company of preachers" of the New Testament. They began with twelve;. they very soon grew to seventy; and... read more