Matthew Chapter Ten
Names and Endowment of the Twelve, 10:1-4.
(Mark 3:14-19; 6:7; Luke 6:12-19; 9:1)
1. his twelve disciples.—This does not mean that the twelve were his only disciples; for we learn from Luke (6:13) that "he called to him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve." They are here called his twelve disciples because of their subsequent conspicuity as the twelve apostles.
he gave them power.—The object of the miraculous powers now bestowed on the apostles, was to enable them to prove the divine authority of their mission, and, in doing so, to prove the divine authority of Jesus, by whom these powers were bestowed.
2. The first.—The term "first" is not used in the sense of preeminent, but it is employed numerically to indicate that here the enumeration of the twelve begins. Peter's conspicuity is indicated, however, by the fact that his name is numerically the first in all the catalogues of their names, and it was doubtless placed first on account of the preeminence which he subsequently attained. (See Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13; and comp. Mat. 16:19.)
3. Matthew the publican.—Notwithstanding the reproach attached to the name publican, and the long period since Matthew had ceased to be a publican when his narrative was written, he still writes himself, "Matthew the publican." It is probable that the old name still adhered to him in popular speech, and that this led to its perpetuation in his narrative. He does not attach the term fishermen to the names of the first four.
Lebbaeus.—On this name, see note on Mark 3:18.
4. Simon the Canaanite.—The form in which the term Canaanite is spelt, has led many English readers to suppose that Simon was either a descendant of the original Canaanites, or a citizen of the town of Cana; neither of which suppositions is true. The original is the Syro-Chaldaic name of a sect among the Jews, who took into their own hands, without process of law, the punishment of flagrant offenses. They acted the same part in Jewish society that those bands of men sometimes called "Regulators" perform in American society at the present day; and they justified their conduct by the example of Phinehas, who, in the time of general corruption about Baal-peor, executed summary vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. (See Num. 25.) Luke translates the name into Greek, and calls this apostle Simon Zelotes, or Simon the Zealot. (6:15.)
Judas Iscariot.--Iscariot designates Judas by his former place of residence It means a man of Kerioth, a town in the tribe of Judah. (Josh. 15:25.)
The Commission Given, 5-8
5. Gentiles... Samaritans.—There are two good reasons why the apostles under this first commission should be prohibited from going among Gentiles or Samaritans, and be restricted to the Jews. In the first place, the Jews alone were prepared for that which was to be preached—the speedy coming of the kingdom of heaven. It was proper that the laborers be sent only into that part of the harvest which was ready for the sickle. Again, the time was limited, and not even the entire land of Israel could be traversed ere the mission would end. (Verse 23.)
6. to the lost sheep.—Jesus still has in mind the simile with which the discourse was introduced (9:36), and as the people are like sheep without a shepherd, he sends the twelve as shepherds to hunt up the lost sheep.
7. preach, saying.—Observe, they were not to preach Jesus now, but they were to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" thus echoing the words of John and of Jesus.
8. freely.--Without price (δωρεὰν). It applies not to their labor as a whole, for they were to receive wages for this (verse 10); but to their miracle working. The power to heal the sick, to cleanse lepers, and to cast out demons, might have been made a source of great gain, had the apostles been allowed so to employ it; but this would have robbed the power of its dignity and turned it into an article of merchandise; hence in no age of the world did the true prophets of God accept fees for the exercise of their miraculous powers.
Their Means of Support, 9, 10.
(Mark 6:8, 9; Luke 9:3)
9, 10. Provide neither.—The prohibition is against procuring the articles mentioned before starting, and at their own expense. They were to thus procure neither money to pay expenses; nor a scrip (provision bag) which would enable them to carry cold provisions; nor two coats, nor two pairs of shoes, so that one might replace the other when worn out; nor were they to carry more than one staff, seeing that a second one which was used only for carrying a pack across the shoulder, would be superfluous. The reason for the prohibition is not that they would have no need for the articles mentioned, but that "the workman is worthy of his meat," and they were to depend on the people for whose benefit they labored, to furnish what they might need. This passage is alluded to by Paul when he says, "The Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel shall live of the gospel." (1 Cor. 9:14.) The prohibition in the text was removed preparatory to the second commission (Luke 22:35, 36), because under it the apostles would go out among the Gentiles, who Bad not learned, like the Jews, to provide for the wants of religious teachers, and they would often be compelled to provide for themselves.
Their Mode of Dealing with the People, 11-15.
(Mark 6:10, 11; Luke 9:4, 5)
11. who in it is worthy.—That is, worthy to entertain a preacher of the gospel. The house at which a strange preacher lodges, on entering a town or city, has often much to do with his influence and success.
and there abide.—An unnecessary change of one's lodging-place, while temporarily laboring in a town or city, is attended with many slight disadvantages, as every experienced evangelist can testify, and the Savior exhibited a wise foresight in forbidding it during this hurried mission of the twelve.
12, 13. let your peace return.—The form of salutation on entering a house was, "Peace to this house." The apostles are told to salute each house, and are assured that the peace prayed for shall return to them it the house is not worthy; that is, they shall receive, in this case, the blessing they pronounce on the house.
14. shake off the dust.—According to Mark (6:11), shaking off the dust from the feet was intended as "a testimony against" those who would not receive the preachers. It testified that they were rejected by Him whose messengers had been rejected by them. It is twice recorded of Paul that he complied with this precept. (Acts 13:51; 18:6.)
15. more tolerable.—It is a fixed principle in the divine government that men shall be judged with reference to their opportunities. Though the sin of these Jews in rejecting the apostles was not of so gross a character as the sins of Sodom and Gomorrha, it was more inexcusable on account of their superior opportunities.
Persecutions Predicted, 16-23
16. as sheep in the midst of wolves.—At this point in the discourse, Jesus passes from the first to the second mission of the apostles; for all of the persecutions enumerated were encountered under the latter. They were to be like sheep in the midst of wolves, because they were to be visited with cruelties, and they were to bear these without resistance. Under these circumstances they were to be as wise as serpents, whose only wisdom is displayed in escaping from danger (comp. note on 23), and as blameless (ἀκέραιοι) as doves. Being blameless, they would encounter no merited severity; and, being wise as serpents, they would escape all danger that could be avoided without dereliction of duty.
17. councils... synagogues.—The councils (συνέδρια) and synagogues here mentioned were Jewish powers. It seems from this verse that synagogue rulers exercised the power of scourging men for minor offenses. (See also 23:34; Acts 22:19; 26:11,
18. governors and kings.—These are Gentile powers. This appears both from the fact that even the governors and kings who ruled in Judea were appointees of the Roman government, and from the statement of the text that the apostles were to be brought before these "for a testimony against them and the Gentiles." Paul's arraignment before such men as Lysias, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Nero, was in fulfillment of this prediction, and it resulted in testimony against them because they rejected the gospel which was thus providentially forced upon their attention.
19. take no thought.—Here we have the same word in the Greek, as in Mat. 6:25, and the meaning is the same, "be not anxious". We learn from Mark (13:11) that they were not, under such circumstances, even to "premeditate;" and the promise, "It shall be given you, in that same hour, what you shall speak," saved them from both premeditation and anxiety.
20. not you that speak.—Of course, the physical act of speaking was theirs, but it was not theirs to determine how or what they should speak (verse 19). Both the manner and the matter were to be supplied by the Spirit of God. There could not be a more explicit declaration of the complete verbal inspiration of the apostles on such occasions.
21. shall deliver up.—The statement is not that brother shall put brother to death; but that he shall deliver him up to death; that is, deliver him up to those who would put him to death. This was done by giving testimony, and acting the part of an informer.
22. hated of all men.—The apostles always had some friends; hence we are to understand that the term all here is used hyperbolically.
to the end.—To the end of life: for it is persecution unto death (21) that is to be endured.
23. flee ye into another.—This is a specification under the more general precept, "Be ye wise as serpents (verse 16); and the special reason for fleeing so promptly from a city where they were persecuted, is, "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come." What coming of the Son of man is meant, has been a matter of dispute. But it is a coming which was to take place before all the cities of Israel should be evangelized, and hence the reference must be, we think, to the providential coming to destroy the Jewish nationality. The apostles were to make no delay, even under their first commission, in cities that would not receive them, and were to promptly flee when, under the second commission, they should be violently persecuted; because by their labors under both combined they would not evangelize all the Jewish cities before the time set for their desolation.
Motives to Endurance, 24-33
24, 25. enough for the disciple.—The argument here is, that the disciple should expect exemption from no hardship endured by his teacher (master here means teacher), nor the servant from any endured by his lord. As Jesus, then, was to suffer, his disciples and servants must not expect to fare better than he, but it is enough for them to escape with no more than he suffered. When a disciple suffers and feels like complaining of his hard lot, let him think, Who am I, to complain of suffering, when my Lord and Master suffered so much more than this for me!
26, 27. that shall not be revealed.—Here is another motive to endurance. Disciples often suffer from injustice that is so covered up from the eyes of the world as to appear like justice, and there is nothing more disheartening than this. But Jesus assures them that no hidden or covered up iniquity shall escape exposure, and urges that no truth shall be allowed to remain in obscurity through fear of danger in proclaiming it: hence they are to preach "on the housetops" all that they hear from him, even what he had whispered in their ears.
28. fear not them who kill.—The fear of men who would kill them, as previously predicted, was calculated to deter the apostles from the mission on which they were about to be sent. Should they yield to this fear they are reminded that they must, as an alternative, encounter "Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Let the danger, then, of going be as great as it might be, the danger of refusing to go, or of turning back, is still greater. As a mere choice of evils, the most cruel persecution is to be patiently endured in preference to neglect of duty to God.
destroy.—Materialists are wont to catch at the word destroy in this place, as proof that the soul can be annihilated. But in doing so they ascribe to the term destroy a sense which it does not bear, and they overlook the fact that this passage utterly refutes the doctrine that the soul dies with the body. Jesus Bays, "Fear not them who kill the body, but can not kill the soul;" but if the soul dies with the body, then he who kills the body kills the soul too, and can not avoid killing it. To destroy, is not to annihilate, but to bring to ruin; and the soul and body are brought to ruin when they are cast into hell.
in hell.—As the body and soul both are to be destroyed in hell, hell (γεἑννα) can not belong to the intermediate state, but to that state which follows the reunion of body and soul at the resurrection. Hell, then, lies beyond the final judgment.
29-31. ye are of more value.—Another motive to endurance—the tender protection which God extends to those who endure. If a sparrow, of so little value that two of them are sold for a farthing (ἀσσαριον = 1½ cts), does not fall without your Father, and if all the hairs of your head are numbered, why should you, who are of more value than many sparrows, be afraid to serve God rather than man? Here is an incidental affirmation of special providence in its most minute manifestations, and an assurance that even if we fall by the hand of man, God is with us in the fall, and this makes it a blessing instead of a calamity.
32, 33. shall confess... shall deny.—Here is the fifth and last motive to endurance. The time was coming when the disciples would often be questioned concerning their faith, and when life or death would depend on the answer. They are encouraged to confess Jesus on these and all occasions, by the assurance that if they do so he will confess them before the Father in heaven, and that if they deny him he will deny them. The confession before the Father in heaven is doubtless an approving recognition of the person as a faithful disciple, and the denying is the reverse of this. A denial like Peter's, followed by immediate repentance, is not here included. The confession of Jesus which is made at the beginning of the Christian life is not directly alluded to, but what is true of this is true of the later confessions more especially the subject of remark, seeing that there is the same temptation to be overcome, and often the same danger to be encountered.
Persecutions Intended as a Test, 34-39
34. not to send peace.—In one sense Jesus came to send peace—peace among those who would receive him, and between them and God. So sang the angels at the time of his birth. (Luke 2:14.) But between his friends and those who would persist in being his foes, he came to send not peace, but a sword. He knew that the existence and activities of the Church would cause the sword of persecution to be drawn, and in ordering the establishment of the Church he assumed the responsibility of indirectly sending that sword into the world.
35, 38. at variance against his father.—In nearly all quarrels, except those about religion, the members of the same family stand together, but in religious feuds the family circle is often broken, and its parts arrayed against each other. When a man abandons the religion of his ancestors his own kindred feel more keenly than others the shame which the world attaches to the act, and are exasperated against the supposed apostate in a degree proportionate to their nearness to him. Jesus came to set a man thus at variance with his kindred, because this evil is unavoidable in saving some.
37. He that loveth father.—In this verse is clearly indicated the providential purpose of these family alienations: they would put the disciple to the test by showing whether he loves earthly relatives more than he loves Jesus, and whether, therefore, he is worthy of Jesus.
38. taketh not his cross.—The cross, on account of its use in the execution of the basest criminals, was a symbol of dishonor. The dishonor attached to being a disciple of Jesus is here graphically symbolized by taking a cross on one's shoulder and following Jesus. Perhaps there is also, as Alford suggests, an allusion to his death on the cross—an allusion which, at the time, must have escaped the notice of his disciples, because it preceded all of his predictions on that subject.
39. findeth his life shall lose it.—Here is a play on the word life, which is used alternately for temporal life and eternal life. He that finds it is he who saves his present life by shrinking from duty: he shall lose the eternal life. He who loses the present life for the sake of Jesus, finds life eternal.
Kind Treatment of Disciple's to be Rewarded, 40-42
40. He that receiveth.—By a very natural transition Jesus now passes from the persecutions awaiting his disciples to the kind treatment which they would receive from the hands of others, and he encourages such treatment by the assurance that he will accept it as if extended to himself.
41, 42. in the name.—"In the name of a prophet" is a Hebraism for "because he is a prophet." (Alford.) He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, or a righteous man because he is a righteous man, or who gives a drink of water to a disciple because he is a disciple, distinctly recognizes the person's relation to God as the ground of the act; and to that extent God is honored by the act. Not so, however, with him who performs a similar act in the name of humanity, or because the recipient is a man.
a prophet's reward.—A prophet's reward is not synonymous with final salvation; for while it is true that in heaven we will have full reward for all the good we do on earth, we will have infinitely more than this, and our admission into heaven is a matter of grace, and not of reward. So, then, the promise of the text does not imply the salvation of all that receive a prophet, etc., but simply that he shall be rewarded. If he be a pardoned man, he may receive his reward in heaven; if not, he will receive it only on earth.
Argument of Section 7 In this section, Matthew has exhibited the compassion of Jesus as the moving cause which led to the first mission of the twelve; he has furnished the names and stated the miraculous endowments of the twelve; and he has shown the foreknowledge of Jesus by his predictions concerning the disciples, and his honesty by his fair dealing with them in reference to their own future. In this last particular, there is a contrast between Jesus and the originators of earthly enterprises, whether secular or religious. It is the custom of the latter to paint in glowing colors the brighter prospects of the causes they plead, and to conceal from both themselves and others the darker side of the picture. But Jesus presents faithfully before his disciples all of the hardships and sufferings which await them, not omitting death itself—and death, it may be, on the cross. The foreknowledge displayed is proof of his divinity, while the compassion and the candor which accompany it are such as we would expect in the Son of God.
It is worthy of note, as indicating Matthew's peculiar method as a historian, that he closes this section on the first mission of the twelve without a word about the labors of the apostles under this commission. Mark mentions the latter subject, though but briefly. (Mark 6:12, 13.)
The New Testament Commentary: Vol. I - Matthew and Mark.
(Mark 3:14-19; 6:7; Luke 6:12-19; 9:1)
1. his twelve disciples.—This does not mean that the twelve were his only disciples; for we learn from Luke (6:13) that "he called to him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve." They are here called his twelve disciples because of their subsequent conspicuity as the twelve apostles.
he gave them power.—The object of the miraculous powers now bestowed on the apostles, was to enable them to prove the divine authority of their mission, and, in doing so, to prove the divine authority of Jesus, by whom these powers were bestowed.
2. The first.—The term "first" is not used in the sense of preeminent, but it is employed numerically to indicate that here the enumeration of the twelve begins. Peter's conspicuity is indicated, however, by the fact that his name is numerically the first in all the catalogues of their names, and it was doubtless placed first on account of the preeminence which he subsequently attained. (See Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13; and comp. Mat. 16:19.)
3. Matthew the publican.—Notwithstanding the reproach attached to the name publican, and the long period since Matthew had ceased to be a publican when his narrative was written, he still writes himself, "Matthew the publican." It is probable that the old name still adhered to him in popular speech, and that this led to its perpetuation in his narrative. He does not attach the term fishermen to the names of the first four.
Lebbaeus.—On this name, see note on Mark 3:18.
4. Simon the Canaanite.—The form in which the term Canaanite is spelt, has led many English readers to suppose that Simon was either a descendant of the original Canaanites, or a citizen of the town of Cana; neither of which suppositions is true. The original is the Syro-Chaldaic name of a sect among the Jews, who took into their own hands, without process of law, the punishment of flagrant offenses. They acted the same part in Jewish society that those bands of men sometimes called "Regulators" perform in American society at the present day; and they justified their conduct by the example of Phinehas, who, in the time of general corruption about Baal-peor, executed summary vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. (See Num. 25.) Luke translates the name into Greek, and calls this apostle Simon Zelotes, or Simon the Zealot. (6:15.)
Judas Iscariot.--Iscariot designates Judas by his former place of residence It means a man of Kerioth, a town in the tribe of Judah. (Josh. 15:25.)
The Commission Given, 5-8
5. Gentiles... Samaritans.—There are two good reasons why the apostles under this first commission should be prohibited from going among Gentiles or Samaritans, and be restricted to the Jews. In the first place, the Jews alone were prepared for that which was to be preached—the speedy coming of the kingdom of heaven. It was proper that the laborers be sent only into that part of the harvest which was ready for the sickle. Again, the time was limited, and not even the entire land of Israel could be traversed ere the mission would end. (Verse 23.)
6. to the lost sheep.—Jesus still has in mind the simile with which the discourse was introduced (9:36), and as the people are like sheep without a shepherd, he sends the twelve as shepherds to hunt up the lost sheep.
7. preach, saying.—Observe, they were not to preach Jesus now, but they were to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" thus echoing the words of John and of Jesus.
8. freely.--Without price (δωρεὰν). It applies not to their labor as a whole, for they were to receive wages for this (verse 10); but to their miracle working. The power to heal the sick, to cleanse lepers, and to cast out demons, might have been made a source of great gain, had the apostles been allowed so to employ it; but this would have robbed the power of its dignity and turned it into an article of merchandise; hence in no age of the world did the true prophets of God accept fees for the exercise of their miraculous powers.
Their Means of Support, 9, 10.
(Mark 6:8, 9; Luke 9:3)
9, 10. Provide neither.—The prohibition is against procuring the articles mentioned before starting, and at their own expense. They were to thus procure neither money to pay expenses; nor a scrip (provision bag) which would enable them to carry cold provisions; nor two coats, nor two pairs of shoes, so that one might replace the other when worn out; nor were they to carry more than one staff, seeing that a second one which was used only for carrying a pack across the shoulder, would be superfluous. The reason for the prohibition is not that they would have no need for the articles mentioned, but that "the workman is worthy of his meat," and they were to depend on the people for whose benefit they labored, to furnish what they might need. This passage is alluded to by Paul when he says, "The Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel shall live of the gospel." (1 Cor. 9:14.) The prohibition in the text was removed preparatory to the second commission (Luke 22:35, 36), because under it the apostles would go out among the Gentiles, who Bad not learned, like the Jews, to provide for the wants of religious teachers, and they would often be compelled to provide for themselves.
Their Mode of Dealing with the People, 11-15.
(Mark 6:10, 11; Luke 9:4, 5)
11. who in it is worthy.—That is, worthy to entertain a preacher of the gospel. The house at which a strange preacher lodges, on entering a town or city, has often much to do with his influence and success.
and there abide.—An unnecessary change of one's lodging-place, while temporarily laboring in a town or city, is attended with many slight disadvantages, as every experienced evangelist can testify, and the Savior exhibited a wise foresight in forbidding it during this hurried mission of the twelve.
12, 13. let your peace return.—The form of salutation on entering a house was, "Peace to this house." The apostles are told to salute each house, and are assured that the peace prayed for shall return to them it the house is not worthy; that is, they shall receive, in this case, the blessing they pronounce on the house.
14. shake off the dust.—According to Mark (6:11), shaking off the dust from the feet was intended as "a testimony against" those who would not receive the preachers. It testified that they were rejected by Him whose messengers had been rejected by them. It is twice recorded of Paul that he complied with this precept. (Acts 13:51; 18:6.)
15. more tolerable.—It is a fixed principle in the divine government that men shall be judged with reference to their opportunities. Though the sin of these Jews in rejecting the apostles was not of so gross a character as the sins of Sodom and Gomorrha, it was more inexcusable on account of their superior opportunities.
Persecutions Predicted, 16-23
16. as sheep in the midst of wolves.—At this point in the discourse, Jesus passes from the first to the second mission of the apostles; for all of the persecutions enumerated were encountered under the latter. They were to be like sheep in the midst of wolves, because they were to be visited with cruelties, and they were to bear these without resistance. Under these circumstances they were to be as wise as serpents, whose only wisdom is displayed in escaping from danger (comp. note on 23), and as blameless (ἀκέραιοι) as doves. Being blameless, they would encounter no merited severity; and, being wise as serpents, they would escape all danger that could be avoided without dereliction of duty.
17. councils... synagogues.—The councils (συνέδρια) and synagogues here mentioned were Jewish powers. It seems from this verse that synagogue rulers exercised the power of scourging men for minor offenses. (See also 23:34; Acts 22:19; 26:11,
18. governors and kings.—These are Gentile powers. This appears both from the fact that even the governors and kings who ruled in Judea were appointees of the Roman government, and from the statement of the text that the apostles were to be brought before these "for a testimony against them and the Gentiles." Paul's arraignment before such men as Lysias, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Nero, was in fulfillment of this prediction, and it resulted in testimony against them because they rejected the gospel which was thus providentially forced upon their attention.
19. take no thought.—Here we have the same word in the Greek, as in Mat. 6:25, and the meaning is the same, "be not anxious". We learn from Mark (13:11) that they were not, under such circumstances, even to "premeditate;" and the promise, "It shall be given you, in that same hour, what you shall speak," saved them from both premeditation and anxiety.
20. not you that speak.—Of course, the physical act of speaking was theirs, but it was not theirs to determine how or what they should speak (verse 19). Both the manner and the matter were to be supplied by the Spirit of God. There could not be a more explicit declaration of the complete verbal inspiration of the apostles on such occasions.
21. shall deliver up.—The statement is not that brother shall put brother to death; but that he shall deliver him up to death; that is, deliver him up to those who would put him to death. This was done by giving testimony, and acting the part of an informer.
22. hated of all men.—The apostles always had some friends; hence we are to understand that the term all here is used hyperbolically.
to the end.—To the end of life: for it is persecution unto death (21) that is to be endured.
23. flee ye into another.—This is a specification under the more general precept, "Be ye wise as serpents (verse 16); and the special reason for fleeing so promptly from a city where they were persecuted, is, "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come." What coming of the Son of man is meant, has been a matter of dispute. But it is a coming which was to take place before all the cities of Israel should be evangelized, and hence the reference must be, we think, to the providential coming to destroy the Jewish nationality. The apostles were to make no delay, even under their first commission, in cities that would not receive them, and were to promptly flee when, under the second commission, they should be violently persecuted; because by their labors under both combined they would not evangelize all the Jewish cities before the time set for their desolation.
Motives to Endurance, 24-33
24, 25. enough for the disciple.—The argument here is, that the disciple should expect exemption from no hardship endured by his teacher (master here means teacher), nor the servant from any endured by his lord. As Jesus, then, was to suffer, his disciples and servants must not expect to fare better than he, but it is enough for them to escape with no more than he suffered. When a disciple suffers and feels like complaining of his hard lot, let him think, Who am I, to complain of suffering, when my Lord and Master suffered so much more than this for me!
26, 27. that shall not be revealed.—Here is another motive to endurance. Disciples often suffer from injustice that is so covered up from the eyes of the world as to appear like justice, and there is nothing more disheartening than this. But Jesus assures them that no hidden or covered up iniquity shall escape exposure, and urges that no truth shall be allowed to remain in obscurity through fear of danger in proclaiming it: hence they are to preach "on the housetops" all that they hear from him, even what he had whispered in their ears.
28. fear not them who kill.—The fear of men who would kill them, as previously predicted, was calculated to deter the apostles from the mission on which they were about to be sent. Should they yield to this fear they are reminded that they must, as an alternative, encounter "Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Let the danger, then, of going be as great as it might be, the danger of refusing to go, or of turning back, is still greater. As a mere choice of evils, the most cruel persecution is to be patiently endured in preference to neglect of duty to God.
destroy.—Materialists are wont to catch at the word destroy in this place, as proof that the soul can be annihilated. But in doing so they ascribe to the term destroy a sense which it does not bear, and they overlook the fact that this passage utterly refutes the doctrine that the soul dies with the body. Jesus Bays, "Fear not them who kill the body, but can not kill the soul;" but if the soul dies with the body, then he who kills the body kills the soul too, and can not avoid killing it. To destroy, is not to annihilate, but to bring to ruin; and the soul and body are brought to ruin when they are cast into hell.
in hell.—As the body and soul both are to be destroyed in hell, hell (γεἑννα) can not belong to the intermediate state, but to that state which follows the reunion of body and soul at the resurrection. Hell, then, lies beyond the final judgment.
29-31. ye are of more value.—Another motive to endurance—the tender protection which God extends to those who endure. If a sparrow, of so little value that two of them are sold for a farthing (ἀσσαριον = 1½ cts), does not fall without your Father, and if all the hairs of your head are numbered, why should you, who are of more value than many sparrows, be afraid to serve God rather than man? Here is an incidental affirmation of special providence in its most minute manifestations, and an assurance that even if we fall by the hand of man, God is with us in the fall, and this makes it a blessing instead of a calamity.
32, 33. shall confess... shall deny.—Here is the fifth and last motive to endurance. The time was coming when the disciples would often be questioned concerning their faith, and when life or death would depend on the answer. They are encouraged to confess Jesus on these and all occasions, by the assurance that if they do so he will confess them before the Father in heaven, and that if they deny him he will deny them. The confession before the Father in heaven is doubtless an approving recognition of the person as a faithful disciple, and the denying is the reverse of this. A denial like Peter's, followed by immediate repentance, is not here included. The confession of Jesus which is made at the beginning of the Christian life is not directly alluded to, but what is true of this is true of the later confessions more especially the subject of remark, seeing that there is the same temptation to be overcome, and often the same danger to be encountered.
Persecutions Intended as a Test, 34-39
34. not to send peace.—In one sense Jesus came to send peace—peace among those who would receive him, and between them and God. So sang the angels at the time of his birth. (Luke 2:14.) But between his friends and those who would persist in being his foes, he came to send not peace, but a sword. He knew that the existence and activities of the Church would cause the sword of persecution to be drawn, and in ordering the establishment of the Church he assumed the responsibility of indirectly sending that sword into the world.
35, 38. at variance against his father.—In nearly all quarrels, except those about religion, the members of the same family stand together, but in religious feuds the family circle is often broken, and its parts arrayed against each other. When a man abandons the religion of his ancestors his own kindred feel more keenly than others the shame which the world attaches to the act, and are exasperated against the supposed apostate in a degree proportionate to their nearness to him. Jesus came to set a man thus at variance with his kindred, because this evil is unavoidable in saving some.
37. He that loveth father.—In this verse is clearly indicated the providential purpose of these family alienations: they would put the disciple to the test by showing whether he loves earthly relatives more than he loves Jesus, and whether, therefore, he is worthy of Jesus.
38. taketh not his cross.—The cross, on account of its use in the execution of the basest criminals, was a symbol of dishonor. The dishonor attached to being a disciple of Jesus is here graphically symbolized by taking a cross on one's shoulder and following Jesus. Perhaps there is also, as Alford suggests, an allusion to his death on the cross—an allusion which, at the time, must have escaped the notice of his disciples, because it preceded all of his predictions on that subject.
39. findeth his life shall lose it.—Here is a play on the word life, which is used alternately for temporal life and eternal life. He that finds it is he who saves his present life by shrinking from duty: he shall lose the eternal life. He who loses the present life for the sake of Jesus, finds life eternal.
Kind Treatment of Disciple's to be Rewarded, 40-42
40. He that receiveth.—By a very natural transition Jesus now passes from the persecutions awaiting his disciples to the kind treatment which they would receive from the hands of others, and he encourages such treatment by the assurance that he will accept it as if extended to himself.
41, 42. in the name.—"In the name of a prophet" is a Hebraism for "because he is a prophet." (Alford.) He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, or a righteous man because he is a righteous man, or who gives a drink of water to a disciple because he is a disciple, distinctly recognizes the person's relation to God as the ground of the act; and to that extent God is honored by the act. Not so, however, with him who performs a similar act in the name of humanity, or because the recipient is a man.
a prophet's reward.—A prophet's reward is not synonymous with final salvation; for while it is true that in heaven we will have full reward for all the good we do on earth, we will have infinitely more than this, and our admission into heaven is a matter of grace, and not of reward. So, then, the promise of the text does not imply the salvation of all that receive a prophet, etc., but simply that he shall be rewarded. If he be a pardoned man, he may receive his reward in heaven; if not, he will receive it only on earth.
Argument of Section 7 In this section, Matthew has exhibited the compassion of Jesus as the moving cause which led to the first mission of the twelve; he has furnished the names and stated the miraculous endowments of the twelve; and he has shown the foreknowledge of Jesus by his predictions concerning the disciples, and his honesty by his fair dealing with them in reference to their own future. In this last particular, there is a contrast between Jesus and the originators of earthly enterprises, whether secular or religious. It is the custom of the latter to paint in glowing colors the brighter prospects of the causes they plead, and to conceal from both themselves and others the darker side of the picture. But Jesus presents faithfully before his disciples all of the hardships and sufferings which await them, not omitting death itself—and death, it may be, on the cross. The foreknowledge displayed is proof of his divinity, while the compassion and the candor which accompany it are such as we would expect in the Son of God.
It is worthy of note, as indicating Matthew's peculiar method as a historian, that he closes this section on the first mission of the twelve without a word about the labors of the apostles under this commission. Mark mentions the latter subject, though but briefly. (Mark 6:12, 13.)
The New Testament Commentary: Vol. I - Matthew and Mark.