Bible Commentaries

Mt 10:1-5.

MISSION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. ( =

Mr 6:7-13; Lu 9:1-6).

The last three verses of the ninth chapter form the proper introduction to the Mission of the Twelve, as is evident from the remarkable fact that the Mission of the Seventy was prefaced by the very same words. (See on

Lu 10:2).

1. And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power--The word signifies both "power," and "authority" or "right." Even if it were not evident that here both ideas are included, we find both words expressly used in the parallel passage of Luke

(Lu 9:1)

--"He gave them power and authority"--in other words, He both qualified and authorized them.

against--or "over."

2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these--The other Evangelists enumerate the twelve in immediate connection with their appointment

(Mr 3:13-19; Lu 6:13-16).

But our Evangelist, not intending to record the appointment, but only the Mission of the Twelve, gives their names here. And as in the Acts

(Ac 1:13)

we have a list of the Eleven who met daily in the upper room with the other disciples after their Master's ascension until the day of Pentecost, we have four catalogues in all for comparison.

The first, Simon, who is called Peter--(See on

Joh 1:42).

and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother--named after James, as the younger of the two.

3. Philip and Bartholomew--That this person is the same with "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee" is justly concluded for the three following reasons: First, because Bartholomew is not so properly an individual's name as a family surname; next, because not only in this list, but in Mark's and Luke's

(Mr 3:18; Lu 6:14),

he follows the name of "Philip," who was the instrument of bringing Nathanael first to Jesus

(Joh 1:45);

and again, when our Lord, after His resurrection, appeared at the Sea of Tiberias, "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee" is mentioned along with six others, all of them apostles, as being present

(Joh 21:2).

Matthew the publican--In none of the four lists of the Twelve is this apostle so branded but in his own, as if he would have all to know how deep a debtor he had been to his Lord. (See on

Mt 1:3, 5, 6;

9:9).

James the son of Alphaeus--the same person apparently who is called Cleopas or Clopas

(Lu 24:18; Joh 19:25);

and, as he was the husband of Mary, sister to the Virgin, James the Less must have been our Lord's cousin.

and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus--the same, without doubt, as "Judas the brother of James," mentioned in both the lists of Luke

(Lu 6:16; Ac 1:13),

while no one of the name of Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus is so. It is he who in John

(Joh 14:22)

is sweetly called "Judas, not Iscariot." That he was the author of the Catholic Epistle of "Jude," and not "the Lord's brother"

(Mt 13:55),

unless these be the same, is most likely.

4. Simon the Canaanite--rather "Kananite," but better still, "the Zealot," as he is called in

Lu 6:15,

where the original term should not have been retained as in our version ("Simon, called Zelotes"), but rendered "Simon, called the Zealot." The word "Kananite" is just the Aramaic, or Syro-Chaldaic, term for "Zealot." Probably before his acquaintance with Jesus, he belonged to the sect of the Zealots, who bound themselves, as a sort of voluntary ecclesiastical police, to see that the law was not broken with impunity.

and Judas Iscariot--that is, Judas of Kerioth, a town of Judah

(Jos 15:25);

so called to distinguish him from "Judas the brother of James"

(Lu 6:16).

who also betrayed him--a note of infamy attached to his name in all the catalogues of the Twelve.

Mt 10:5-42.

THE TWELVE RECEIVE THEIR INSTRUCTIONS.

This directory divides itself into three distinct parts. The first part

(Mt 10:5-15)

contains directions for the brief and temporary mission on which they were now going forth, with respect to the places they were to go to, the works they were to do, the message they were to bear, and the manner in which they were to conduct themselves. The second part

(Mt 10:16-23)

contains directions of no such limited and temporary nature, but opens out into the permanent exercise of the Gospel ministry. The third part

(Mt 10:24-42)

is of wider application still, reaching not only to the ministry of the Gospel in every age, but to the service of Christ in the widest sense. It is a strong confirmation of this threefold division, that each part closes with the words, "VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU"

(Mt 10:15, 23, 42).

Directions for the Present Mission

(Mt 10:5-15).

5. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not--The Samaritans were Gentiles by blood; but being the descendants of those whom the king of Assyria had transported from the East to supply the place of the ten tribes carried captive, they had adopted the religion of the Jews, though with admixtures of their own: and, as the nearest neighbors of the Jews, they occupied a place intermediate between them and the Gentiles. Accordingly, when this prohibition was to be taken off, on the effusion of the Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles were told that they should be Christ's witnesses first "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea," then "in Samaria," and lastly, "unto the uttermost part of the earth"

(Ac 1:8).

6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel--Until Christ's death, which broke down the middle wall of partition

(Eph 2:14),

the Gospel commission was to the Jews only, who, though the visible people of God, were "lost sheep," not merely in the sense which all sinners are

(Isa 53:6; 1Pe 2:25;

compare with

Lu 19:10),

but as abandoned and left to wander from the right way by faithless shepherds

(Jer 50:6, 17; Eze 34:2-6,

&c.).

7. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand--(See on

Mt 3:2).

8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils--(The italicized clause--"raise the dead"--is wanting in many manuscripts). Here we have the first communication of supernatural power by Christ Himself to His followers--thus anticipating the gifts of Pentecost. And right royally does He dispense it.

freely ye have received, freely give--Divine saying, divinely said! (Compare

De 15:10, 11; Ac 3:6)

--an apple of gold in a setting of silver

(Pr 25:11).

It reminds us of that other golden saying of our Lord, rescued from oblivion by Paul, "It is more blessed to give than to receive"

(Ac 20:35).

Who can estimate what the world owes to such sayings, and with what beautiful foliage and rich fruit such seeds have covered, and will yet cover, this earth!