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Matthew 10:1-4 Christ sendeth out his twelve apostles with power to do

miracles.

Matthew 10:5-15 He instructs them,

Matthew 10:16-39 and forewarning them of persecutions, suggests

motives of comfort and constancy.

Matthew 10:40-42 He promiseth a blessing to those who should receive them.

Mark saith, Mark 3:14,15, And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. Luke repeats almost the same words, Luke 9:1,2; only he saith he gave them power and authority over devils, —and to preach the kingdom of God. This was the first mission which the apostles had, much different from that given them after his resurrection; they were now sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, then they were sent to all nations. They were not called disciples as that term signified only the common hearers of Christ, but in a more emphatic sense. He chooseth out twelve, that as the twelve patriarchs begat the Jewish church, so these twelve men might be the fathers to all the gospel church. The number of twelve seems a sacred number. The new Jerusalem, Revelation 21:12, is described as having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and to have written (on the gates) the names of the twelve tribes; and, Revelation 21:14, the wall of the city is said to have had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles; the dimensions of it twelve thousand furlongs, Revelation 21:16.

The power he gave to the apostles was:

1. To preach the kingdom, that is, the gospel, which as it showeth the way to the kingdom of glory, so it was the means to gather the Christian church, which is the kingdom of grace, and to subdue men’s hearts to the obedience of Christ.

2. To cast out devils, and heal all manner of sicknesses. By which they gained repute amoungst people, confirming people that they were sent of God, doing (though not as Christ did them) things which none but God could do, by a derivation of power from him: Christ did the same things, but by a power inherent in himself.

These twelve were ordinarily to be with Christ, and to go forth (as occasion served) clothed with his power to preach and to work miracles.

See Poole on "Matthew 10:4".

See Poole on "Matthew 10:4".

Ver. 2-4. Mark reckoneth up the same persons, Mark 3:16-19, with some additions, which we shall consider as we come at the persons whom they concern.

Apostles signifies persons sent; the term applied to Christ’s disciples signifies the persons that were first sent by him to preach the gospel. It was reasonable for the evangelists to set down their names, because the whole Christian church was to be builded upon their doctrine, Ephesians 2:20.

The first, Simon, who is called Peter, because the term signifies a rock, and the confession of faith which he made our Saviour declares to be a rock, on which he would build his church, Matthew 16:18. He is not here called the first because he was first called, or first believed, the contrary is plain from John 1:41; but when many are named, one must be first named. He was the son of Jonas; Christ gave him the name of Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a stone. He was called Simon Peter to distinguish him from Simon the Canaanite, afterward mentioned. So that it seems the papists are put hard to it for arguments to prove Peter’s primacy and superiority over the apostles, and headship over the church, when they are enforced to make use of this, because he is here called the first. Yet such another was brought at the disputation of Berne, 1528, when Alexius Grad, the nuns’ confessor, would prove Peter’s headship because he is called Cephas; and he had read in some dictionary, that Kefav anciently signified a head; as if the evangelist had not interpreted it, John 1:41, Peter, or a stone. By the same argument they can from hence prove Peter the first, Galatians 2:9, will prove him the second, for so he is there reckoned, James, Cephas, and John. Andrew his brother; Simon Peter’s brother; by John directed to Christ, John 1:40; called by Christ together with his brother Peter, Mark 1:16,17.

James the son of Zebedee, so called to distinguish him from another of the apostles of the same name, who was the son of Alphaeus. This is he of whose death we read, Acts 12:2; he was slain by Herod.

And John his brother, viz. the son of Zebedee: this is he who was called the beloved disciple, who also wrote the Gospel of John, John 21:20,24.

Philip, and Bartholomew. Philip was of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter, John 1:44, found and called by Christ, John 1:43. Of the call of Bartholomew we do not read; some think him the same with Nathanael, mentioned John 1:45,46, &c. It is some inducement to believe it, that he is here named with Philip, who was the instrument to bring him to Christ, John 1:45; but there is nothing of this certain.

Thomas, the same who was called Didymus, who was so unbelieving as to Christ’s resurrection, John 20:24,27; and Matthew the publican, he that wrote this history of the Gospel: we heard before of his call from the receipt of custom; he was also called Levi.

James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus. This James is called James the less, Mark 15:40, and so distinguished from James the son of Zebedee.

The Lord’s brother, Galatians 1:19; that is, as some think, his kinsman, judging him not the son of Alphaeus who was the father of Matthew, but another Alphaeus, the husband of Mary the wife of Cleophas, John 19:25. But this appeareth not from Scripture. Instead of Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus, Luke saith, Luke 6:16, Judas the brother of James (he that wrote the Epistle of Jude, as appeareth by Jude). Mark, Mark 3:18, mentions not Lebbaeus at all, which makes some think that the words are transposed, and should be Thaddaeus the son of Lebbaeus; for Thaddai in the Syriac is the same with Judas.

Simon the Canaanite; Luke calls him Simon Zelotes, Luke 6:15 Acts 1:13. We must not understand by Canaanite a pagan, (for Christ sent out none but Jews), but one of Cana, which by interpretation is Zelus, from whence it is that Luke calleth him Zelotes.

And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. There are many guesses how Judas had the name of Iscariot, whether from Kerioth, supposed to be his town, or on some other account: the guesses of the best are but uncertainties, nor is it material for us to know. It here distinguishes him from the other Judas. Of his betraying his Master we shall hear afterward. Christ altered the name of Simon, whom he called Peter, Mark 3:16. He added to the names of James and John, calling them Boanerges, that is, The sons of thunder, Mark 3:17. Thaddaeus is called Judas, and by Matthew also Lebbaeus. These were the twelve first apostles, to which were added (after Christ’s ascension) Matthias, (instead of Judas Iscariot), Paul, and Barnabas; but these conversed with Christ, and were the first sent out by him. We shall now hear the instruction he gives them.

See Poole on "Matthew 10:6".

Ver. 5,6. Here Christ limiteth their ministry to the Jews. The apostle tells us, Romans 15:8, Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to conform the promises made unto the fathers; and the apostle tells the Jews, Acts 13:46, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. Therefore in this his first mission, he restrains his apostles from going to the Gentiles, to whom they had afterwards a commission to go, Matthew 28:19, and did go, but not before the Jews had judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life, Acts 13:46, by rejecting and blaspheming the gospel, and persecuting the ministers of it. They are also commanded not to go

into any city of the Samaritans. The Samaritans were partly Jews apostatized, and partly heathens, descended from those whom the king of Syria sent thither, when the ten tribes were carried into captivity, 2 Kings 17:6, and from some Jews left in the land. You shall read of their religion there, 2 Kings 17:31-41. They were perfectly hated by the Jews, and as perfect haters of them, as may be gathered from Luke 9:52,53Jo 4:9. Our Lord, partly in regard they also were no better than Gentiles, and so hated as they were of the Jews, would not suffer these his first ministers to go and preach amongst them. Not that they were forbidden (if some particular persons, whether Gentiles or Samaritans, came to them) to preach to them, but only not to make it their work to go into their country or cities; the time was not yet come for this great light to shine upon the Gentiles.

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. By Israel he here meaneth the two tribes that clave to the house of David, for the ten tribes ever since their captivity {2 Kings 17:6} had lost their share in that name. He calls them lost sheep in the sense that Jeremiah speaks, Jeremiah 1:6, My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray. So that lost sheep here signifies wandering sheep, for want of proper guides. The Jews at this time had miserable teachers, so as they wandered as lost sheep. And this comporteth with what we had in the last verses of the former chapter. There was a great harvest and but few labourers; he is therefore providing them labourers, shepherds that should gather those scattered sheep into one fold.

See Poole on "Matthew 10:8".

Ver. 7,8. In these words he gives them power,

1. To preach the gospel.

2. To confirm the doctrine they preached to be of God by miraculous operations, healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, casting out devils.

He bids them

go preach, Khrussete, Cry like heralds; something like Isaiah’s commission, Isaiah 58:1, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet. He teacheth them what should be the sum of their sermons,

The kingdom of heaven is at hand; the same thing which John Baptist preached, Matthew 3:2, which Christ preached, Mark 1:15, and which he directed the seventy to preach, Luke 10:9: not that they were to use no other words, but that all the words they used were to have this tendency, to declare that the time was now come, when God had fulfilled his promise of the Messiah, who was setting up his kingdom in the world, and to whose laws they were to be obedient. This doctrine they were to confirm by miracles, which he gives them a charge they should work freely, without receiving any reward for them, that the miracles being used to their private profit, might not lose their end, which was the confirmation of their doctrine.