Chapter 10

Chapter 10. — On the Sending Forth of the Apostles

¹ And calling to him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. He chooses twelve disciples, according to the number of the twelve tribes; and adding power to these, though they were few, he sent them forth; for few are those who travel by the narrow way. And he gives them the working of wonders, so that, astonishing men by the wonders, they might have their hearers obedient to the teaching.

² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother. He lists the names of the apostles, on account of the false apostles. And he sets Peter and Andrew first, because they were also the first called. Then the sons of Zebedee; and he ranks James before John—for he lists them not according to worth, but simply as it happened. He says, then:

³ James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus surnamed Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. See the humility of Matthew, how he ranked himself after Thomas. And coming to Judas, he did not say, the foul one, the enemy of God, but named him Iscariot from his homeland. For there was also another Judas, who was both Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus. There were, then, two named James, the son of Zebedee and the son of Alphaeus; and two named Judas, Thaddaeus and the traitor; and three named Simon, Peter, the Canaanite, and the traitor—for Judas Iscariot was called Simon.

⁴ These twelve Jesus sent forth, charging them, saying: Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into a city of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Whom does he send? These—the fishermen, the unlettered, the publicans. And he sends them first to the Jews, that these might not be able to say that they were sent to the Gentiles, and that, for this reason, we Jews did not believe. He leaves the Jews, then, without excuse. And he joins the Samaritans to the Gentiles, since, being Babylonians, they had settled in Judea, and did not even receive the prophets, but only the five books of Moses. And by the kingdom of heaven understand also the enjoyment that is to come. And he arms them with wonders, saying:

⁵ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Nothing so befits the teacher as humility and freedom from possessions. These two, then, he displays here. Freely you have received, he says—for do not be high-minded, as though you had and gave such good things of your own; for you have these freely and by grace. But along with being humble-minded, become also free from the love of money. For freely, he says, give. And, more perfectly tearing up the root of all evils, he says:

⁶ Do not acquire gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts; no bag for the journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for the laborer is worthy of his food. He trains them to all exactness, thereby making them altogether free of superfluity and free of care; he does not even allow them to have staffs. For this is exact freedom from possessions, which makes the one who teaches about freedom from possessions to be believed. Then, lest they say, From where shall we be fed? he says: The laborer is worthy of his food—that is, you will be fed by the disciples. For they owe this to you, as laborers. And he said food, not luxury. For teachers must not live in luxury.

⁷ And into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there remain until you depart. He does not bid them go to everyone, lest, mingling with the unworthy, they be slandered; for if they go only to the worthy, they will surely also be fed. And he bids them remain, and not move from house to house, lest they be reproached as gluttons, and seem to insult those who first received them.

⁸ And when you enter into the house, salute it, saying: Peace to this house. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. By the greeting and the peace understand the blessing, which abides only with the worthy. Learn, then, from this that especially our own works bless us.

⁹ And whoever does not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Amen I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. He wishes them to shake off the dust, to show that they took nothing from there, because of their disobedience, or so that it might be a testimony of the long journey they walked, while bringing those people no profit. It shall be more tolerable, then, for the Sodomites than for the disobedient, because the Sodomites, having been punished here, will there be punished more moderately.

¹⁰ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. He armed them with signs, he made them confident concerning their food, opening to them the doors of the worthy. Now he tells them also of the terrors that will befall them, displaying his foreknowledge. And he comforts them by the word I. I, he says, the mighty one, send you; therefore be confident, for you will be unconquered. And he prepares them to suffer; for as it is impossible for a sheep in the midst of wolves not to suffer, so also for you in the midst of the Jews. But even if you suffer, do not be angry; for I wish you to be gentle as sheep, and so the rather to conquer.

¹¹ Be therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves. He wishes the disciples to be wise as well. For lest, hearing them called sheep, you should suppose that the Christian must be a simpleton, he says that he must also be wise, knowing how he ought to conduct himself in the midst of many enemies. For as the serpent gives up all the rest of its body to be struck, but guards its head, so also let the Christian give up all that is his, and his body, to those who strike him; but let him guard his head, which is Christ and the faith in him. And just as the serpent, squeezing through some narrow hole, sloughs off its old skin, so let us too, traveling by the narrow way, put off the old man. And since the serpent is also harmful, he bids us be innocent—that is, simple and guileless and not harmful, like the doves; for these, even when their young are taken and they are driven off, return again to their masters. Be, then, wise as a serpent, so as not to be mocked in life, but to render all that is yours blameless; but as for harming others, be like a dove—that is, guileless.

¹² But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. Do you see, this is to be wise: to be on guard and not to give occasion to those who wish to afflict you, but to manage your own affairs wisely. If the persecutor wants money, give it; if honor, give it, that he may have no occasion; but if he takes away the faith, then set your head against him. And he is about to send the disciples not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles; therefore he also says, For a testimony to them and to the Gentiles—that is, for the conviction of those who do not believe.

¹³ But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given to you in that hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you. Lest they say, And how shall we be able to persuade the wise, being unlettered? he bids them be confident, and not be anxious. For when we are about to discourse among the faithful, we must prepare beforehand, and be ready for our defense, as Peter exhorts; but in the midst of crowds and raging kings, he promises his own strength, that we may not be afraid: to confess is ours, but to make a defense wisely is God’s. And lest you suppose that the aptitude for making a defense is natural, he says, It is not you who speak, but the Spirit.

¹⁴ And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and put them to death. He foretells to them what will befall, so that, when it happens, they may not be troubled. And he shows also the power of the preaching, how one had to despise nature; for such is Christianity. But he also makes plain the madness of those people, that they will not spare even their nearest of kin.

¹⁵ And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake; but he who endures to the end, this one will be saved. By all, instead of, by many. For not all hated them; for there were also those who would receive the faith. But he who endures to the end, and not only at the beginning, that one will partake of eternal life.

¹⁶ But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the other. Amen I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of man come. The things said above, the fearful ones—such as, They will deliver you up, and, You will be hated—were about the things that would befall after the Ascension; but what is said now is about the things before the Cross. For you will not have gone through the cities of Israel in your preaching, and straightway I will come to you. And he bids them flee when persecuted; for openly to throw oneself into danger, and to become a cause of condemnation to the murderers, and to harm those who would have profited by the preaching, is devilish. As for the words, Until the Son of man come, do not understand them of the second coming, but of his being with them and his comfort before the Cross. For having been sent forth and having preached, they returned again to Christ, and were with him.

¹⁷ A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the servant as his master. Here he teaches them to bear with insults. For if I, the teacher and master, bore with them, much more should you, the disciples and servants. But you ask how he says, A disciple is not above his teacher, when we see many disciples better than their teachers? Learn, then, that as long as they are disciples, they are less than their teachers; but if they become better, they are no longer disciples—just as the servant, as long as he is a servant, is not above his master.

¹⁸ If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household? Therefore do not fear them; for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hidden that shall not be known. Take comfort, he says, from what concerns me; for if they called me, the master, the ruler of the demons, what wonder if they slander you, my own people? For he called them those of his household. But not servants—showing his closeness to them. But be confident. For the truth will not be hidden away, but time will show both your virtue and the wickedness of those who slander you; for there is nothing hidden that shall not be known. So that even if they slander you, yet later they will recognize you.

¹⁹ What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops. What I have told to you alone, and in one place—for this is the meaning of in the ear and in the darkness—teach with boldness and with a loud voice, so that all may hear you. And since dangers follow upon boldness, he adds:

²⁰ And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. He teaches them to despise death as well; for more fearful, he says, is the punishment in hell. For those who kill work the destruction of the flesh only, and perhaps even benefit the soul; but God, casting into hell, punishes both, soul and body together. And by saying in hell, he signifies the perpetuity of the punishment. For “Gehenna” (geenna) is so called from aei, “ever.”[1]

²¹ Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall to the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Lest they be troubled as though abandoned, he says: If not even a sparrow is caught without my knowing it, how shall I abandon you, whom I love? And, displaying his exact knowledge and providence, he says that our hairs are numbered by God. Do not suppose, however, that it is by God’s working that the sparrows are caught, but that not even their catching is unknown to him.

²² Everyone, therefore, who will confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever will deny me before men, him I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. He urges them on to bear witness; for he is not content with the faith of the soul alone, but wishes also that which is by the mouth. And he did not say, Whoever will confess me, but, in me—that is, in my power; for the one who confesses confesses being helped by the grace from above. But since, of the one who denies, he did not say, in me, but, me—he shows that, not having the help from above, he denies. The one, then, who confesses that Christ is God will find Christ confessing concerning him to the Father, that he is a genuine servant. But those who deny will hear the words, I do not know you.

²³ Do not suppose that I came to bring peace upon the earth; I came not to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. Concord is not everywhere good; rather, there is a time when division too is good. The sword, then, is the word of the faith, which cuts us off from the attachment to our kindred and relatives when they hinder us in our reverence for God. For he does not speak simply of being set against, that is, of being separated from, these people, but only when they do not go along with us, or rather even mock at the faith.

²⁴ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Do you see that we must hate parents and children at that time when they wish to be loved more than Christ? And why do I speak of father and mother and children? Hear something greater:

²⁵ And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever, he says, will not renounce the present life, and give himself over to a shameful death (for this the cross was among the ancients), is not worthy of me. And since many are crucified as robbers and thieves, he added the words, And follow after me—that is, lives according to my laws.

²⁶ He who finds his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He seems to find his soul who preserves the life in the flesh. He also loses it, being consigned to eternal punishment; but he who loses his soul and dies—not as a robber or as one who strangles himself, but for Christ’s sake—that one saves it.

²⁷ He who receives you receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. He rouses us to receive those who come from Christ. For he who honors his disciples honors him, and through him the Father also. And we must receive the righteous and the prophets in the name of a righteous man and a prophet—that is, because they are righteous men and prophets; not on account of some patronage and support with kings, but even if perhaps one has the appearance of a prophet, yet falls short in deed, you receive him as a prophet. And God will reward you as though you had received a truly righteous man. For this is the meaning of, He will receive a righteous man’s reward; or you may understand it also otherwise, that the one who receives him will himself be reckoned righteous, and will receive the reward which the righteous receive.

²⁸ And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. Lest anyone put forward an excuse, he says: Even if you give a cup of cold water, for the sake of this man’s being my disciple, you will receive the reward for this also. And he too gives a cup of cold water who teaches one inflamed with the fire of wrath and of the desires. And, making him to be called a disciple of Christ, this man too does not lose his reward.