Matthew Chapter 10 {The Reps of The King - The Apostles to ISRAEL- Verses 1-13} 10:1~~Jesus called His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness. {Note: These men were 'apostles/disciples to Israel' NOT to apostles to the Church. They were appointed by Jesus Christ and Jesus gave them abilities as a 'credit card' to get the attention of the Jews . . . so they would know the Messiah was here.} {Jesus sends out the disciples in pairs} 10:2-4~~Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother . . . James son of Zebedee and John his brother . . . 10:3~~Philip and Bartholomew {Nathaniel} . . . Thomas and Matthew the tax collector . . . James son of Alphaeus and Lebbaios whose surname is Thaddeus . . . 10:4~~ Simon the Canaanite {Zealot} and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. {Note: Peter being named first sometimes indicates leadership and Peter was the leader of the early church. John is the writer of the gospel of John; John I, II, and III; and Revelation.} {Jesus gives them a briefing - last minute instructions} 10:5~~Jesus sent out these twelve instructing them as follows: "Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan {half Gentile and half Jews} town." {Evangelic Push - the Messiah must go to the Jews First} 10:6~~"Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 10:7~~"As you go, keep preaching this message, 'The kingdom of heaven is here and will be here.' " {Note: The kingdom, which is promised by the four unconditional covenants to the Jews. The kingdom of eternal life through Jesus Christ.} {Disciples are to present their credentials as representatives of the Messiah. Now use the 'weapons' they are to use to bring attention to the arrival of the Messiah} 10:8~~"Heal the sick, raise the dead {resuscitate}, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received . . . freely give {Principal of Grace}." {Note: The cleansing of lepers is very important. When a leper is cured, under Jewish Law he must present himself to the Priesthood in the temple before he can go back into society. This alerts the Priesthood that the Messiah has come!} {How will they be sustained on their Evangelic Missions} 10:9-10~~"Do not take gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses {no money in their wallet} 10:10~~or script {or the wallet} . . . neither two coats, or sandals or staff . . . for the worker is worthy of his food/provision." {Note: Don't bother themselves with materialistic things. The believers with whom they stay will sustain them.} {Mechanics on How will they be sustain - Verses 11-13} 10:11~~"Whatever town or village you enter, find out {inquire} who is worthy there {someone with whom you are compatible} and stay with them until you leave." {Note: Be particular. Don't stay with just any believer. Stay with someone with whom you can associate . . . and in the next verse . . . and with whom you can relax. "Love all the brethren (impersonal love) but associate with a few.} 10:12~~"When you enter the house, salute/greet {aspazomai} {the occupants}." {Note: Aspazomai - literally means to salute the house. This is an idiom that means to greet the occupants, relax and enjoy their hospitality if they can.} 10:13~~"And if the house is worthy, let your blessings come on it; but if it is not worthy, move on." {Jesus warns of opposition to the Evangelic work - Verses 14-28} {Verses 14-15 - Outright rejection by some} 10:14~~"And whoever will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or that town." {Note: To the Jews, the dust of a Heathen city was unclean and caused defilement. This became an idiom meaning to move on and forget about them as if they were dead. This also could have meant that the action cursed these cities and homes.} 10:15~~"I tell you the truth, it was more bearable/tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than it will be on the Day of Judgment for that town {the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were judged and went out under the sin unto death - this is a future judgment on these cities}." {Note: This verse indicates that there are different degrees of divine punishment in times for different actions. This is not indicating there are different levels of punishment on the Day of Judgment.} 10:16~~"I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves {but they will be protected}, so be wise as serpents and harmless {akeraios - without gimmicks} like doves. {Note: The serpent was the emblem of wisdom in the ancient world - as we do today with the medical profession symbol. This says that we are to apply what you have learned to experience.} {Note: Akeraios means to be pure as in wine or metals. Here the doves are harmless or pure. This is an idiom meaning not to use gimmicks. 'Brother so-in-so gave a thousand, who will give two thousand . . . ' ' If Jesus is not lord of all, He is not Lord at all' type of rubbish.} {Jesus' warning of Religious Opposition to the Evangelic Work} 10:17~~"Beware of {religious} people, because they will hand you over to {Sanhedran} courts and flog you in their synagogues." {Jesus' warning of Political Opposition to the Evangelic Work} 10:18~~"And you will be brought before {Roman} governors and {client} kings on account of Me . . . as a witness to them and the Gentiles. {Note: Kings were appointed by the Senate in Rome to represent SPQR - example . . . Herod.} {Jesus tells them how to handle the opposition - verses 19-20 - Principal for believers under pressure from persecution - NOT a pastor in the pulpit message} 10:19-20~~"Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how to speak or what to say . . . for what you should say will be given to you at that time . . . 10:20~~for it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." {Note: This indicates the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the age of Israel in contrast with that of the church age. The HS was not the basis of spirituality as He is now. Spirituality then was demonstrated by the faith rest technique (Heb.11; Rom.4:17-21).} {Intensity of the opposition -Verses 21-23} {Division in the Home} 10:21~~"Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. And children will rise against parents and have them put to death." {Note: A love in doctrine and your family will begin to give you static. Doctrine may divide the family.} {Note: This principal was demonstrated recently in China when the communists took over. The children were told to write about their parents and then this was used to accuse the parents of being anti-Communists and they were killed. Sometimes the children even killed the parents. Twenty million Chinese parents died under communism this way.} {Opposition by non-doctrinal believers and unbelievers alike} 10:22~~"And you will be hated by all on account of My name. But the one who endures to the end will survive {logical future result}." {Note: Per RBT, the end here means the end of the age of Israel, which is completed at the end of the tribulation.} {Correct Principal of Evangelism -Meet Negative Volition - Move On!} 10:23~~"Whenever they persecute you {for the truth} in one place . . . GET OUT and go to another. I {Jesus} tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the cities and towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." {Note: Reference to the 2nd Advent, which ends the age of Israel. The point here is: life is short. Lay it on the line. If they are negative, move on to the next person/city.} {Pattern of Opposition begins} 10:24~~"A disciple is not above the teacher {Jesus here}, nor a slave above his master." {Note: Jesus was persecuted and so will they.} 10:25~~"It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. Since they have called the head of the house 'Beelzebub {Beelzeboul},' how much more will they defame the members of his household!" {Note: Christ communicated the gospel, so should they. And, Beelzeboul is a title of derision for Satan, meaning literally, 'prince of dung'} 10:26~~"Do not be afraid of them. There is nothing hidden {obscuring the gospel} that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known." {Lay the Obscure Things on the line - the Issue is CHRIST} 10:27~~"What I {Jesus} keep telling you in darkness/isolation . . . speak you in the light {openly} . . . and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops." 10:28~~"Never be afraid of - to your advantage - those who can kill the body {this is an order} but are not able to kill the soul {human and Satanic opposition}. Instead, fear Him {God - rest of verse describes His Power} . . . Who is able to destroy/ruin/'make void'/'bring to nothing' both soul and body in geenna/hell {Power of God to send the unbeliever to the lake of fire/hell}." {Note: God will not send believers to hell. This is a reference to His Unlimited Power. Fear that you might miss some provision of His for you in heaven - as in Heb.4: 1.} {Illustrations of God's power mentioned in verse 28 - Verses 29-31} 10:29-31~~"Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny and a half {assarion}? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will . . . 10:30~~ but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 10:31~~So do not be afraid . . . you are worth more than many/all sparrows." {Note: An assarion was a small Roman copper coin worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half-hour's average wage - translated farthing in KJV. It was worth in today's money about a penny and a half. Sparrows were used as food and were the cheapest things sold at market.} {Evaluation of the Apostles Verses 32-33 - First Witnessing ones} 10:32~~"Whoever, then, shall identify {homologeo} Me {Jesus} before people {witnessing}, I will identify {for the purpose of reward} before My Father in heaven." {Note: Homologeo is the word translated 'confess' in the KJV. It means to state your case as in a courtroom setting. Here is the concept of witnessing for Jesus. To 'identify' Him before the people.} {Evaluation of the Apostles Verses 32-33 - Now Non-witnessers} 10:33~~"But whoever denies Me before people {fail to witness for Christ}, I will deny him {of reward} also before My Father in heaven." {Sacrifices the Apostles will have to make - Verses 34-39} 10:34~~"Do not presume that I {Jesus} have come to bring peace to the earth {this is what 'religion' teaches today still!}. I have not come to bring peace but a sword." {Note: The cross is the basis of spiritual warfare, and divides the human race. The source of our salvation is the basis of spiritual war until He returns. Therefore, in the Church Age and tribulation that follows, Christ is a divider of people . . . depending on their attitude toward Him. This division reaches the closest relationships in life, including the family.} 10:35-36~~"For I {Jesus} have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law . . . 10:36~~ and a man's enemies will be the members of his household." {Note: The believer on doctrine is NOT his own worst enemy!} {The LORD must come first!} 10:37~~"Whoever loves {phileo} father or mother more than Me {Jesus} is not worthy of Me . . . and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me." {Note: Christ must be first in your life! BUT, by making doctrine first in your life, your love for your family will actually INCREASE as you learn what love really is - by God's example toward you! And, phileo is the concept of human love or 'liking' and is NOT divine love (agape).} {Illustration to previous verse - Verse 38-39} 10:38~~"And whoever does not take up his cross {making doctrine first in your life} and follow Me {means to live as He lived in the prototype divine dynasphere - controlled by the filling of the Holy Spirit} . . . is not worthy of Me {Jesus}." {Note: This does not refer to the cross of Christ specifically, but to the Roman custom of crucifixion, where the condemned person carried their own cross to the place of execution. This is making the sacrifices to love, learn, and live the mind of Christ, which results in personal love for Christ . . . motivating impersonal love for all mankind.} 10:39~~"Whoever discovers his soul {discover what you are really like - falling in love - like a family relationship with someone whom you have rapport} will be deprived of it . . . and whoever gives up his soul {doctrine first, not who or what you love - by picking up their cross} for Me will find it {logical future result}." 10:40~~"Whoever receives you {the disciples of Jesus} receives Me {Jesus}, and whoever receives Me receives the One Who sent Me." 10:41~~"Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. Whoever receives a righteous {dikaios - possessor of imputed righteousness - any believer} person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward." 10:42~~"And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones {the disciples} only in the name of a disciple, I {Jesus} tell you the truth, he will not lose his reward {the giver will receive reward in the operation also for their grace attitude}." {Note: the disciples are called little ones because: 1) they operate by grace, 2) they have appropriated grace, and 3) the greatest are called the youngest.} ************************************************ This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services. This page is sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living. 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