Chapter Overview Key ideas, context & where Christ is 1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits , to cast them out , and to heal every disease and every affliction .
2 The names of the twelve apostles are these : first , Simon , who is called Peter , and Andrew his brother ; James the son of Zebedee , and John his brother ;
3 Philip and Bartholomew ; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector ; James the son of Alphaeus , and Thaddaeus ;
4 Simon the Zealot , and Judas Iscariot , who betrayed him .
5 These twelve Jesus sent out , instructing them , “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans ,
6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel .
7 And proclaim as you go , saying , ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand .’
8 Heal the sick , raise the dead , cleanse lepers , cast out demons . You received without paying ; give without pay .
9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts ,
10 no bag for your journey , or two tunics or sandals or a staff , for the laborer deserves his food .
11 And whatever town or village you enter , find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart .
12 As you enter the house , greet it .
13 And if the house is worthy , let your peace come upon it , but if it is not worthy , let your peace return to you .
14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words , shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town .
15 Truly , I say to you , it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town .
16 “Behold , I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves , so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves .
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Jesus isn't cal…
17 Beware of men , for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues ,
18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake , to bear witness before them and the Gentiles .
19 When they deliver you over , do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say , for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour .
20 For it is not you who speak , but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you .
21 Brother will deliver brother over to death , and the father his child , and children will rise against parents and have them put to death ,
22 and you will be hated by all for my name ’s sake . But the one who endures to the end will be saved .
23 When they persecute you in one town , flee to the next , for truly , I say to you , you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes .
God is faithful in every circumstance. His timing, His methods, His purposes - all beyond our comprehension, yet perfect…
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher , nor a servant above his master .
25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher , and the servant like his master . If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul , how much more will they malign those of his household .
26 “So have no fear of them , for nothing is covered that will not be revealed , or hidden that will not be known .
27 What I tell you in the dark , say in the light , and what you hear whispered , proclaim on the housetops .
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul . Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell .
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father .
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the knowledge of your Fath…
30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered .
31 Fear not , therefore ; you are of more value than many sparrows .
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men , I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven ,
33 but whoever denies me before men , I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven .
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth . I have not come to bring peace , but a sword .
35 For I have come to set a man against his father , and a daughter against her mother , and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law .
36 And a person ’s enemies will be those of his own household .
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me , and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me .
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me .
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it , and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it .
40 “Whoever receives you receives me , and whoever receives me receives him who sent me .
41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet ’s reward , and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person ’s reward .
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple , truly , I say to you , he will by no means lose his reward .”
Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.