AND WHEN HE HAD CALLED UNTO HIM HIS TWELVE DISCIPLES, HE GAVE THEM POWER AGAINST UNCLEAN SPIRITS, TO CAST THEM OUT, AND TO HEAL ALL MANNER OF SICKNESS AND ALL MANNER OF DISEASE. The first part of Christ's Galilean ministry was over. He had spread the Gospel-message by His personal preaching in all p... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE NAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES ARE THESE: THE FIRST, SIMON, WHO IS CALLED PETER, AND ANDREW, HIS BROTHER; JAMES, THE SON OF ZEBEDEE, AND JOHN, HIS BROTHER;... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostles enumerated:... [ Continue Reading ]
PHILIP AND BARTHOLOMEW; THOMAS, AND MATTHEW, THE PUBLICAN; JAMES, THE SON OF ALPHEUS, AND LEBBEUS, WHOSE SURNAME WAS THADDEUS;... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON THE CANAANITE, AND JUDAS ISCARIOT, WHO ALSO BETRAYED HIM. Apostles they are called as the special witnesses of Christ and as His representatives in extending His Church, Acts 1:8, sent by Him with extraordinary authority. Note: At the head of the list is Peter, because he was called into actua... [ Continue Reading ]
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;... [ Continue Reading ]
Instructions as to the place to preach:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. These, twelve in all, known ever after by that designation, Jesus sent away with a definite charge as to the place and sphere of their work. They should stay away from the country of the heathens and from the cities of the Samaritans. With grea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS YE GO, PREACH, SAYING, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.... [ Continue Reading ]
The message itself and the accompanying signs:... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAL THE SICK, CLEANSE THE LEPERS, RAISE THE DEAD, CAST OUT DEVILS. FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. While on your missionary journey, preach; preaching the first and foremost duty and necessity. Its subject: The kingdom of the heavens is even now at hand. In the person of the lowly Nazarene, J... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVIDE NEITHER GOLD, NOR SILVER, NOR BRASS IN YOUR PURSES... [ Continue Reading ]
Instructions as to dress and baggage:... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR SCRIP FOR YOUR JOURNEY, NEITHER TWO COATS, NEITHER SHOES, NOR YET STAVES (FOR THE WORKMAN IS WORTHY OF HIS MEAT). Neither provide nor acquire on your trip; your mission is to be without material reward. Avarice and hoarding would prejudice your work. Money of any kind should not be taken, lest t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND INTO WHATSOEVER CITY OR TOWN YE SHALL ENTER, INQUIRE WHO IN IT IS WORTHY, AND THERE ABIDE TILL YE GO THENCE.... [ Continue Reading ]
The form of approach:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN YE COME INTO AN HOUSE, SALUTE IT. This shall be a standing rule; no matter what city or village it may be, the same procedure shall be followed. They shall earnestly, accurately examine and inquire as to the moral worthiness of the probable host, for a wrong choice might seriously harm the... [ Continue Reading ]
Parable of the straying sheep:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF SO BE THAT HE FIND IT, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, HE REJOICETH MORE OF THAT SHEEP THAN OF THE NINETY AND NINE WHICH WENT NOT ASTRAY. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reception and rejection;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT RECEIVE YOU, NOR HEAR YOUR WORDS: WHEN YE DEPART OUT OF THAT HOUSE, OR CITY, SHAKE OFF THE DUST OF YOUR FEET. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. A most effective comparison! The picture is that of a mount... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, IT SHALL BE MORE TOLERABLE FOR THE LAND OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT THAN FOR THAT CITY. If, after your salutation, the house be worthy of the honor that a servant of the Lord remain there, then your peace, which implies the blessing of the Lord, shall come an... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PERILS OF APOSTLESHIP. The basis of the apostles' conduct: BEHOLD, I SEND YOU FORTH AS SHEEP IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES; BE YE THEREFORE WISE AS SERPENTS AND HARMLESS AS DOVES. Their attention is called to the importance of His instructions. I send you, emphatic; He, the promised Prophet, makes us... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BEWARE OF MEN; FOR THEY WILL DELIVER YOU UP TO THE COUNCILS, AND THEY WILL SCOURGE YOU IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES.... [ Continue Reading ]
The enmity of men:... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. Be on your guard against such men as might turn out to be wolves in disguise. Do not, in general, trust yourselves to men, beware of confiding trustfulness, which delivers you into their po... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THEY DELIVER YOU UP, TAKE NO THOUGHT HOW OR WHAT YE SHALL SPEAK, FOR IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU IN THAT SAME HOUR WHAT YE SHALL SPEAK.... [ Continue Reading ]
Counsel against anxiety:... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT IS NOT YE THAT SPEAK, BUT THE SPIRIT OF YOUR FATHER WHICH SPEAKETH IN YOU. Since such persecutions, such trials, will come, since that fact is established, make your preparations accordingly, put your heart and mind in a condition which will enable you to stand the ordeal. Anxious, worrying t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE BROTHER SHALL DELIVER UP THE BROTHER TO DEATH, AND THE FATHER THE CHILD; AND THE CHILDREN SHALL RISE UP AGAINST THEIR PARENTS, AND CAUSE THEM TO BE PUT TO DEATH.... [ Continue Reading ]
Persecution in the family circle:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL BE HATED OF ALL MEN FOR MY NAME'S SAKE. BUT HE THAT ENDURETH TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED. The indescribable depravity of man's heart, causing such hatred of the purity of the Gospel, severing the closest natural ties, turning the members of the same household into mortal enemies: brother... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THEY PERSECUTE YOU IN THIS CITY, FLEE YE INTO ANOTHER; FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, YE SHALL NOT HAVE GONE OVER THE CITIES OF ISRAEL TILL THE SON OF MAN BE COME.... [ Continue Reading ]
Advice and comfort during persecutions:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DISCIPLE IS NOT ABOVE HIS MASTER, NOR THE SERVANT ABOVE HIS LORD.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS ENOUGH FOR THE DISCIPLE THAT HE BE AS HIS MASTER AND THE SERVANT AS HIS LORD. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household! There is a far cry from shunning martyrdom to abandoning prudence and inviting the enemies to wreak their ve... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR THEM NOT THEREFORE; FOR THERE IS NOTHING COVERED THAT SHALL NOT BE REVEALED; AND HID, THAT SHALL NOT BE KNOWN.... [ Continue Reading ]
FEARLESS CONFESSION OF CHRIST DEMANDED.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT I TELL YOU IN DARKNESS, THAT SPEAK YE IN LIGHT; AND WHAT YE HEAR IN THE EAR, THAT PREACH YE UPON THE HOUSETOPS. Have no fear, is the key-note of this section. Do not let fear, which is natural under the circumstances, overpower you, since they that are your enemies and try to harm you, are huma... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FEAR NOT THEM WHICH, KILL THE BODY, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO KILL THE SOUL; BUT RATHER FEAR HIM WHICH IS ABLE TO DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN HELL.... [ Continue Reading ]
Further consolation:... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A FARTHING? AND ONE OF THEM SHALL NOT FALL ON THE GROUND WITHOUT YOUR FATHER.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED.... [ Continue Reading ]
Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Why harbor fear? All that the persecuting enemies can destroy or injure is the body, if God should so permit. Only one fear can and should live in the hearts of Christ's disciples, a deep-seated fear, an awe and relevance which fears n... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSOEVER, THEREFORE, SHALL CONFESS ME BEFORE MEN, HIM WILL I CONFESS ALSO BEFORE MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.... [ Continue Reading ]
The conclusion:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHOSOEVER SHALL DENY ME BEFORE MEN, HIM WILL I ALSO DENY BEFORE MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. A solemn reference to the final judgment. A confession of Christ in word and deed, an open proclamation of the truth and a steadfast defense of the truth, is demanded for every follower of Christ. This... [ Continue Reading ]
THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO SEND PEACE ON EARTH. I CAME NOT TO SEND PEACE, BUT A SWORD.... [ Continue Reading ]
The result of such uncompromising demands:... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I AM COME TO SET A MAN AT VARIANCE AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND THE DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A MAN'S FOES SHALL BE THEY OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD. The same thought as in verse 21. Peace on earth was promised at the birth of Jesus, Luke 2:14. And peace on earth was earned by the Redeemer, Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:18. But here is where the Lord refers to the second, terrible ef... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT LOVETH FATHER OR MOTHER MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME; AND HE THAT LOVETH SON OR DAUGHTER MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME.... [ Continue Reading ]
PERFECT CONSECRATION TO CHRIST.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT TAKETH NOT HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOWETH AFTER ME, IS NOT WORTHY OF ME.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT FINDETH HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT; AND HE THAT LOSETH HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE SHALL FIND IT. The facts, as just stated by Christ, may, under circumstances, make a very painful choice necessary, that between relatives and truth. In case of dissension in a family, policy and expediency suggest compr... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT RECEIVETH YOU RECEIVETH ME; AND HE THAT RECEIVETH ME RECEIVETH HIM THAT SENT ME.... [ Continue Reading ]
A cheering saying:... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT RECEIVETH A PROPHET IN THE NAME OF A PROPHET SHALL RECEIVE A PROPHET'S REWARD; AND HE THAT RECEIVETH A RIGHTEOUS MAN IN THE NAME OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL RECEIVE A RIGHTEOUS MAN'S REWARD.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER SHALL GIVE TO DRINK UNTO ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES A CUP OF COLD WATER ONLY, IN THE NAME OF A DISCIPLE, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, HE SHALL IN NO WISE LOSE HIS REWARD. The apostles, the messengers of Christ, are His representatives. The treatment accorded them is, in them, given to Christ,... [ Continue Reading ]