The Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16)
1And 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.
2Now 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; 3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6)
5These 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: 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14And 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. 15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Comfort in Persecution
(2 Timothy 1:6-12)
16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19But 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. 20For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21And 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. 22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
23But 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.
24The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25It 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?
Fearing God Alone
(Luke 12:4-7)
26Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28And 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. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Confessing Christ
(Luke 12:8-12)
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
The Sword of the Gospel
(Luke 12:49-53)
34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For 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. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Take up Your Cross
(Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27)
37He 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. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
The Reward of Service
(2 Kings 4:8-17)
40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41He 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. 42And 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.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16)
1 He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; 3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6)
5 Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 9 Don’t take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. 10 Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. 11 Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. 12 As you enter into the household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Sheep among Wolves
(2 Timothy 1:3–12)
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. 18 Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19 But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
Fear God Alone
(Luke 12:4–7)
26 Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29 “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will, 30 but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
Confessing Christ
(Luke 12:8–12)
32 Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace but a Sword
(Micah 7:1–6; Luke 12:49–53)
34 “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A man’s foes will be those of his own household.
37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38 He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. 39 He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
The Reward of Service
(2 Kings 4:8–17)
40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.”
The Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16)
1 And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, a and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. b
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, c drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 Do not carry any gold or silver or copper in your belts. 10 Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.
11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house d until you move on. 12 As you enter the home, greet its occupants. e 13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; but if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Sheep among Wolves
(2 Timothy 1:3–12)
16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, f how much more the members of his household!
Fear God Alone
(Luke 12:4–7)
26 So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. g
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? h Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Confessing Christ
(Luke 12:8–12)
32 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.
Not Peace but a Sword
(Micah 7:1–6; Luke 12:49–53)
34 Do not assume 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 turn
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 A man’s enemies will be the members
of his own household.’ i
37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; 38 and anyone who does not take up 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.
The Reward of Service
(2 Kings 4:8–17)
40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
Footnotes:
4 a Greek Simon the Cananean
4 b Literally the one also having betrayed Him
8 c A leper was one afflicted with a skin disease. See Leviticus 13.
11 d Literally stay there
12 e Literally greet it
25 f WH Beezeboul ; Vulgate Beelzebub
28 g Greek Gehenna
29 h Greek an assarion ; that is, a Roman copper coin worth about 1-16 of a denarius
36 i Micah 7:6
The Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16)
1And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave to them power over unclean spirits, so as to be casting them out, and to be healing every sickness, and every malady.
2And of the twelve apostles the names are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus; 4Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up.
The Ministry of the Twelve
(Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6)
5These twelve did Jesus send forth, having given command to them, saying, 'To the way of the nations go not away, and into a city of the Samaritans go not in, 6and be going rather unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7'And, going on, proclaim saying that, the reign of the heavens hath come nigh; 8infirm ones be healing, lepers be cleansing, dead be raising, demons be casting out -- freely ye did receive, freely give. 9'Provide not gold, nor silver, nor brass in your girdles, 10nor scrip for the way, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff -- for the workman is worthy of his nourishment. 11'And into whatever city or village ye may enter, inquire ye who in it is worthy, and there abide, till ye may go forth. 12And coming to the house salute it, 13and if indeed the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; and if it be not worthy, let your peace turn back to you. 14'And whoever may not receive you nor hear your words, coming forth from that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet, 15verily 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.
Comfort in Persecution
(2 Timothy 1:6-12)
16'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves. 17And, take ye heed of men, for they will give you up to sanhedrims, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, 18and before governors and kings ye shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19'And whenever they may deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye may speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak; 20for ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking in you.
21'And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death, 22and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end, he shall be saved.
23'And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come.
24'A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord; 25sufficient to the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the master of the house they did call Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household?
Fearing God Alone
(Luke 12:4-7)
26'Ye may not, therefore, fear them, for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, and hid, that shall not be known; 27that which I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and that which you hear at the ear, proclaim on the house-tops. 28'And be not afraid of those killing the body, and are not able to kill the soul, but fear rather Him who is able both soul and body to destroy in gehenna. 29'Are not two sparrows sold for an assar? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father; 30and of you -- even the hairs of the head are all numbered; 31be not therefore afraid, than many sparrows ye are better.
Confessing Christ
(Luke 12:8-12)
32'Every one, therefore, who shall confess in me before men, I also will confess in him before my Father who is in the heavens; 33and whoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.
The Sword of the Gospel
(Luke 12:49-53)
34'Ye may not suppose that I came to put peace on the earth; I did not come to put peace, but a sword; 35for I came to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36and the enemies of a man are those of his household.
Take up Your Cross
(Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27)
37'He who is loving father or mother above me, is not worthy of me, and he who is loving son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me, 38and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. 39'He who found his life shall lose it, and he who lost his life for my sake shall find it.
The Reward of Service
(2 Kings 4:8-17)
40'He who is receiving you doth receive me, and he who is receiving me doth receive Him who sent me, 41he who is receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who is receiving a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward, 42and whoever may give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he may not lose his reward.'
The Favor of God paraphrase
Jesus Sends His Twelve Messengers
¹ Jesus gathered His twelve closest followers and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every sickness and disease. He was equipping them to bring healing where there had only been suffering, giving them power over the forces of darkness.¹
² These are the names of the twelve messengers He sent out: Simon, who was called Peter (meaning ‘the Rock’), his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
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 would later betray Him.
⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with strict instructions: “Do not go to the Gentile regions or enter any Samaritan town!
⁶ Instead, go to the lost sheep of Israel, the ones who have wandered far from God.
⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near!’
⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Freely you have received; freely give!
⁹ Don’t take any gold or silver or copper for your belts.
¹⁰ No bag for the journey, no extra shirt or sandals or staff, for the worker is worth their keep.
¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, search for a worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting of peace.
¹³ If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if not, let your peace return to you.
¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet!
¹⁵ Truly, I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!
Facing Opposition
¹⁶ I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves!
¹⁷ Beware of people, for they will hand you over to local councils and flog you in their synagogues.
¹⁸ You will be brought before governors and kings because of Me, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, it will be given to you what to say,
²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
²² You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved!
²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A Disciple’s Cross
²⁴ The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.
²⁵ It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants to be like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
²⁶ So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops!
²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!
³² Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.
³³ But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven.
The Cost of Following Jesus
³⁴ Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
³⁵ For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
³⁷ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.
Rewards for Service
⁴⁰ Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me.
⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is My disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Footnotes:
1.“Gave them authority”: The Greek word used here, “ἐξουσία” (exousia), refers to delegated power, authority that comes directly from someone in a position of control. In this case, it is divine power conferred by Jesus to His disciples.
2.“Lost sheep of Israel”: This is a metaphor for the people of Israel who have gone astray, needing guidance back to God.
3.“Shake the dust off your feet”: In ancient Jewish custom, shaking off the dust from one’s feet symbolized breaking ties with the unresponsive town or household, showing that they were accountable for their rejection of the message.
4.“Be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves”: This is a poetic way of saying to be shrewd and discerning in your dealings with people, while maintaining moral purity and harmlessness.
5.“Persecuted in one place, flee to another”: Jesus is instructing His disciples to be prudent, not reckless, in their mission. Fleeing persecution doesn’t signify failure but demonstrates wisdom in preserving life to continue the mission elsewhere.
6.“Take up their cross”: This phrase, understood by the audience of that time, meant a willingness to endure suffering, shame, or even death in the pursuit of faithfulness to Jesus.
7.“A cup of cold water”: Providing water was a basic act of hospitality in the ancient Near East, and this phrase emphasizes that even small acts of kindness and service will be rewarded.
