Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Matthew 10

Mat 10:1 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.

twelve disciples

Mar 3:13-19; Luk 6:12-16.

gave them power

Mar 6:7-12; Luk 9:1-6.

Mat 10:2 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;

the names of the twelve

Mar 3:13-19; Luk 6:12-16; Act 1:13.

apostles

The word apostle, = "one sent forth," is used of our Lord Heb 3:1. Elsewhere it is used of the twelve who were called to that office by our Lord during His earth ministry; of Paul, called to the apostleship by the risen and ascended Lord, and of Barnabas (Act 14:14), specially designated by the Holy Spirit (Act 13:2). Of Matthias, chosen by lot by the eleven to take the place of Judas Iscariot, (Act 1:16-26), it is said: "And he was numbered with the eleven." (Act 1:26). See Scofield Act 1:26.

The "signs" of an apostle were:

1. They were chosen directly by the Lord Himself, or, as in the case of Barnabas, by the Holy Spirit (Mat 10:1, 2; Mar 3:13, 14; Luk 6:13; Act 9:6, 15; 13:2; 22:10, 14, 15; Rom 1:1).
2. They were endued with sign gifts, miraculous powers which were the divine credentials of their office (Mat 10:1; Act 5:15, 16; 16:16-18; 28:8, 9).
3. Their relation to the kingdom was that of heralds, announcing, to Israel only (Mat 10:5, 6), the kingdom as at hand (Scofield Matthew 4:17, note), and manifesting kingdom powers (Mat 10:7, 8).
4. To one of them, Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, viewed as the sphere of Christian profession, as in Mat 13, were given (Mat 16:19).
5. Their future relation to the king will be that of judges over the twelve tribes (Mat 19:28).
6. Consequent upon the rejection of the kingdom, and the revelation of the mystery hid in God (Mat 16:18; Eph 3:1-12), the Church, the apostolic office was invested with a new enduement, the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Act 2:1-4); a new power, that of imparting the Spirit to Jewish-Christian believers; a new relation, that of foundation stones of the new temple (Eph 2:20-22); and a new function, that of preaching the glad tidings of salvation through a crucified and risen Lord to Jew and Gentile alike.
7. The indispensable qualification of an apostle was that he should have been an eye-witness of the resurrection (Act 1:22; 1Co 9:1).

James the son of Zebedee

Scofield Matthew 4:21, note.

Mat 10:5 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:

Gentiles

The kingdom was promised to the Jews. Gentiles could be blessed only through Christ crucified and risen. Cf. Jhn 12:20-24.

Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

lost sheep

Greek apollumi. Scofield John 3:16, note; Mat 15:24, 26; Act 13:46.

Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

kingdom of heaven

Mat 3:2; 4:17.

Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Heal the sick

Mat 10:1; 2Co 12:12.

raise the dead

Resurrection. Mat 17:3. (Job 19:25; 1 Cor 15:52.)

devils

demons. Scofield Matthew 7:22, note.

Mat 10:9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

Provide

Cf. Mar 6:8, 9; Luk 9:3. The central thought here, urgency, must be kept in mind. The emphasis is upon "provide." Time is not to be taken to search for additional staves or shoes. The disciples were to go in their ordinary sandals, with such staff as they might have, or with none. Cf. Paul, Rom 1:15.

Mat 10:10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

the workman is worthy of his meat

Luk 10:7; 1Co 9:4-15; 1Ti 5:18.

Mat 10:14 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.

your words

Inspiration. Mat 11:13. (Exo 4:15; Rev 22:19.)

shake off the dust

Luk 10:10-12; Act 13:51.

Mat 10:15 Verily 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.

It shall be more tolerable

Mat 11:22.

day of judgment

Day of Judgment. Mat 11:22. (Mat 10:15; Rev 20:11).

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

send you forth

The scope of Mat 10:16-23 reaches beyond the personal ministry of the twelve, covering in a general sense the sphere of service during the present age. Mat 10:23 has in view the preaching of the remnant (Isa 1:9; Scofield Romans 11:5, note) in the tribulation (Psa 2:5; Scofield Revelation 7:14, note), and immediately preceding the return of Christ in glory (Deu 30:3; Scofield Acts 1:9-11, note). The remnant then will not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Lord comes.

sheep in the midst of wolves

Mat 7:15; Luk 10:3.

wise

Cf. 2Co 12:16; Col 4:5.

harmless

Phl 2:14-16.

Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

beware of men

1Pe 3:13, 14.

Mat 10:19 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.

take no thought how or what ye shall speak

Mar 13:11-13; Luk 12:11, 12; 21:14-19.

it shall be given you

An instruction to martyrs, not to preachers.

Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Spirit

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Mat 12:18, 28, 32. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

he that endureth to the end

Mat 24:13.

Mat 10:23 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.

gone over the cities of Israel

Mat 24:4-30.

Son of man

Scofield Matthew 8:20, note.

Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

nor the servant above his lord

Jhn 15:19-21.

Mat 10:25 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?

called the master of the house

Jhn 8:48 with Act 2:13.

Beelzebub

Beelzebul, title of a heathen deity.

Mat 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

nothing covered, that shall not be revealed

Mar 4:22; Luk 12:2, 3; 1Co 4:5.

Mat 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

speak ye

Act 5:20; Col 1:23.

Mat 10:28 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.

fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body

2Co 5:11.

hell

Scofield Matthew 5:22, note.

Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

sparrows sold

Luk 12:4-7.

farthing

1 - 4 penny, or 1 - 2 cent.

Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

hairs of your head

Luk 21:18; Act 27:34.

Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

confess me before men

Psa 119:46; Luk 12:8; Rev 3:8.

Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

will I also deny

Mat 7:23; Luk 12:9.

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

peace

Cf. John 14:27. Peace is spoken of in Scripture in three ways:

1. "Peace with God" (Rom 5:1); this is the work of Christ into which the individual enters by faith (Eph 2:14-17; Rom 5:1).
2. "The peace of God" (Phl 4:7); inward peace, the state of soul of that believer who, having entered into peace with God through faith in Christ, has also committed to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving all his anxieties (Luk 7:50; Phl 4:6).
3. Peace "on earth" (Luk 2:14; Psa 42:7; 85:10; Isa 9:6, 7; 11:1-12); the universal prevalency of peace in the earth under the kingdom. Mat 10:34 was Christ's warning that the truth which He was proclaiming would not bring in the kingdom-age of peace, but conflict rather. (Cf. Jhn 14:27).

Mat 10:35 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.

at variance against

Mic 7:6; Jhn 9:18.

Mat 10:37 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.

is not worthy of me

Deu 33:9; Luk 14:26; 2Co 5:16.

Mat 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

He that receiveth you receiveth me

Mat 25:40, 45; Act 9:4.

Mat 10:41 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.

reward

Rewards. Mat 10:41, 42; Mat 16:27. (Dan 12:3; 1Co 3:14.)

righteous

Righteousness. Scofield Romans 10:10, note.

Mat 10:42 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.

whosoever shall give

1Ki 18:4; Luk 21:1-4.