Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 6:7
And he called [unto him] the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
7 13. Mission of the Twelve
7. he called ] Rather, He calleth unto Him.
two and two ] St Mark alone records this. They were sent forth probably in different directions on a tentative mission, to make trial of their powers, and fit them for a more extended mission afterwards. Their election had taken place in the solitude of a mountain range their first mission occurred amidst the busy towns and villages of Galilee.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he called unto him the twelve – See the notes at Mat 10:1.
And began to send them forth by two and two – In order that they might support and encourage each other in their work. Amid the trials and opposition with which they would meet, mutual counsel and aid would greatly lighten their burdens and alleviate their calamities. Mutual counsel might also contribute to their success, and lead to united plans to advance the kingdom of the Redeemer. Jesus here, as in all the work of religion, consulted at the same time the happiness and the usefulness of his disciples; nor are they ever separated. Whatever contributes to the usefulness of his people produces also their happiness; or, in other words, the secret of being happy is to be useful.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mar 6:7-18
And He called unto Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two.
The first mission of the twelve
Christ sends them forth.
I. Orderly.
1. As to the persons evangelized. To the Jew first. To have disregarded that, would have excited most bitterly the jealousy of His countrymen, as well as committed the apostles to a work for which they were by no means prepared, because their national antipathies were not yet eradicated.
2. As to the persons engaged in the work of evangelization. Two and two: companionships most desirable arrangement. How important then was this pairing off, enabling them to hold sweet converse together, and strengthen and correct one another when necessary.
II. The mission was in a sense self supporting. They were to go forth in simple dependence upon their Master, and He would put it into mens hearts to supply their wants. The work on which they were now sent demanded the total surrender of all their energy and will for Christs cause.
III. It was fraught with serious consequences. Those to whom they addressed the gospel message would reject it at their own peril; and the guilt of impenitence would be proportioned to the force with which the truth was revealed. (H. M. Luckock, D. D.)
The mission of the Twelve
I. Consider by what this mission was preceded.
1. By a return to Nazareth where His life was once threatened. (a) This shows Christs readiness to forgive and to do good to His enemies.
2. By graciously seeking to win back His fellow townsmen.
3. By another scornful rejection of Himself and His message.
II. The occasion and purpose of this mission.
1. The occasion (see Mat 9:36-38).
2. The purpose.
(a) To preach.
(b) To heal the sick.
(c) To cleanse the lepers.
(d) To raise the dead.
III. The conditions under which they were to go forth.
1. They must go forth without taking anything for their journey.
2. If rejected in one city, they must proceed to the next. They might flee from danger, but not from duty (Matthew Henry)
.
3. They must refrain from all resentments and retaliations.
4. The full assurance of their Lords assistance in every trouble. (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)
Apostolic labours and their reception
I. Christs ministers receive from Him power for their appointed work.
II. When called to high service, they need not care for common wants.
III. The rejection of the greatest good leads to the greatest ill. (J. H. Godwin.)
Preparations for preaching
Mark significantly says, Then Jesus began to send them forth: forever since that day He has been giving similar work, and qualifying similar representatives.
I. To go forth from the presence of Jesus.
II. To be willing to work together.
III. To be content with the use of moral influence. Men are to be urged, not forced.
IV. To exercise self-denial and cheerful trust in God. (A. Rowland, LL. B.)
The apostolic commission
The grandest commission ever entrusted to man. Consider-
I. Its imposed conditions.
1. In company: by two and two. Thus for mutual encouragement and help. For the heart of the strongest may fail in presence of danger, difficulty, death.
2. In poverty. Thus was it shown that their power and influence with men was not of earth.
3. In danger. Those whom they went to bless would turn against and persecute them.
4. Yet in safety. God watching over and protecting them. And even if the body is slain, the soul will be safe, and the confessor of Christ will be owned by Him before the Father.
II. Its trust or, the terms of the commission. How grand, how honourable, how precious to the world-the world of ignorant, suffering, sinful men! The great mission has for its object the removal of the evils of human life. Its foulness, its suffering, its error, its subjugation to evil, are all to be combated.
III. Its limitation. Only to the Jews, at present. The children must first be filled.
IV. Its success. (R. Green.)
Missionaries
I. Missionaries must not be, as a rule, solitary men. For counsel, defence, cheerfulness, two are better than one.
II. Missionaries must be, as a rule, frugal men. No luxuries; bare necessaries. Like the soldier on the march, or the exploring traveller.
III. Missionaries must not be, as a rule, sedentary men. Sound the trumpet blast, and then on again.
IV. Missionaries must, as a rule, act directly upon the conscience of men. The missionarys work is to break up the fallow ground. (E. Johnson, M. A.)
Companionship
The solitary soul on a new enterprise is apt to lose heart, and not half perform his part. With no counsellor, sympathizer, helper, he goes uncertainly. Jesus would give His ambassadors all advantage of fraternal support, that in this apprenticeship, as one terms it, they might not falter. The confirming word, too, is of might when the message is novel. The apostles afterward went thus in pairs. St. Pauls strongest expression of regret was that, on any part of his journey, he must be left alone. Livingstone, in the depths of the African continent, longed for the society and cheer of her who laid down her life on the way thither; and, as the end drew near, he leaned harder on the Lord, for no hand but Gods could smooth the troubled brow on which the death-damps gathered, as the noble man, kneeling at his bedside in prayer, bade farewell to earth. (De W. S. Clark.)
Incumbrances to be abandoned
Armies most amply furnished with stores and comforts are most inefficient. The Zulu hordes, with but spear and shield, held long at bay the well-provisioned and disciplined troops of England. Baggage is well termed impedimenta. It checks, by just so much, the quickness, and fosters, by hardness. The soul heavily freighted with the luxuries and appliances of this life is at a disadvantage for the sudden movements and missions on which the great Captain would send it. (De W. S. Clark.)
No money:
Literally, no copper, for that is the metal that is got from the bowels of the earth. Brass is an artificial alloy, having in it a mixture of tin with the copper, and was unknown, as is supposed, to the Hebrews. The word is not used by the evangelist to denote any particular copper coin, but simply, though representatively, copper money in general. The underlying idea is money in general. Not even coppers would be needed, not to speak of silver and gold. (J. Morison, D. D.)
Mutual help
Why did Jesus send the apostles forth by two and two? The answer is, in order that they might be helpmeets for each other. A father was walking one day in the fields with his two children. The wind was blowing over a fine field of ripe corn, and making the beautiful golden ears wave like the waves of the sea. Is it not surprising, said one of the children, that the wind does not break the slender stalks of the corn? My child, said the father, see how flexible the stalks are! They bend before the wind and rise again when the wind has passed over them. See, too, how they help to support each other. A single stalk would be soon bent to the ground, but so many growing close together help to keep each other up. If we keep together when the troubles of life come upon us like a stormy wind, we shall keep each other up, when one trying to stand alone would fall.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. By two and two] That they might encourage and support each other; and to show that union among the ministers of the Gospel is essential to the promotion of the cause of truth. See Clarke on Lu 10:1.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mark had before told us of the election of the twelve, Mar 3:14, which neither Matthew nor Luke mention: here he gives us an account of their mission, which is mentioned by both them also. The instructions which he gave them are much the same with what we meet with in Mat 10:1-42, and there opened. He would have them, upon their first mission, commit themselves to and find the experience of the Divine providence; and therefore he charges them,
1. To take no money as a reward of their pains.
2. Not to go provided with any sustenance, or money to buy any; only they might take a walking stick in their hands, for, as Matthew reports it, he forbade them taking any staves to bear burdens, as well as any scrips; or it may be he meant two staves, that if one had any way miscarried, have been broken or lost, they might have another at hand.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he called unto him the twelve,…. “His twelve disciples”, as some copies read; whom he had before called by his grace, and had appointed and ordained them his apostles, but had not yet publicly sent forth; in order to which, he now called them to him, and gave them their commission, qualifications, and instructions:
and began to send them forth by two and two: he first sent forth one couple, and then another; the reason of his sending them by pairs, was partly for the sake of company, and that they might be useful and assisting to one another; and partly to show their agreement in doctrine; and that they might be proper and sufficient witnesses of it, whereby it might be established; and the rather, being thus sent by pairs into different parts, their message would be the sooner dispatched, than if they had all went together:
and gave them power over unclean spirits; that is, to cast them out; as it is expressed in Mt. 10:1, [See comments on Mt 10:1]; and which is here added in the Syriac and Persic versions. Many things are omitted by this evangelist, which are mentioned by Matthew: he does not give us the names of the twelve apostles; the reason of that indeed may be, because they are related by him in Mr 3:16, and he did not choose to repeat them here: nor does he take any notice of the places where the apostles were to go, and where not; nor of the persons to whom, or not; as not into the way of the Gentiles, nor into any of the cities of the Samaritans, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: nor does he say any thing of the subject matter of their ministry or what they had in charge to publish; as that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, or the Gospel dispensation: nor does he observe the several things they were to do in confirmation of their doctrine and mission; as healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and casting out devils: he only relates the directions given them with respect to their journey, in the following verses; the reason of all which seems to be, because he refers not to the same time as Matthew does, to their appointment and ordination; but to the time they were sent out, and proceeded on their journey.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| The Apostolic Commission. |
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7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Here is, I. The commission given to the twelve apostles, to preach and work miracles; it is the same which we had more largely, Matt. x. Mark doth not name them here, as Matthew doth, because he had named them before, when they were first called into fellowship with him, ch. iii. 16-19. Hitherto they had been conversant with Christ, and had set at his feet, had heard his doctrine, and seen his miracles; and now he determines to make some use of them; they had received, that they might give, had learned, that they might teach; and therefore now he began to send them forth. They must not always be studying in the academy, to get knowledge, but they must preach in the country, to do good with the knowledge they have got. Though they were not as yet so well accomplished as they were to be, yet, according to their present ability and capacity, they must be set to work, and make further improvements afterward. Now observe here,
1. That Christ sent them forth by two and two; this Mark takes notice of. They went two and two to a place, that out of the mouth of two witnesses every word might be established; and that they might be company for one another when they were among strangers, and might strengthen the hands, and encourage the hearts, one of another; might help one another if any thing should be amiss, and keep one another in countenance. Every common soldier has his comrade; and it is an approved maxim, Two are better than one. Christ would thus teach his ministers to associate, and both lend and borrow help.
2. That he gave them power over unclean spirits. He commissioned them to attack the devil’s kingdom, and empowered them, as a specimen of their breaking his interest in the souls of men by their doctrine, to cast him out of the bodies of those that were possessed. Dr. Lightfoot suggests, that they cured diseases, and cast out devils, by the Spirit, but preached that only which they had learned from the mouth of Christ.
3. That he commanded them not to take provisions along with them, neither victuals nor money, that they might appear, wherever they came, to be poor men, men not of this world, and therefore might with the better grace call people off from it to another world. When afterward he bid them take purse and scrip (Luke xxii. 36), that did not intimate (as Dr. Lightfoot observes) that his care of them was abated from what it had been; but that they should meet with worse times and worse entertainment than they met with at their first mission. In Matthew and Luke they are forbidden to take staves with them, that is, fighting staves; but here in Mark they are bid to take nothing save a staff only, that is, a walking staff, such as pilgrims carried. They must not put on shoes, but sandals only, which were only the soles of shoes tied under their feet, or like pumps, or slippers; they must go in the readiest plainest dress they could, and must not so much as have two coats; for their stay abroad would be short, they must return before winter, and what they wanted, those they preached to would cheerfully accommodate them with.
4. He directed them, whatever city they came to, to make that house their head-quarters, which happened to be their first quarters (v. 10); “There abide, till ye depart from that place. And since ye know ye come on an errand sufficient to make you welcome, have such charity for your friends that first invited you, as to believe they do not think you burthensome.”
5. He pronounces a very heavy doom upon those that rejected the gospel they preached (v. 11); “Whosoever shall not receive you, or will not so much as hear you, depart thence (if one will not, another will), and shake off the dust under your feet, for a testimony against them. Let them know that they have had a fair offer of life and happiness made them, witness that dust; but that, since they have refused it, they cannot expect ever to have another; let them take up with their own dust, for so shall their doom be.” That dust, like the dust of Egypt (Exod. ix. 9), shall turn into a plague to them; and their condemnation in the great day, will be more intolerable than that of Sodom: for the angels were sent to Sodom, and were abused there; yet that would not bring on so great a guilt and so great a ruin as the contempt and abuse of the apostles of Christ, who bring with them the offers of gospel grace.
II. The apostles’ conduct in pursuance of their commission. Though they were conscious to themselves of great weakness, and expected no secular advantage by it, yet, in obedience to their Master’s order, and in dependence upon his strength, they went out as Abraham, not knowing whither they went. Observe here,
1. The doctrine they preached; They preached that men should repent (v. 12); that they should change their minds, and reform their lives, in consideration of the near approach of the kingdom of the Messiah. Note, The great design of the gospel preachers, and the great tendency of gospel preaching, should be, to bring people to repentance, to a new heart and a new way. They did not amuse people with curious speculations, but told them that they must repent of their sins, and turn to God.
2. The miracles they wrought. The power Christ gave them over unclean spirits, was not ineffectual, nor did they receive it in vain, but used it, for they cast out many devils (v. 13); and they anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. Some think this oil was used medicinally, according to the custom of the Jews; but I rather think it was used as a sign of miraculous healing, by the appointment of Christ, though not mentioned; and it was afterward used by those elders of the church, to whom by the Spirit was given the gift of healing, Jam. v. 14. It is certain here, and therefore probable there, that anointing the sick with oil, is appropriated to that extraordinary power which has long ceased, and therefore that sign must cease with it.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
By two and two ( ). This repetition of the numeral instead of the use of or is usually called a Hebraism. The Hebrew does have this idiom, but it appears in Aeschylus and Sophocles, in the vernacular Koine (Oxyrhynchus Papyri No. 121), in Byzantine Greek, and in modern Greek (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, pp. 122f.). Mark preserves the vernacular Koine better than the other Gospels and this detail suits his vivid style. The six pairs of apostles could thus cover Galilee in six different directions. Mark notes that he “began to send them forth” ( ). Aorist tense and present infinitive. This may refer simply to this particular occasion in Mark’s picturesque way. But the imperfect tense means he kept on giving them all through the tour, a continuous power (authority) over unclean spirits singled out by Mark as representing “all manner of diseases and all manner of sickness” (Mt 10:1), “to cure diseases” (, Lu 9:1), healing power. They were to preach and to heal (Luke 9:1; Matt 10:7). Mark does not mention preaching as a definite part of the commission to the twelve on this their first preaching tour, but he does state that they did preach (6:12). They were to be missioners or missionaries () in harmony with their office ().
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
By two and two. To help and encourage each other, and also for fullness of testimony.
8 – 12. See Matthew 10.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
THE CALL AND SENDING OF THE TWELVE, V. 7-13
1) “And He called unto Him the twelve,” (kai proskaleitai tous dodeka) “And He called to Him, because He wanted them, the twelve,” whom He had already ordained as apostles, and set in His church, as the first officials, Mar 3:13-19; 1Co 12:28.
2) “And began to send them forth by two and two;- (kai erksato autous apostellein duo, duo) “And began to commission (mandate) them to go forth two by two,” on their first, limited commission mission, Mat 10:5-14; They went “two by two” for council, company, and verifiable witness, as in the mouth of two or three witnesses, Joh 5:31; Joh 8:14; Joh 8:17; Num 35:30; Deu 17:6.
3) “And gave them power over unclean spirits;- (kai edidou autois eksousian ton pneumaton ton akathraton) “And gave them administrative authority over unclean, deranged, or demented spirits;- Mat 10:11; Luk 9:1-6.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) He called unto him the twelve.See Notes on Mat. 10:1-15. The omission by St. Mark of the greater part of the discourse connected with the mission of the Twelve in Matthew 10 is every way characteristic of the writer, whose main work it was to trace the ministry of action rather than of speech.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
57, SENDING OUT HIS APOSTLES, Mar 6:7-13 .
(Compare notes on Matthew 10.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he called to him the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over unclean spirits.’
Jesus was aware that much needed to be done so, after a time, when He felt they were ready, He commissioned the twelve to go out in twos to teach (gathered from Mar 6:6 a) and to preach that men should repent (Mar 6:12) and that the Kingly Rule of God was now available (Mat 10:7). And He gave them authority so that they could cast out evil spirits. We note their twofold ministry, to teach and to overcome the Evil One. Mark selects these two as central to the work that Jesus had come to do. Healing was but a compassionate by-product. For the reason that He had come was to bring men under the Kingly Rule of God and to overcome Satan and his minions.
Travelling preachers and Rabbis were a common enough sight in the world of that day in both Jewish and Gentile territory. The difference lay in their message. But another difference applied to the Apostles. They were not to beg or seek alms, but were to go with minimum provision in poverty trusting God. Such missions were unknown in Judaism. But they indicate what should be at the root of every ministry. For while these instructions had in mind Jewish laws of hospitality, they provide the principle which should be at the root of all who serve Him full time, living at the minimum so as to maintain humility of spirit.
‘He sent them out two by two.’ He Himself knew the loneliness of the preacher and He ensured that each had another for support. Each could encourage the other and give strength in times of weakness. Compare Mar 11:1; Mar 14:13; Luk 7:19; Joh 1:35. The idea was also that everything should be established by the mouth of two witnesses. In a similar way Paul also took a major companion with him wherever he went, first Barnabas and then Silas. He had heeded well the words of Jesus.
Jesus also ‘gave them authority over unclean spirits’. But it was an authority within their limitations. They were never, as the Master was, in total control. Thus in Mar 9:14-29 we learn of their failure in a difficult case where they became aware that they needed more prayer life behind them to succeed in such cases, something which Jesus had. They needed to grow in strength and authority through constant prayer. That incident (as did that of the Gadarene demoniac) indicates that evil spirits had differing levels of power, and so have men of God.
But He also wanted to ensure their total dependence on God, and that they would avoid accepting gifts for their services, and so He commanded them to go out trusting God to supply all their needs, and never to have two of anything. These commands assume a background such as we find in Mat 6:19-34).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Mission of the Twelve.
Preparations for their journey:
v. 6. And He went round about the villages, teaching.
v. 7. And He called unto Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
v. 8. and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse,
v. 9. but be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. Note: The people of Nazareth rejected the Lord, they wanted nothing of Him; but that did not discourage Him nor cause Him to abandon His work for others a significant hint for us in the work for Christ. And while He was making His journey through the villages of Lower Galilee, continuing His labors in the Word, He taught His disciples. The Twelve were now to become His associates; they were, in a measure, to work in an independent capacity. And for the beginning of this work He gives them special instructions. To make their ministry somewhat easier, to give the individual a sort of moral backing, He sent them forth two by two. As a necessary part of their equipment, that they might substantiate their mission, He gave them power over unclean spirits, over demons that were wont to torment people. The authority and the ability to command these evil spirits argued for a power beyond human endeavor, and would thus give their preaching the necessary prestige. Their luggage, dunnage, or duffel for their journey was to be kept at the minimum. They should take nothing on the trip, for the way, not even a staff, no bread, no hand-bag, no money in their girdle; literally: He gave them instructions not to take anything for their trip, not only not a staff, no bread, not a sack, no money in the girdle, but be provided with sandals, also not to put on two tunics. What the Lord said in these words is plain: It is not at all necessary that you be fully equipped for your preaching-trip; you are not going out for a vacation journey, but to labor in the ministry of the Word. The sack of which the Lord here speaks throws an interesting side-light upon customs in those days. “The wallet mentioned is now seen not to have been a mere traveling-bag, as was formerly supposed, but almost certainly a beggar’s ‘collecting bag,’ such as peripatetic religious teachers were accustomed to carry at that time, for it is called by this same name. Our Lord means to teach that His disciples are to go out as laymen, not in any special ministerial garb or making any special claim of mendicant piety, but nevertheless dependent for their living upon those who receive the Word. ” Those that serve the Gospel should not be weighted down by a great deal of earthly baggage, should not be involved in the business of this world, lest their ministry be harmed and the effect of their preaching be spoiled. “They should speak or do nothing for the sake of money, favor, honor, not set their hearts upon money, honor, goods. The ministry of the Word seeks something different, has a different object, namely, eternal salvation and the honor of God.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mar 6:7. By two and two, Jesus ordered his apostles to go in this manner, that they might encourage each other in their work, and confirm each other’s testimony. See Mat 10:2; Mat 10:42.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mar 6:7-13 . Comp. Mat 10:1-14 ; Luk 9:1-6 . Mark here adopts, with abridgment and sifting, from the collection of Logia what was essentially relevant to his purpose; Luke follows him, not without obliteration and generalizing of individual traits.
] He now began that sending forth, to which they were destined in virtue of their calling; its continuance was their whole future calling, from the standpoint of which Mark wrote his .
] binos, in pairs . Sir 36:25 . A Hebraism; Winer, p. 223 [E. T. 312]. The Greek says , , , or even (see Valckenaer, ad Herod. p. 311; Heindorf, ad Plat. Parm. p. 239). Wherefore in pairs? “Ad plenam testimonii fidem,” Grotius. Comp. Luk 7:19 ; Luk 9:1 .
Mar 6:8 . ] should take up , in order to carry it with them, 1Ma 4:30 .
] The variation in Matthew and Luke betokens the introduction of exaggeration, [96] but not a misunderstanding of the clear words (Weiss). There is an attempt at a mingling of interpretations at variance with the words in Ebrard, p. 382; Lange, L. J. II. 2, p. 712. It ultimately comes to this, that . . is intended to mean: at most a staff. Even Bleek has recourse to the unfounded refinement, that the staff in Mark is meant only for support , not as a weapon of defence .
Mar 6:9 . . .] There is no difference from , Mat 10:10 , not even a correction of this expression (Bleek, comp. Holtzmann). See on Matt. l.c. The meaning is, that they should be satisfied with the simple light foot-covering of sandals , in contrast with the proper calceus ( ), which had upper leather, and the use of which was derived from the Phoenicians and Babylonians (Leyrer in Herzog’s Encykl. VII. p. 729). Comp. Act 12:8 . The construction is anacoluthic , as though had been previously said. Then the discourse changes again, going over from the obliqua into the directa ( ). See Khner, II. p. 598 f., and ad Xen. Mem. i. 4. 15, iii. 5. 14, iv. 4. 5. A lively non-periodic mode of representing the matter; comp. Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 330 [E. T. 384 f.].
Mar 6:10 . . .] a new portion of the directions given on that occasion. Comp. on Mar 4:13 .
] in this house: but : from this (see the critical remarks).
Mar 6:11 . ] which is to serve them for a testimony , namely, of that which the shaking off of the dust expresses, that they are placed on a footing of equality with heathens. Comp. on Mat 10:14 .
Mar 6:12 f. ] the aim of the .
] The anointing with oil (the mention of which in this place is held by Baur, on account of Jas 5:14 , to betray a later date) was very frequently applied medically in the case of external and internal ailments. See Lightfoot, p. 304, 617; Schoettgen, I. p. 1033; Wetstein in loc. But the assumption that the apostles had healed by the natural virtue of the oil (Paulus, Weisse), is at variance with the context, which narrates their miraculous action . Nevertheless it is also wholly unwarranted to regard the application of the oil in this case merely as a symbol ; either of the working of miracles for the purpose of awakening faith (Beza, Fritzsche, comp. Weizscker), or of the bodily and spiritual refreshment (Euthymius Zigabenus), or of the divine compassion (Theophylact, Calvin), or to find in it merely an arousing of the attention (Russwurm in the Stud. u. Krit. 1830, p. 866), or, yet again, a later magical mingling of the supernatural and the natural (de Wette). In opposition to the latter view the pertinent remark of Euthymius Zigabenus holds good: , . Comp. Jas 5:14 . The anointing is rather, as is also the application of spittle on the part of Jesus Himself (Mar 7:33 , Mar 8:23 ; Joh 9:6 ), to be looked upon as a conductor of the supernatural healing power , analogous to the laying on of hands in Mar 6:5 , so that the faith was the causa apprehendens , the miraculous power the causa efficiens , and the oil was the medians , therefore without independent power of healing, and not even necessary, where the way of immediate operation was, probably in accordance with the susceptibility of the persons concerned, adopted by the Healer, as Jesus also heals the blind man of Jericho without any application of spittle, Mar 10:46 f. The passage before us has nothing to do with the unctio extrema (in opposition to Maldonatus and many others), although Bisping still thinks that he discovers here at least a type thereof.
[96] Inverting the matter, Baur holds that the “ reasoning ” Mark had modified the expression. Comp. Holtzmann and Hilgenfeld.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
SIXTH SECTION
CONFLICT OF JESUS WITH HEROD. THE CALL AND MISSION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. THE BEHEADING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. THE WITHDRAWAL OF JESUS INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND THE MIRACULOUS FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND
Mar 6:7-44
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1. The Calling and Mission of the Twelve. Mar 6:7-13
(Parallels: Mat 10:1; Mat 10:7; Mat 10:9-11; Mat 10:13; Luk 9:1-6.)
7And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their 9, purse [girdle]: But be shod with sandals; and not put on4 two coats. 10And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you,5 when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than 12, for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
1. Compare on the parallel passages of Matthew 10 and Luke 9.It has been already observed, on Mar 3:13-19, that he distinguishes the separation of the Twelve from their first mission: Luke does the same, while Matthew combines their call and mission in one. The two events are indeed one, as Matthew records them, in this respect, that the separation took place with reference to an appointment of duty which then immediately impended. But they are distinguished by this, that the election occurred in the solitude of the mountain-range (hence Mark and Luke place them on a mountain, the latter connecting with the event the Sermon on the Mount; while the mission, on the other hand, occurred at the beginning of the third preaching-journey, on which our Lord passed through the sea-towns of Galilee, as we are told by Matthew. But, since the calling of the Twelve, between the Sermon on the Mount and the passage to Gadara (the second Galilean journey), was only as yet a preparatory vocation, we must make a distinction between a general separation of the narrower circle of disciples and that calling of the Twelve on the mountain which briefly preceded their sending forth in the valley, during the first year of Christs ministry. Now it is peculiar to Mark that he gives prominence only to the most essential points of the mission; that he records it as the beginning of the apostolical missions (Mar 6:7), and as a mission in pairs; that he lays emphasis exclusively upon the power given over unclean spirits (not that of healing the sick), in harmony with his fundamental point of view, and that to him this involved at the same time the preaching of the kingdom; that he most precisely gives the Lords injunctions touching their staff, their shoes, and their clothing; and that he finally makes allusion to the anointing-the sick with oil, in its relation to the work of the Apostleshere mentioning the sick, who had been previously omitted. Marks more limited account of the instructions given to the Apostles in comparison with that given by Matthew, is to be explained by the fact, that he has this first mission exclusively in view; while Matthew combines it with all subsequent missions, and consequently presents it in its ideal meaning.
Mar 6:8. Save a staff only.Meyer insists that there is here a discrepancy between Mark, on the one hand, and Matthew and Luke, on the otherto be explained, as it regards the two latter, by exaggeration. (Comp., on the contrary, Ebrard, p. 382; Lange, Leben Jesu, ii. 2, p. 712.) They were to go forth with their staff, as they had it at the time; but they were not to seek one carefully, or make it a condition of their travelling. And thus it becomes no more in Mark than a rather more precise statement of the meaning of Matthew and Luke. The same may be said of the permission to take sandals, in opposition to the prohibition of the , or travelling shoes proper, in Matthew. So the injunction not to put on two coats (in change), is only another form of the injunction not to have two garments. The fundamental idea is this, that they were to go forth with the slightest provision, and in dependence upon being provided for by the way. Gfrrer and Baur see in Marks expressions only intentional qualifications and softenings. We find in them no other than a more express view of their pilgrim-state, burdened with the least possible incumbrance, and as free as might be from all care.
Mar 6:11. For a testimony against them.As a symbolical, but to an Israelite perfectly intelligible, declaration, that they were excommunicated,no better than heathen.
Mar 6:12. Preached, that men should repent ().They not only preached the doctrine of repentance, amongst other articles of doctrine; but their whole preaching had for its end the producing of penitence, and change of mind.
Mar 6:13. And anointed with oil.Oil was generally a very important medicament among the Orientals, according to Lightfoot and others. Here it is simply a symbolical medium of the miraculous work; just as the application of the spittle was (Mar 8:23; Joh 9:6), on the part of the Lord Himself. Meyer does well to contend against the supposition that the oil was applied as a natural means of cure (Baur, Weisse), or that it was used as a mere symbol (Theophylact, Beza, etc.),not to mention other still less tenable notions. He is not right, however, in altogether detaching the symbolical significance from the medium. It is a fact, that the Old Testament anointing with oil preceded, as a symbol, the New Testament bestowment of the Spirit; and that it re-appears in the Catholic church, where the real impartation of the Spirit is wanting. Hence, it may be assumed that for the disciples, who could not like the Lord Himself awaken faith, it was appropriate to appoint such a medium for their miraculous power as would be at the same time a symbolical sign of the impartation of the Spirit, and the energy that awakens faith. Thus the anointing was a symbol of the bestowment of the Spirit as the preliminary condition of healing; consequently, not of the divine mercy (Theophylact), the healing virtue of which was symbolized by balsam, or of the divine regeneration (Euthym. Zigabenus), the symbol of which was water. The anointing with oil, which James prescribed to the elders in their ministry for the sick (Mar 5:14), appears, on the other hand, to have been a blending of the natural means of health with the saving energy of prayer as symbolized by it.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. See on the parallel passages of Matthew and Luke.
2. The sending of the Apostles by two and two.According to Grotius, with allusion to the Old Testament law concerning witnesses ad plenam testimonii fidem. But also for mutual complement, and encouragement, and strengthening. We have, accordingly, six special embassages: six was the number of labor and toil. The twelve missions of the individual Apostles were as yet only in the prospect.
3. We need only suggest here, that the New Testament anointing with oileven that later one which James prescribed to the elders in their care of the sickforms a perfect contrast to the extreme unction of the Romish Church. To us, this ecclesiastical anointing seems no other than an unconscious admission, on the part of the ceremonial church, that it had yet to bestow on its dying member the real communication of the Holy Spirit, whose type the oil was.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
The first sending of the Apostles abroad into the world may also be likened to the little seed-corn.He began to send: the end of His sending is the end of the world.The mission of the Apostles by two and two, in its significance for the Church: 1. As to ecclesiastical office, 2. as to the people.The blessing of the mutual help of laborers in the kingdom of God.The embarrassments, dangers, and disgraces which so often follow a too early isolation in office, and in the religious life generally.Christianity in life and office is a discipline of unenvying brotherly love.The messengers and pilgrims of Christ not without needs, but without anxious needs.The world loses, amidst its external equipments and means of resource, the internal end of life: the servants of the Gospel obtain, while they supremely regard the end, all the other equipments and resources.The destruction of the kingdom of Satan, and the abolition of his power, is the great task of Christs servants, after the example and in the strength of their Lord.The shaking the dust from their feet is in its kind a Christian martyrdom to the disciples of Jesus (a testimony in suffering).The anointing with oil; or, how the miracles of the kingdom of Christ have leaned upon the marvellous powers of the kingdom of nature.The kingdom of the Son attaches itself to the kingdom of the Father in the great whole as well as in individual things.Those bound by Satan, and the sick, are everlasting tokens of the need of Christ and His messengers.
Starke:This authorization a demonstration of the divinity of Christ.The ministers of the Gospel should be one and united.Quesnel:Ambition and avarice perilous things to the preacher and his work.Osiander:Ministers should be satisfied, though they do not at once have all advantages they could desire, and things at their will.Gerlach:On account of their weakness, the Lord does not send His disciples alone. Laborers in the Lords harvest should look round for helpers in their work.Schleiermacher:The Lords direction in regardto the equipments of the Apostles no literal rule [he refers to the cloak of Paul, 2Ti 4:13], but a rule of wisdom.If the provision of all these external things is so great as to rob us of a portion of our true strength, they are no real advantage, but tend rather to impair our usefulness and peace.Bauer:They were not to act as if they thought they might force men to hear.
Footnotes:
[4]Mar 6:9.The best reading is (A., C., D., E., &c.), which Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, and others adopt. The change in the construction, or the direct quotation of this command, makes it more emphatic.
[5]Mar 6:11.Tischendorf, after B., L., ., &c.: . Preferable in regard to importance of Codd., and is the more difficult reading. Verily, &c., wanting in B., C., D., L., . Probably taken from Mat 10:15.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
(7) And he called. unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two: and gave them power over unclean spirits; (8) And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: (9) But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. (10) And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. (11) And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. (12) And they went out, and preached that men should repent. (13) And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
We have here the confirmation of what was before noticed on Mat 10:1 , etc. the call and commission given to the Apostles. It were well if all, who go forth in the Apostolic office, carried with them such credentials of their authority.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
Ver. 7. By two and two ] Both for more authority, and for mutual comfort. Two are better than one, Ecc 4:9 . See Trapp on “ Ecc 4:9 “ See Trapp on “ Mat 10:1 “ See Trapp on “ Mat 10:2 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7 13. ] THE SENDING FORTH OF THE TWELVE. Mat 10:1-15 .Luk 9:1-5Luk 9:1-5 . See also Mat 9:36-38 , as the introduction to this mission. The variations in the three accounts are very trifling, as we might expect in so solemn a discourse delivered to all the twelve.
See the notes to Matt.; and respecting the subsequent difference between Matt. (Mat 9:16 ff.) and Luke, those on Luk 10 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
7.] (see reff.) is a Hebraism: see Winer, 37. 3. The Greek expression would be , or , as in [20] Luke. Winer observes that the Syriac version always renders this latter expression by doubling the cardinal number. These couples are pointed out in Matt.’s list of the Apostles not however in Mark’s , which again shews the total absence of connecting design in this Gospel, such as is often assumed.
[20] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25 , the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified , thus, ‘ Mk.,’ or ‘ Mt. Mk.,’ &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 6:7 . , etc.: Jesus calling to Him ( , vide Mar 3:13 ) the Twelve began at length to do what He had intended from the first (Weiss), viz. , to send them forth as missioners ( ). , two (and) two, Hebraic for or ; two together, not one by one, a humane arrangement. , imperfect, as specifying an accompaniment of the mission, not pointing to separate empowerment of each pair. . . . ., power over unclean spirits, alone mentioned by Mark, cf. Matthew and Luke.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mark
THE MASTER REJECTED: THE SERVANTS SENT FORTH
Mar 6:1 – Mar 6:13
An easy day’s journey would carry Jesus and His followers from Capernaum, on the lake-side, to Nazareth, among the hills. What took our Lord back there? When last He taught in the synagogue of Nazareth, His life had been in danger; and now He thrusts Himself into the wolf’s den. Why? Mark seems to wish us to observe the connection between this visit and the great group of miracles which he has just recorded; and possibly the link may be our Lord’s hope that the report of these might have preceded Him and prepared His way. In His patient long-suffering He will give His fellow-villagers another chance; and His heart yearns for ‘His own country,’ and ‘His own kin,’ and ‘His own house,’ of which He speaks so pathetically in the context.
I. We have here unbelief born of familiarity, and its effects on Christ Mar 6:1 – Mar 6:6.
We note in their questions, first, the glimpse of our Lord’s early life. They bring before us the quiet, undistinguished home and the long years of monotonous labour. We owe to Mark alone the notice that Jesus actually wrought at Joseph’s handicraft. Apparently the latter was dead, and, if so, Jesus would be the head of the house, and probably the ‘breadwinner.’ One of the fathers preserves the tradition that He ‘made plows and yokes, by which He taught the symbols of righteousness and an active life.’ That good father seems to think it needful to find symbolical meanings, in order to save Christ’s dignity; but the prose fact that He toiled at the carpenter’s bench, and handled hammer and saw, needs nothing to heighten its value as a sign of His true participation in man’s lot, and as the hallowing of manual toil. How many weary arms have grasped their tools with new vigour and contentment when they thought of Him as their Pattern in their narrow toils! The Nazarenes’ difficulty was but one case of a universal tendency. Nobody finds it easy to believe that some village child, who has grown up beside him, and whose undistinguished outside life he knows, has turned out a genius or a great man. The last people to recognise a prophet are always his kindred and his countrymen. ‘Far-away birds have fine feathers.’ Men resent it as a kind of slight on themselves that the other, who was one of them but yesterday, should be so far above them to-day. They are mostly too blind to look below the surface, and they conclude that, because they saw so much of the external life, they knew the man that lived it. The elders of Nazareth had seen Jesus grow up, and to them He would be ‘the carpenter’s son’ still. The more important people had known the humbleness of His home, and could not adjust themselves to look up to Him, instead of down. His equals in age would find their boyish remembrances too strong for accepting Him as a prophet. All of them did just what the most of us would have done, when they took it for certain that the Man whom they had known so well, as they fancied, could not be a prophet, to say nothing of the Messiah so long looked for. It is easy to blame them; but it is better to learn the warning in their words, and to take care that we are not blind to some true messenger of God just because we have been blessed with close companionship with him. Many a household has had to wait for death to take away the prophet before they discern him. Some of us entertain ‘angels unawares,’ and have bitterly to feel, when too late, that our eyes were holden that we should not know them.
These questions bring out strongly what we too often forget in estimating Christ’s contemporaries-namely, that His presence among them, in the simplicity of His human life, was a positive hindrance to their seeing His true character. We sometimes wish that we had seen Him, and heard His voice. We should have found it more difficult to believe in Him if we had. ‘His flesh’ was a ‘veil’ in other sense than the Epistle to the Hebrews means; for, by reason of men’s difficulty in piercing beneath it, it hid from many what it was meant and fitted to reveal. Only eyes purged beheld the glory of ‘the Word’ become flesh when it ‘dwelt among us’-and even they saw Him more clearly when they saw Him no more. Let us not be too hard on these simple Nazarenes, but recognise our kith and kin.
The facts on which the Nazarenes grounded their unbelief are really irrefragable proof of Christ’s divinity. Whence had this man His wisdom and mighty works? Born in that humble home, reared in that secluded village, shut out from the world’s culture, buried, as it were, among an exclusive and abhorred people, how came He to tower above all teachers, and to sway the world? ‘With whom took He counsel? and who instructed Him, and taught Him?’ The character and work of Christ, compared with the circumstances of His origin and environment, are an insoluble riddle, except on one supposition-that He was the word and power of God.
The effects of this unbelief on our Lord were twofold. It limited His power. Matthew says that ‘He did not many mighty works.’ Mark goes deeper, and boldly days ‘He could not.’ It is mistaken jealousy for Christ’s honour to seek to pare down the strong words. The atmosphere of chill unbelief froze the stream. The power was there, but it required for its exercise some measure of moral susceptibility. His miraculous energy followed, in general, the same law as His higher exercise of saving grace does; that is to say, it could not force itself upon unwilling men. Christ ‘cannot’ save a man who does not trust Him. He was hampered in the outflow of His healing power by unsympathetic disparagement and unbelief. Man can thwart God. Faith opens the door, and unbelief shuts it in His face. He ‘would have gathered,’ but they ‘would not,’ and therefore He ‘could not.’
The second effect of unbelief on Him was that He ‘marvelled.’ He is twice recorded to have wondered-once at a Gentile’s faith, once at His townsmen’s unbelief. He wondered at the first because it showed so unusual a susceptibility; at the second, because it showed so unreasonable a blindness. All sin is a wonder to eyes that see into the realities of things and read the end; for it is all utterly unreasonable though it is, alas! not unaccountable and suicidal. ‘Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this.’ Unbelief in Christ is, by Himself, declared to be the very climax of sin, and its most flagrant evidence Joh 16:9; and of all the instances of unbelief which saddened His heart, none struck more chill than that of these Nazarenes. They had known His pure youth; He might have reckoned on some touch of sympathy and predisposition to welcome Him. His wonder is the measure of His pain as well as of their sin.
Nor need we wonder that He wondered; for He was true man, and all human emotions were His. To one who lives ever in the Father’s bosom, what can seem so strange as that men should prefer homeless exposedness and dreary loneliness? To one whose eyes ever behold unseen realities, what so marvellous as men’s blindness? To one who knew so assuredly His own mission and rich freightage of blessing, how strange it must have been that He found so few to accept His gifts! Jesus knew that bitter wonder which all men who have a truth to proclaim which the world has not learned, have to experience-the amazement at finding it so hard to get any others to see what they see. In His manhood, He shared the fate of all teachers, who have, in their turn, to marvel at men’s unbelief.
II. The new instrument which Christ fashions to cope with unbelief.
The first point is the gift of power. Unclean spirits are specified, but the subsequent verses show that miracle-working power in its other forms was included. We may call that Christ’s greatest miracle. That He could, by His mere will, endow a dozen men with such power, is more, if degree come into view at all, than that He Himself should exercise it. But there is a lesson in the fact for all ages-even those in which miracles have ceased. Christ gives before He commands, and sends no man into the field without filling his basket with seed-corn. His gifts assimilate the receiver to Himself, and only in the measure in which His servants possess power which is like His own, and drawn from Him, can they proclaim His coming, or prepare hearts for it. The second step is their equipment. The special commands here given were repealed by Jesus when He gave His last commands. In their letter they apply only to that one journey, but in their spirit they are of universal and permanent obligation. The Twelve were to travel light. They might carry a staff to help them along, and wear sandals to save their feet on rough roads; but that was to be all. Food, luggage, and money, the three requisites of a traveller, were to be ‘conspicuous by their absence.’ That was repealed afterwards, and instructions given of an opposite character, because, after His ascension, the Church was to live more and more by ordinary means; but in this journey they were to learn to trust Him without means, that afterwards they might trust Him in the means. He showed them the purpose of these restrictions in the act of abrogating them. ‘When I sent you forth without purse . . . lacked ye anything?’ But the spirit remains unabrogated, and the minimum of outward provision is likeliest to call out the maximum of faith. We are more in danger from having too much baggage than from having too little. And the one indispensable requirement is that, whatever the quantity, it should hinder neither our march nor our trust in Him who alone is wealth and food.
Next comes the disposition of the messengers. It is not to be self-indulgent. They are not to change quarters for the sake of greater comfort. They have not gone out to make a pleasure tour, but to preach, and so are to stay where they are welcomed, and to make the best of it. Delicate regard for kindly hospitality, if offered by ever so poor a house, and scrupulous abstinence from whatever might suggest interested motives, must mark the true servant. That rule is not out of date. If ever a herald of Christ falls under suspicion of caring more about life’s comforts than about his work, good-bye to his usefulness! If ever he does so care, whether he be suspected of it or no, spiritual power will ebb from him.
The next step is the messengers’ demeanour to the rejecters of their message. Shaking the dust off the sandals is an emblem of solemn renunciation of participation, and perhaps of disclaimer of responsibility. It meant certainly, ‘We have no more to do with you,’ and possibly, ‘Your blood be on your own heads.’ This journey of the Twelve was meant to be of short duration, and to cover much ground, and therefore no time was to be spent unnecessarily. Their message was brief, and as well told quickly as slowly. The whole conditions of work now are different. Sometimes, perhaps, a Christian is warranted in solemnly declaring to those who receive not his message, that he will have no more to say to them. That may do more than all his other words. But such cases are rare; and the rule that it is safest to follow is rather that of love which despairs of none, and, though often repelled, returns with pleading, and, if it have told often in vain, now tells with tears, the story of the love that never abandons the most obstinate.
Such were the prominent points of this first Christian mission. They who carry Christ’s banner in the world must be possessed of power, His gift, must be lightly weighted, must care less for comfort than for service, must solemnly warn of the consequences of rejecting the message; and so they will not fail to cast out devils, and to heal many that are sick.
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
called. The 1611 edition of the Authorized Version reads “calleth”.
two and two. Greek. duo duo, Modern critics object that it is not good Greek to repeat the cardinal number for a distributive numeral. But it is found in Aeschylus and Sophocles, and in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (Nos. 121 and 886). See Deisamann’s Light, pp 124, 125.
power = authority. App-172.
spirits. Greek plural of pneuma. See App-101.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7-13.] THE SENDING FORTH OF THE TWELVE. Mat 10:1-15. Luk 9:1-5. See also Mat 9:36-38, as the introduction to this mission. The variations in the three accounts are very trifling, as we might expect in so solemn a discourse delivered to all the twelve.
See the notes to Matt.;-and respecting the subsequent difference between Matt. (Mat 9:16 ff.) and Luke,-those on Luke 10.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 6:7. , began) After that they had made some progress.- , by two and two) six pairs; Mat 10:2-3.-, and) The rest of His instructions are evident from Mar 6:12-13.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mar 6:7-13
2. FIRST MISSION OF THE TWELVE
Mar 6:7-13
(Mat 9:35; Mat 10:42; Luk 9:1-6)
7 And he calleth unto him the twelve,–[It was the purpose of Jesus to prepare witnesses to testify of him and his teaching to the world, after he had finished his mission and had ascended to God his Father. To prepare work he called upon them to leave their calling, follow him, be with him daily, and hear his teachings as he repeated them day by day, and see the many wonderful works of love and mercy performed to relieve sufferings of men and women. Before he had finished his course, he chose twelve out of the number that followed with him, who should thus be witnesses of what he taught and did. This choosing was a matter of importance. Preparatory to his choosing, he spent the whole night in prayer to God. (Luk 6:12.) He seems to have thus spent the night as a help to him in the work of selecting these twelve that were to be his witnesses. (Mar 3:15-16.) Their being with him was preliminary, and necessary to fit them to go forth to preach. He gave them power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal diseases, by endowing them with the Holy Spirit, who had power over these evil spirits. This sending forth, endowed by this Spirit, was to show to the Jews the power that he would bestow on them; for in this work they acted only in the name of the Lord Jesus. It seems to have been a preliminary trial of them during the life of Jesus to gradually school and fit them for the use of these spiritual powers when they would be fully bestowed on and committed to them after the ascension of Jesus. It was necessary that they should have been with Jesus when John baptized him, and henceforward. (Act 1:21-22.) To do this, they were imbued with the Spirit of God, by which they were enabled to do these works, and so manifest to the world that God was with them. These chosen now were to be his witnesses to all the world after his death. Of the twelve chosen, Judas by transgression fell away, and Matthias was chosen in his place. We know but little of the lives of the apostles, save Peter, James, and John, before or after their call to the apostleship. This does not signify that they were not ardent workers in preaching Christ to the world.]
and began to send them forth–Jesus had been schooling and training them for the work he now sends them to do. He “began to send.” It seems from this that he did not send them all at once–just as they were prepared.
by two and two;–This arrangement was that they might counsel and encourage each other, and that a combination of traits might be found in two not possessed by one alone. The teacher and exhorter are not commonly combined in the same man. [Having selected these twelve from among those who closely followed him, and so had come to know his teaching well, he sent them forth to preach and turn the people to the Lord. He warned them to go neither to the Gentiles nor to the Samaritans, but to the children of Israel. They are called the lost sheep, because they belonged to the house of Jacob, which had been the chosen fold of God, but now had wandered from God, and were lost. Jesus had confined his labors chiefly to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel:” (Mat 15:24.) The gospel was first preached to the Jews; afterward to all nations. (Mat 10:5-6.)]
and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits;–[They were to go through the land of Israel, and as they went preach. (Mat 10:7.) To preach was to herald or proclaim a message to the people. It differed from teaching, which is instructing in the precepts and principles of the religion of Jesus that grow out of the acceptance of the gospel. These apostles were to preach or proclaim to the people the truth. The kingdom of heaven was at hand. Jesus had come to establish or set up a kingdom; he was preparing for it, and now they are to proclaim it as near at hand, ready to be set up. Therefore they should be ready to accept and enter into that kingdom. This was a proclamation of the same message that John the Baptist and Jesus had made, and afterwards was given to the seventy. They had received freely the authority over these demons and diseases, that they might heal them, and so they are commanded to use it freely in healing the sick and casting out demons.] Miraculous power was not bestowed upon the apostles and others to make them morally or spiritually better, but to confirm the truth which they preached. Their moral and spiritual condition depended upon their own faith and obedience to God.
8 and he charged them that they should take nothing for their journey,–They were to go as they were, in their ordinary dress, as common travelers, and not in peculiar garb, or with any kind of ostentation, but trusting God for necessary support.
save a staff only; no bread,–Bread is something that the poorer class of travelers in Palestine always carry with them when they can. McGarvey says: “The writer was much amused in Palestine, in seeing one of the servants with a number of loaves of bread (flat, thin, round flour cakes, perhaps a foot in diameter) under his pack saddle, from which he would occasionally obtain a bite. Others had two or three under their clothing like a breastplate.” Staff was a stick used for walking or carrying a budget.
no wallet,–The wallet was a traveling bag, used for carrying provisions–more properly, a shepherd’s bag, used by the shepherd for carrying food when tending his sheep away from home.
no money in their purse;–Without bread, and without money to buy bread, or anything else, they had been accustomed to carrying a purse, from which to buy what was needed (Joh 13:29), but on this particular mission they were not allowed to do so.
9 but to go shod with sandals:–[In going forth they were not to provide for the expenses of their journey, but were to go depending upon the people among whom they labored to supply their wants. They were to take only what they needed now, and depend upon more being furnished, as needed on the journey. The reason given is that the laborer is worthy of his hire, of his food–rather of his living–both needed food and raiment will be supplied. They were to look to the people among, and for, whom they labored for this support. God in his providence would overrule this, but the people were to supply it.] Matthew says they were to carry no shoes. This harmonizes with Mark, who tells what they were to wear on their feet–sandals. “Sandals” were soles of leather, felt, or wood strapped across the foot with thongs.
and, said he, put not on two coats.–The coat was the undergarment or tunic. Travelers often wore two. They were to have but one. In other words, they were to be clothed as simply as possible. But these directions were only for that time. Subsequently we find they carried a bag, and money, and two coats, etc.
10 And he said unto them, Wheresoever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart thence.–[On coming to a town or city, they were to inquire or search out who were worthy. Broadus says: “A man of piety and hospitality, such as would make a fit associate and a willing host”–such as was willing to entertain them–and there they were to abide until they left the city. They were not to move their lodging place. This did not prohibit their laboring with the people where they might be met, or from house to house. The salutation common on entering a house was: “Peace be to this house.” Luke (Luk 10:5) gives the form of salutation. (See also Luk 24:36; 1Sa 25:26.) It was a prayer to God for all good to rest upon the household.]
11 And whatsoever place shall not receive you, and they hear you not,–[He now instructs his apostles how to act toward those who reject them and their message. They would be rejected by whole communities as well as by individuals. Thus a Samaritan village (Luk 9:53) and the Gerasenes (Mar 5:17) rejected Jesus. We learn from Matthew that they were to inquire who was worthy in places where they went, but as one’s reputation is not always his true character, they might go into houses where they were not welcome; if so, they were told how to proceed in testifying against them. “It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah.” This solemn warning is teeming with useful suggestions. It shows at a glance the certainty of a general judgment for all nations and people, and it also clearly reveals the truth that men shall be judged according to their opportunities. How the house was to show itself worthy or unworthy is not clear; probably by continuing the hospitality and lending a willing ear to the message they delivered. If they received kindly the message they came to make known, they would continue to treat them kindly; if they did not, they would withdraw their hospitality. If it is not worthy, withdraw your salutation or prayer of peace.]
as ye go forth thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony unto them.–[The shaking off the dust from the feet against the people originated in the practice of the Jews, when they returned from a foreign country, shaking off the dust from their clothes and feet when they returned to their native land. The land in which idols were worshiped was polluted, unholy, while the land of Judah was holy, consecrated to God; so in returning to Israel they shook off the dust of the polluted land, that they bring it not into the land consecrated to the service of God. So when they went into a house or city, and they refused to hear the message delivered, or were guilty of any unworthiness, they were to shake off the dust from their feet as a testimony and declaration to them of their uncleanness and unworthiness before God. They were to be unto them as were the heathen who rejected God and worshiped the idols. Sodom and Gomorrah had been destroyed on account of their wickedness. God had proposed to Abraham that if ten righteous persons were found in Sodom he would spare it. (Gen. 18:38.) They were not found. God holds men responsible according to their opportunities to know his will. Those to whom these twelve apostles would preach would have more and better opportunities to know and do the truth than had been granted to the men of Sodom. If they refused to hear these, they would show more unwillingness to do the will of God than had Sodom and Gomorrah; so when God comes to judge the world they will stand less chance of justification before him than the people of Sodom would. According to the light we have we will be accountable. Those of us now living have more light than any that have gone before. If we reject his word, we will be held to a severer accountability. (Mat 11:20-24.)]
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.–All men. (Act 17:20.) The term also includes women for the reason they are included in this free salvation. (Act 8:12.) Repentance is a thing for man to do, not something he gets. It is a command, not a promise. We obey commands and enjoy promises when received. We are commanded to repent. The command can and must be obeyed. It is something man does for himself and not something God does for him. God now “commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent.” (Act 17:30.)
13 And they cast out many demons,–The preaching of the apostles was attested not only by miracles, but by many miracles.
and anointed with oil many that were sick,–Not because of natural healing efficacy in the oil, but as a medium of communication, and to help the weak faith of the sick, just as Christ used spittle and clay for the blind man. (Joh 9:6-12.)
and healed them.–[The apostles, endowed with this new power, “departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere” (Luk 9:6); “and the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto him what things they had done” (Luk 9:10); “and the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus; and they told him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught” (verse 30). The seventy (Luk 10:1-10) were sent out the same way, with the same directions. “The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. And he said . . . Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luk 10:17-20)]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
CHAPTER 24
The Calling of the Twelve
And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
(Mar 6:7-13)
All true gospel preachers, all who are called, gifted, and sent of God to preach the gospel are, like the Lords chosen apostles, his messengers. Gods servants are not just men who went off to Bible College or seminary and learned how to study, preach, and exercise the political savvy it takes to avoid ruffling the feathers of the wrong people. Gods servants are messengers. They are men with a message from God. I want you to understand what I mean. One Sunday night, I said to our congregation
I am not here tonight merely to give you the facts recorded in this text. Any honest man, woman, or child here who studies the passage carefully can give you the facts revealed and the doctrine taught in these verses. I have been studying this passage this week, seeking a message for your souls from God. And, I believe God the Holy Spirit has given me a message to deliver to you.
Perhaps you are thinking, Pastor, what is the difference between giving out a sermon, factually expounding a text or a doctrine, and delivering a message? Let me tell you. If all I have is a sermon I have prepared, it really does not matter whether you are here to hear it or not. But, if I have come here with a message from God, (a message fresh from Gods heart, to my heart, for your heart), and you miss that, youve missed something! Youve missed something that can never be repeated. Youve lost something you can never regain. Tapes will not make up for it. You can put my words on tape; but you simply cannot put the Spirit of God on tape!
Do you understand what I am talking about? Gods servants are messengers. This is what Paul said to the Corinthians, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God (2Co 5:20).
Our Lord Jesus is called the Messenger of the Covenant because he was commissioned by God the Father to fulfill the covenant as our Surety. He came into the world with a commission from God, with a specific work assigned to him as Jehovahs Servant. He came to save his people from their sins; and he did it.
Even so, every man who is called and sent of God into the work of the gospel has a commission from God, a work to do, a work which no other man can do, a work which he must do. He has a messianic mandate. A commission is a mandate. A commission from God is a mandate from God almighty. I cannot imagine a nobler work, or a greater burden of responsibility! Mar 6:7-13 describes the commissioning of the Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ as his messengers. As our Lord Jesus, the King of Glory, sent out messengers (Apostles) from the beginning, so today he sends out messengers of mercy, calling sinners to repentance and rebels to surrender, with the promise of grace, salvation, and eternal life to all who obey the gospel they preach.
What Christ Did
First, look at and carefully consider what the Lord Jesus did, as the Holy Spirit describes it in this passage. Whenever we think about men and God, us and our Savior, what we do and what he does, we would be wise first to find out what he has done. We cannot really understand what we do under his influence and for his glory until we understand something about what he has done and is doing for us, in us, and with us. So Mark first describes what the Lord Jesus Christ did for, in, and with these men, before telling us what they did for him.
He called his messengers. And he called unto him the twelve. You will notice that Mark does not here name the twelve Apostles, as Matthew did in his account. That may be because he is giving a shorter account of the same event and had already listed the names in chapter three; or it may be that Mark is describing a different account of the sending out of the disciples. Be that as it may, I want you to notice this one thing here: Those men who are Gods messengers to your soul, Gods servants in this world, Gods preachers are men who have been specifically called by Christ. Every true gospel preacher has a twofold call from Christ.
First, these men were called to Christ himself, as their Savior and Lord (Mar 3:13-19). When first he called them to be his Apostles, these men had first been called into union and fellowship with the Lord himself. They must know him before they can make him known. They must sit at his feet before they can run on his errands. They must walk with him before they can represent him. Before a man can be a preacher, he must be a believer. Before a man can be a leader of others, he must prove his faithfulness as a disciple. Before a man can teach, he must be taught. Before a man can be a messenger, he must get a message.
Then, after they had been some time in the Lords company, the Lord Jesus called these men to be his Apostles, his messengers. As the prophetic office ceased with John the Baptist, so too, the apostolic office began and ceased with the twelve Apostles. There are no inspired prophets or apostles in our day. We have the complete Revelation of God in his Word. Yet, every true gospel preacher is, in a sense, both a prophet (a proclaimer of the gospel) and an apostle (a messenger of God). Therefore, the things revealed in Mar 6:7-13 are in every detail applicable to us today, and specifically identify those men who are sent of God to preach the gospel.
This business of gospel preaching is not a chosen career, or a vocation for which a man volunteers his services, though every man called to the work chooses to do so and volunteers most willingly, counting such a call to be an indescribable honor put upon him by God (Eph 3:8; 1Ti 1:12-17).
Gods call upon a man is made manifest by the fact that the Lord God has put him into the ministry. There is no way a man can know that he has been called to Christ until he is brought to Christ. And there is no way a man can know that he is called to the work of the ministry until God puts him in the ministry. More often than not, those who wear the name preacher have simply assumed the name. They have entered their office untried, unproved, inexperienced, and uncalled. They have run without being sent. They have no message, no mandate from God. Therefore, they soon tire of the work, become over-burdened, get ulcers, have nervous breakdowns, burn out, and find something else to do.
Those men who are called of God to preach the gospel, to pastor a local church, or serve as a missionary are gifted for the work to which they are called. By the gift of God the Holy Spirit, they are men who are apt to teach. If a man is not gifted to teach the Scriptures, he is not called to be a preacher. Those who are called are qualified by the grace of the Spirit for the work to which they are called (Jer 3:15; 1Ti 3:1-7; Tit 1:1-9). If a man is not qualified for the work, he has not been called and gifted to perform the work of the gospel ministry.
Set Apart
And any man who is called of God to preach the gospel and pastor his people is doing the work. No man has been called of God to be a preacher who is not a preacher. No man has been called to be a missionary who is not a missionary. And no man has been called to be a pastor who is not a pastor. As my first pastor used to say to young men who presumed that God had called them into the work of the ministry, God never made a possum that he didnt make a persimmon tree; and he never made a preacher that he didnt make a pulpit. Those who are called of the Lord to preach the gospel are sent by him. They are not waiting to be sent. They are sent. When the Master called these men, He began to send them forth by two and two.
The word send that is used here is the verb form of the word apostle. It means, to set apart, to send out on a mission (Not just to send out, but to send out on a mission!), send away, send forth, or set at liberty. Gods servants are men who have been set apart for the work of the gospel by Gods decree and Gods call, sent out on a mission for God himself, sent away into the world as Gods ambassadors, and set at liberty in their souls by the call and power of God residing in and upon them. They have been separated unto the gospel by Gods call; and they separate themselves unto the gospel continually (Rom 1:1).
Two by Two
Mark was inspired to tell us specifically that our Master sent his disciples out in pairs of two. He sent them forth by two and two. Neither Matthew nor Luke make mention of this fact; but the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to record it for us to teach us, no doubt, the advantages of serving Christ in the company of others. The wise man had a good reason for telling us that, two are better than one (Ecc 4:9). In most labors two men working together can do much more than one man alone, or two men working separately. Two men together assist one another in judgment and make fewer mistakes. They aid one another in difficulties, uphold one another in temptations, encourage one another in trials, and arouse one another in times of languishing. Two men together comfort one another and are less likely to be cast down.
It seems obvious to me that our Lord is teaching us a principle. Gods servants are not free-lance, self-appointed apostles, who are answerable to no one. While a church is under the pastoral direction of one man, the work of the ministry is not one mans work. It is the work of the entire assembly. Moreover, it is our privilege and responsibility to, as much as possible, work together with other gospel churches and other gospel preachers. The Apostles words to the Hebrew Christians are applicable to us all: pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, and all believers. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb 10:24-25).
Power and Provision
Every man called by Christ to the work of the ministry is sent by Christ into his vineyard. Next we are told that our Lord gave power to his messengers. He gave them power over unclean spirits. These men were commissioned to attack Satans kingdom in the name of Christ. Therefore, they were equipped with the God given power that was necessary to do their work. Their miraculous, apostolic power to cast demons out of mens bodies was an emblem and sign of the power of Christ and his gospel, which we preach, to bind the strong man armed in the City of Mansoul and cast him out. The gospel of Christ, the doctrine of the cross is the power of God unto salvation.
In verses eight and nine the Lord Jesus expressly commanded his messengers to take nothing for their journey. To many, this seems to be insignificant and relatively meaningless. But nothing in this passage is more important, more instructive, or more needed than the instruction given to gospel preachers in these two verses.
“And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.”
There is no discrepancy in the fact that in Matthew we are told that our Lord forbade his servants from taking staves for their journey and that here Mark tells us he told them to take nothing for their journey save a staff only. That which seems to be a contradiction to some is explained very easily in two ways: 1st, They were not allowed to carry two staves, which would be a needless encumbrance; but it was perfectly proper to carry one staff, which might be a very useful instrument. 2nd, Though they might not be allowed to carry staves for their protection and defense, they were allowed to carry a staff for their assistance in walking.
The doctrine taught in verses eight and nine needs to be taught with emphatic clarity in our day. The doctrine of these two verses is as plain as the nose on your face. There is nothing mysterious about it. Yet, it is almost universally ignored by churches and preachers. Three things are here taught; and these three things are taught throughout the Word of God.
1.Gospel preachers must take great care not to be, or appear to be, covetous, self-serving, worldly men, men who enrich themselves by the ministry.
2.Gospel preachers are not to provide for their own livelihood, or entangle themselves with the affairs of this life, but to give themselves wholly and entirely to the business of study, prayer, and preaching.
3.Gospel preachers are to be provided for by those to whom they minister, provided for by local churches in a manner comfortable enough to keep them from the mundane concerns of feeding, clothing, educating, and properly caring for their families.
John Gill was exactly right in his exposition of these verses. He wrote
A minister of the Gospel ought not to be a worldly minded man, (a man) that minds earth and earthly things, and seeks to amass wealth and riches to himself, and preaches for filthy lucre’s sake. Neither should he be a sensual and voluptuous man, serving his own belly, and not the Lord Jesus Christ, feeding himself, and not the flock. Nor should he be filled with worldly cares, overwhelmed in worldly business, and entangled with the affairs of this life. He ought to have his mind free from all solicitude and anxious concern, about a subsistence for himself and his, so that he may with greater and more close application attend to his ministry, to preparations for it, and the performance of it; and give up himself entirely to the Word and prayer, and not have his mind distracted with other things. Upon which account it is highly necessary, that the people to whom he ministers should take care, that a sufficient provision be made for him; that he may live without any anxious care and thought about such things, and his mind be more intent about the work he is called unto. This is what our Lord chiefly designs by all this, who has ordained that they that preach the Gospel, should be comfortably provided for, and live of it; and which, as it makes for the peace of their minds that minister, it issues in the advantage of those who are ministered to.
In verse ten the Lord Jesus specifically told these first gospel preachers how they were to be provided for as they served him. “And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.” As they went about from place to place, they were, according to Matthew, forbidden to ask anyone for anything. They were not to go from house to house. Gods servants are not groveling beggars! They are the servants of the most high God, the King of glory! Not only does our Lord forbid begging, he commands his servants not to provide anything for themselves. Yet, he tells them, as they serve him, to live, and expect to live upon the generous charity and hospitality of those to whom they preach the gospel.
Proud men do not like to live upon the generosity of others. And miserly men do not like to generously provide for others. But gospel preachers are to be comfortably supported in their labors by the generous, voluntary, free gifts of those whose souls are served by them. “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1Co 9:11). “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1Co 9:14). “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Gal 6:6).
Gods servants ought to be, and faithful men will be content to live upon the provision God supplies through the generosity of his people.
While these apostles were in a house, as long as they were there, they lived according to the ability of the household to provide for them. That is the idea conveyed by our Lords words. If a man pastors poor people, he should not seek to live above the people he serves. If there are ten families in a congregation who are willing to support a pastor and give of their means no more than a tithe, the pastor and his family ought to be able to live on what those other families live on. If a man pastors a wealthier congregation, they ought to provide more comfortably for him; but he should never take more than he needs. In either case there is no need for the gospel preacher to maintain a side job and give himself part-time to the work of the ministry. Our God deserves better than our left over time!
It is true, when the Apostle Paul preached at Corinth, and among other Gentiles, he made tents to support himself and his companions. But a few things need to be remembered about that.
1.Paul did not make tents to enrich himself, but to provide for his expenses and the expenses of those preachers traveling with him.
2.The fact that Paul labored with his hands was a fact for which the Church at Corinth ought to have been embarrassed and ashamed.
3.It is the Apostle Paul, more than any writer in the entire Bible, who deals with and insists upon the necessity of pastors and missionaries being supported by Gods people.
This much is certain: If God almighty sends a man out as his ambassador, he will more than sufficiently provide for him and his household (Luk 22:35).
A Great Responsibility
In verse eleven our Lord shows us what an awesome thing it is to be privileged to hear the gospel. “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”
To receive an ambassador is to receive the king who sent him, the king he represents. To reject an ambassador is to reject the king who sent him. This is our Lords teaching, not mine (Mat 10:40-42). To receive Christs servant and the gospel of the grace of God which he preaches is to receive Christ himself. But to reject, despise, or ignore Gods servant and his message is to reject, despise, and ignore God himself! That is the most horrible crime and offense against God in the universe. Not even the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah rivals the wickedness of willful unbelief!
Commenting on verse eleven, J.C. Ryle said, One of the greatest sins a man can commit in the sight of God is to hear the Gospel of Christ and not believe itTo reject the Gospel will sink a man to the lowest place in hell. That is exactly what the Apostle Paul stated in 2Co 2:14-16.
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”
What the Disciples Did
Now, look at verses twelve and thirteen, and see what the disciples did.
“And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.”
Matthew Henry wrote, Though they were conscious to themselves of great weakness, and expected no secular advantage by it, yet, in obedience to their Masters order, and in dependence upon his strength, they went out as Abraham, not knowing whither they went. These men, like all Gods messengers today, went out into the world preaching exactly what they had experienced, what they had been taught, and what the Master himself preached Repentance. Repentance is a change of mind about myself, my sin (my nature), my sins (my wicked acts), and my righteousnesses (those filthy rags by which lost sinners hope to win Gods favor). Repentance is a change of masters and a change of motives. It is the turning of our hearts to Christ.
True repentance is inseparably connected with a proper view of God, a revelation and knowledge of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (His Eternal Deity His Glorious Humanity His Effectual Accomplishments!), right views about holiness, right views about sin, and right views about justice. Repentance is the gift of God, the result of the new birth (Jer 31:19). It is the fruit of faiths look at the crucified Son of God (Zec 12:10).
The Apostles anointed with oil many that were sick. They did not anoint all who were sick, but many. Oil, as you know, throughout the Scriptures, is a symbol of God the Holy Spirit, who was yet to be given in his office capacity. While the ceremony of anointing with oil may not be practiced by faithful men today, the thing symbolized is keenly understood by them all. Without the blessing, unction, and anointing of God the Holy Spirit, our labor is utterly vain and meaningless. Only God the Holy Spirit can make the labor of his servants in the gospel effectual to the healing of sin-sick souls.
We must not fail to see that all who were anointed with oil were also healed. So it is now. All who are anointed by and given the unction of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration are effectually healed by Gods sovereign grace, by the application of Christs sin-atoning blood and his saving power. Christ is that sweet Balm of Gilead, by whom our souls are healed.
Have you repented? Our Savior declares, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish! It is not enough to have our creed right. Our hearts must be right. It is not enough to know truth. It must be experienced. Behold the crucified Son of God, now risen from the dead and seated upon the right hand of he majesty on high, and repent (Lam 1:12; 2Co 5:20-21). My God grant you repentance, for Christs sake!
Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible
the twelve: Mar 3:13, Mar 3:14, Mat 10:1-4, Luk 6:13-16, Luk 9:1-6, Luk 10:3-12
two and: Exo 4:14, Exo 4:15, Ecc 4:9, Ecc 4:10, Rev 11:3
power: Mar 16:17, Luk 10:17-20
Reciprocal: Mat 22:3 – sent Mar 6:13 – cast Mar 6:30 – the apostles Mar 11:1 – he Luk 7:19 – two Joh 17:22 – the glory
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE
And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two. And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Mar 6:7-12
Jesus chose the Apostles (see Mar 3:14) (1) to be with Him for companionship and for instruction; and (2) to send them forth to preach. They have been with Him about nine months; the time has come for a more thorough preaching of the Gospel in Galilee, and now He sends them forth.
I. The advantage of Christian company.Our Lord sent forth His Apostles two and two. Mark is the only Evangelist who mentions this fact. It is one that deserves special notice. There can be no doubt that this fact is meant to teach us the advantages of Christian company to all who work for Christ. The wise man had good reason for saying, Two are better than one (Ecc 4:9). Two men together will do more work than two men singly.
II. Clergy to be received.Notice what solemn words our Lord uses about those who will not receive nor hear His ministers. He says, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. This is a truth which we find very frequently laid down in the Gospels. It is painful to think how entirely it is overlooked by many. Thousands appear to forget that it needs something more than mere abstinence from outward irregularities to save a mans soul. They do not see that one of the greatest sins a man can commit in the sight of God is to hear the Gospel of Christ and not believe itto be invited to repent and believe, and yet remain careless and unbelieving.
III. The burden of their message.What was the doctrine which our Lords Apostles preached? We read that they went out and preached that men should repent. The necessity of repentance may seem at first sight a very simple and elementary truth. And yet volumes might be written to show the fullness of the doctrine, and the suitableness of it to every age and time, and to every rank and class of mankind. It is inseparably connected with right views of God, of human nature, of sin, of Christ, of holiness, and of heaven.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Chapter 1.
The Sending of the Twelve
“And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And He said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.”-Mar 6:7-13.
Leaving Nazareth.
We resume the thread of the Gospel narrative at the mission of the twelve Apostles. Jesus must have had a heavy heart when He took His leave of Nazareth. It seemed as if rejection was to be His invariable lot. For His rejection at the hands of the dwellers in Decapolis had been swiftly followed by this rejection at the hands of His own townsmen. At the one place they had begged Him to depart out of their borders; at the other they were scandalised in Him. And yet, as Bishop Chadwick says, we read of no statement of His labours. Men, after a hard and bitter experience, are apt to be discouraged and depressed. Elijah, seeing the apparent failure of his work in Israel, wished that he might die. But Jesus never gave way to these fits of despair. He never for one moment laid aside His work. “When they persecute you in this city,” He said to His disciples, “flee ye into another” (Mat 10:23).
A New Sphere: in the Villages.
That was exactly the principle on which the Lord Himself acted. Rejected at Nazareth, Jesus did not abandon His work in high dudgeon. He simply changed the sphere of it. When the Nazarenes refused to listen to Him, “He went round about the villages teaching” (Mar 6:6). “Round about the villages!” What an illustration this is of the condescension of Jesus 1 When you next read that verse (Mat 11:29) in which He says, “I am meek and lowly in heart,” put down in the margin this Mar 6:6 as illustration and proof of the claim.
A Lesson in Lowliness.
“He went round about the villages teaching.” The villages! We townsfolk sometimes talk of the village with just a touch of scorn. And when it comes to being a village preacher, we think of him with a kind of superior pity. We talk of the village preacher as an “obscure” person, or say that a man of gifts is “buried” in a village. There is not a student leaving college who does not think himself too good for the village. Too good for the village? We may all of us well go to school to Christ, to learn the lesson of lowliness; to be taught to be willing to take the small opportunity, and to serve Him in a humble place.
-With Christ as our Teacher.
I remember reading about a very prominent minister who one day announced from his pulpit that he would not give a sermon at his week-night service unless at least a hundred were present to hear him. It was not worth his while, he said, to preach to fewer than a hundred. And as I read, I could not help contrasting the conduct of his Master. Souls were of such priceless worth to Him that, if there was not a crowd, He was ready to preach to one. And I thought of Him speaking by night to Nicodemus, and then preaching that wonderful sermon to the Samaritan woman at the well! Christ never despised the small opportunity, and He never despised the humble place. He was “meek and lowly in heart.” “He went round about the villages teaching.” He cared not for the towns only, but for the villages also. He was a village preacher. And the brave, self-sacrificing men who, in quiet places, often amid great poverty and hardship, are preaching and teaching the Gospel may comfort themselves with this thought-that they are doing to-day the work the Lord Himself thought it worth His while to do nineteen centuries ago.
The Villager’s Advantage.
“He went round about the villages teaching.” When I piece together the Gospel narratives, and supplement what I find here by the fuller account which Matthew gives, I gather that He met in the villages with a very different reception from that which He had experienced in Nazareth. The villager, as a rule, is less sophisticated than the townsman. He is of a simple and more open nature. He finds it easier to believe, and is therefore more susceptible to spiritual influences. And so it comes about that things which are hidden “from the wise and prudent” are often revealed to babes.
Their Ready Response.
Take Christ’s own preaching. It was in the country Christ won His triumphs; not in the towns. Look at His list of disciples; they are all countrymen, provincials! Not a Pharisee, not a ruler, is to be found amongst them. The people of the capital looked coldly on Jesus; it was in the country that He most readily found responsive souls; and even in countrified Galilee-and the more rural the district the readier the response. So, while Nazareth was scandalised in Him, the villages received Him with open arms. Christ found a glorious field in the villages. “The harvest,” He explained to His disciples, as He noted how willing and eager these villagers were to listen-“the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Mat 9:37). A ready and responsive country-side Christ saw, waiting to hear the Gospel, and only Himself to preach it.
The Great Opportunity.
“Pray ye therefore,” He said further to them, “the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest” (Mar 6:38). Christ felt Himself unequal to cope with the great opportunity that offered. He was very much in the same position as our missionaries in China are to-day, with new fields opening, endless opportunities offering, and the forces actually available hopelessly inadequate to overtake the work. “Send,” they make appeal in every letter, “more labourers.” That is exactly how Jesus felt. Personally He could not overtake the work; He could not preach in every village that was willing to hear. He wanted “more labourers”; assistants, helpers, colleagues.
-And the Great Need.
And it was just this sense of the vastness of the work, and the inability of coping with it alone, that led our Lord to send forth the Twelve on their first mission tour. He multiplied Himself by sending them forth to preach, and so the good news of the Kingdom was carried into many a village and hamlet which otherwise might not have heard it.
The Sending of the Twelve.
“And He called unto Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two” (Mar 6:7). This sentence sends me back to another in which the first calling of the Twelve is described. In chap. iii. 14 I read this, “And He appointed Twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.” That was the object Christ had in view in the calling of the Twelve-that in course of time He might send them forth to preach. And now He proceeded to put His project into execution. “He began to send them forth.” He had called these twelve men that they might be “with Him.” He had invited them to come to school to Himself; and, that they might learn the lessons He had to teach them more thoroughly, He bestowed upon them the inestimable privilege of living in closest intimacy and friendship with Himself. He wanted them to witness His miraculous works, to hear His doctrine of the Kingdom, to behold His glory, to learn from Him how to pray and how to live.
A Mission of Help.
But these great privileges were not bestowed upon them for their own sake merely. Christ saw the people as sheep not having a shepherd-all for lack of that Gospel which He had to proclaim. And He had those wandering and stricken people in His mind when He summoned Peter and James and John and the rest to come and live with Him as His friends. “He appointed Twelve that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth.” He bade them come and learn, that in due time they might be fitted to teach. He bade them come and receive, that in due time they might be fitted to impart. He made them His apprentices-shall I say?-that in course of time they might themselves become workmen needing not to be ashamed. He made them His disciples, that in course of time they might become apostles. And that time now seemed to have arrived. “And He called unto Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two.” He began to send them forth to tell what they had heard, to teach what they had learned, to testify what they had seen. They had been listeners up to this point; now Christ sends them forth to make their first attempts as preachers.
The Master’s Curriculum for Disciples.
To pass, for a moment, from exposition, let me point out that we have here an illustration of the progress through which the Lord Jesus would have every one of His followers pass. First the school, then the field; first learn then teach: first disciples, then apostles. “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,” that is the first call. Christ would have us be “with Him,” that He may unfold His mind and will to us, that we may learn His purposes and imbibe His Spirit. We cannot teach others unless we have first learned of the Master ourselves; and the longer we have been learning the more competent we are to teach. Some young and eager spirits are eager to skip this “disciple” stage. “I do not want to waste my years in college,” one young fellow wrote to me, not long ago. “I want to get out into the work.” He forgot that Christ calls His workers to be “with Him,” before He sends them forth to preach.
-And its Purpose.
But while it behoves us to remember that we cannot teach unless we have first learned, yet the lesson which we perhaps need to have more clearly brought home to mind and conscience is this-that we learn in order to teach; that we are made disciples in order that we may become apostles; that we are called to be with Him in order that in due course He may send us forth. “Oh, teach me, Lord,” we sing in our familiar hymn. And what is the purpose of the prayer? “That I may teach the precious things Thou wouldest impart.” That is it; our privileges are all for service; our personal blessings are all meant to serve the common good; what we know of Jesus is meant for the enlightenment of the world.
Questions for Ourselves.
Have we ourselves reached this second stage? Many of us have been learners for years; have we become teachers yet? We have been disciples for a lifetime; have we started work as apostles? We have enjoyed the most delightful times with the Master; but have we as yet begun to go forth and preach? Of course, there is no suggestion in all this that we should all turn teachers or preachers in the technical sense; but, short of that, have we, as opportunity is given, begun to tell to others, and to share with others, what we know of Christ?
Witness-bearing and the Qualification for it.
I am persuaded that here lies the main reason for the slow progress of the Christian faith-that Christian men have been too content to remain in school all their days, instead of going forth to teach; they have been receivers, not givers, listeners, not tellers. They need to hear our Lord’s second command, “Go forth.” And if someone tells me that they do not feel fitted for the work of preaching and witnessing, I answer, neither were these twelve. They had very much to learn-you know what blundering scholars they were. But there were certain things they already knew. They knew that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand; they felt sure that Jesus was about to inaugurate that Kingdom; and they went and preached everywhere that, in view of the approach of the Kingdom, men should repent. That is what Christ expects of us. We feel, no doubt, that we have a great deal to learn; indeed, while life lasts we shall never finish our learning. But in the meantime we know something. We know that Jesus brings God near. We know that He breaks the power of sin. We know that He imparts peace and harmony into this life. Will you tell of that? Speak of what you know; testify of what you have seen. The multitudes are still as sheep not having a shepherd, all for lack of that knowledge you possess. The world is waiting for it, longing for it, dying for it. The harvest is plenteous, the labourers are few. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth more labourers, and offer yourself as one. “Here am I, send me.”
The Missionary Enterprise.
This sending of the Twelve is the beginning of Christ’s great missionary enterprise. You remember Ezekiel’s vision of the river (Eze 47:1-5)? He saw the river, as he puts it, coming out from under the threshold of the house eastward. At its beginning it was but a tiny trickling stream. You could have turned its course with the hand. But a thousand cubits lower down the stream had grown, and the waters were up to the ankles; and a thousand cubits further on still, the water had grown still further, and reached up to the knees; and a thousand cubits further still, and they were up to the loins; and a thousand further still, and it was a river the prophet could not pass through. For the waters were risen; waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And everything lived wheresoever this river went.
The Beginning of a Great Stream.
“And He began to send them forth two by two”; this is the tiny and insignificant beginning of the stream. Six couples of preachers went through the towns and villages of Galilee, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” There was nothing to create a stir or to attract notice. But every mission the centuries have known has sprung from this one. This is the tiny seed from which grew Paul’s vast labours among the Gentiles of the ancient world; Columba’s apostolic labours in Scotland; Francis’ labours in Italy; Xavier’s devoted toil in the Far East; John Eliot’s and David Brainerd’s self-sacrificing work amongst the Red Indians; William Carey’s service in India; John Williams’ work in the South Seas; David Livingstone’s in Central Africa; Hannington’s labours in Uganda; James Chalmers’ in New Guinea; the pioneering work of that splendid old man J. G. Paton in the New Hebrides, and the labours of many more of whom time would fail to tell. The great missionary enterprise began with the sending forth of these twelve men; but how vast is the multitude of the preachers! It began with the one small sphere of Galilee; but now the heralds of the Cross have gone into every land. From north to south, from east to west, preaching the good news of the Kingdom. The tiny trickling stream of these verses has grown into a great river to-day; and wherever the river flows it gives life. Thank God, the stream is still flowing, the waters are still rising, and rise they will until the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
A Ministry as well for the Body as the Soul.
We can see how in this first enterprise the ministry to the body goes hand in hand with the ministry of the soul. One of the most striking developments of the modern missionary enterprise is the emphasis laid on medical missionary work. We feel the appeal of physical suffering in these days more keenly than in any previous age. And so, side by side with the evangelist, we send the healer. It is worth while to send the doctor out for the physical good that he can do. The work of healing sickness, alleviating pain, saving life, is worth doing for its own sake. But, as a matter of fact and experience, it is found that, by ministering to the body our medical men get rare opportunities of ministering to the soul as well. And this development of medical missions is no innovation. We are but following the best of all precedents. The Master Himself was Evangelist and Healer all in one. And the first missionaries were evangelists and healers too. For Jesus not only sent them forth to preach; He also gave them authority over the unclean spirits, and, as is obvious from the last sentence of the paragraph, power to cure sickness too.
Missionary Instructions: Companionship.
He sent them forth “by two and two”; not singly, but in couples. That is just an illustration, not simply of the considerateness, but also of the wisdom of Jesus. “It is not good that the man should be alone”; it is a principle that has many and various applications. “Two are better than one.” Yes, and two together are better than two men separate from one another. Two men working individually are not so good, and cannot accomplish so much, as two men working in partnership. And this is specially so in Christian work. There are tasks impossible to the single worker that become feasible when two are working side by side. And more than that. In face of the discouragements and difficulties inseparable from missionary work, it is essential that there should be companionship, that each may be strengthening the other’s faith in God. And so two and two these men went forth: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, and so on. The same wise and excellent rule prevailed in later days; Barnabas and Paul, and later Barnabas and Mark, and Paul and Silas, taking the journeys together. Perhaps, as Dr. Chadwick says, our modern missionaries lose more in energy than is gained in area by neglecting so human a precedent, and forfeiting the special presence vouchsafed to the common worship of two or three.
Two Pregnant Messages.
The Master has other instructions to give these first missionaries. At every autumnal gathering we have a valedictory missionary service, and some of our wisest and ablest ministers address a few words of counsel to those who are about to set out for heathen lands. This is our Lord’s valedictory address. Think on every clause and line in it, for every clause and every line is pregnant with instruction for life and service to-day. But I will sum it all up in the two words which, as Dr. Bruce says, give us the soul and marrow of our Christ’s farewell speech. These are the two, “Care not,” “Fear not.” I dare say the disciples felt timid and distrustful, as they set forth to their new toil. They had never parted from Jesus before. It was with these brave and high words Christ sent them forth, “Care not,” “Fear not.”
“Care Not.”
“Care not.” That is the essential meaning of these counsels about taking nothing for the journey, no bread, no wallet, no money in the purse. Some commentators tell us that this insistence upon the necessity of going unencumbered is an indication of the urgency of the errand. The Romans called an army’s baggage impedimenta-hindrances. And all unnecessary personal luggage would have been so much hindrance in the way of these missionaries. No doubt there is truth in this suggestion. Others again, like Dr. Glover, see in all this a lesson of trust in man. The evangelists are to believe that there are good men in the world, who will provide them with shelter and food in return for the good news they bring. And this also I dare say is true. But primarily and principally the lesson is not of trust in man, but of trust in God. “Care not,” says Jesus. For God cares. Take no money in your purse-your Father will provide. Go to your work without anxiety-God is with you, God shall supply all your need.
“Fear Not.”
And “Fear not.” Mark does not say much about this, but Matthew gives the message in more detail. They were going as sheep in the midst of wolves. They knew how Jesus Himself had been treated; very likely the same treatment would be measured out to them. “Fear not,” said Jesus, God will protect, keep, and save you.
Messages still Spoken and Heard.
“Care not.” “Fear not.” They are still Christ’s brave and cheerful words to His workers. “Care not”; your Father cares. “Fear not”; your Father watches. And men have gone forth in simple trust in those brave words of the Lord. When Carey set sail for India, the society that sent him had only 13 in hand-13! But Carey went. He heard his Master saying, “Care not.” Robert Morrison went alone to China. “Do you think you are going to convert those millions of Chinese?” “No,” he replied, “but God can.” “Fear not.” “Care not.” They are the Master’s words to every Christian disciple. Life is full of anxieties and troubles. “Care not,” He says; your Father knoweth. Yes; life is full of haunting terrors, and the worst terror of all waits for us at the last. “Fear not,” says our Lord. No one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand. Neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:38-39).
Oh for a simpler faith in the loving, keeping care of God! “Care not,” “fear not,” Jesus says! And as I hear Him speak I feel I can say back to Him, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psa 4:8).
Fuente: The Gospel According to St. Mark: A Devotional Commentary
7
This is sometimes referred to as “the first commission,” in contrast with “the great commission” of chapter 16:15, 16. The wisdom of working in pairs is shown by the plan Jesus used in this case. Paul frequently had one or more brethren with him as he went out into the field. Power is from EXOUSIA which means authority or right. It was fitting to use such a word because the unclean spirits were intelligent beings and could logically be addressed by commands.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
THESE verses describe the first sending forth of the apostles to preach. The great Head of the church made proof of His ministers, before He left them alone in the world. He taught them to try their own powers of teaching, and to find out their own weaknesses, while He was yet with them. Thus, on the one hand, He was enabled to correct their mistakes. Thus, on the other, they were trained for the work they were one day to do, and were not novices, when finally left to themselves. Well would it be for the church, if all ministers of the Gospel were prepared for their duty in like manner, and did not so often take up their office untried, unproved, and inexperienced.
Let us observe, in these verses, how our Lord Jesus Christ sent forth His apostles “two and two.” Mark is the only evangelist who mentions this fact. It is one that deserves especial notice.
There can be no doubt that this fact is meant to teach us the advantages of Christian company to all who work for Christ. The wise man had good reason for saying, “Two are better than one.” (Ecc 4:9.) Two men together will do more work than two men singly. They will help one another in judgment, and commit fewer mistakes. They will aid one another in difficulties, and less often fail of success. They will stir one another up when tempted to idleness, and less often relapse into indolence and indifference. They will comfort one another in times of trial, and be less often cast down. “Woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” (Ecc 4:10.)
It is probable that this principle is not sufficiently remembered in the church of Christ in these latter days. The harvest is undoubtedly great all over the world, both at home and abroad. The laborers are unquestionably few, and the supply of faithful men far less than the demand. The arguments for sending out men “one by one,” under existing circumstances, are undeniably strong and weighty. But still the conduct of our Lord in this place is a striking fact. The fact that there is hardly a single case in the Acts, where we find Paul or any other apostle working entirely alone, is another remarkable circumstance. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion, that if the rule of going forth “two and two” had been more strictly observed, the missionary field would have yielded larger results than it has.
One thing at all events is clear, and that is the duty of all workers for Christ to work together and help one another whenever they can. “As iron sharpeneth iron, so doth the countenance of a man his friend.” Ministers and missionaries, and district visitors, and Sunday school teachers, should take opportunities for meeting, and taking sweet counsel together. The words of Paul contain a truth which is too much forgotten: “Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together.” (Heb 10:24-25.)
Let us observe, in the second place, what solemn words our Lord uses about those who will not receive nor hear His ministers. He says, “it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”
This is a truth which we find very frequently laid down in the Gospels. It is painful to think how entirely it is overlooked by many. Thousands appear to suppose, that so long as they go to church, and do not murder, or steal, or cheat, or openly break any of God’s commandments, they are in no great danger. They forget that it needs something more than mere abstinence from outward irregularities to save a man’s soul. They do not see that one of the greatest sins a man can commit in the sight of God, is to hear the Gospel of Christ and not believe it-to be invited to repent and believe, and yet to remain careless and unbelieving. In short to reject the Gospel will sink a man to the lowest place in hell.
Let us never turn away from a passage like this without asking ourselves, What are we doing with the Gospel? We live in a Christian land. We have the Bible in our houses. We hear of the salvation of the Gospel frequently every year. But have we received it into our hearts? Have we really obeyed it in our lives? Have we, in short, laid hold on the hope set before us, taken up the cross, and followed Christ?-If not, we are far worse than the heathen, who bow down to stocks and stones. We are far more guilty than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. They never heard the Gospel, and therefore never rejected it. But as for us, we hear the Gospel, and yet will not believe. May we search our own hearts, and take heed that we do not ruin our own souls!
Let us observe, in the last place, what was the doctrine which our Lord’s apostles preached. We read that “they went out and preached that men should repent.”
The necessity of repentance may seem at first sight a very simple and elementary truth. And yet volumes might be written to show the fullness of the doctrine, and the suitableness of it to every age and time, and to every rank and class of mankind. It is inseparably connected with right views of God, of human nature, of sin, of Christ, of holiness, and of heaven. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All need to be brought to a sense of their sins-to a sorrow for them-to a willingness to give them up-and to a hunger and thirst after pardon. All, in a word, need to be born again and to flee to Christ. This is repentance unto life. Nothing less than this is required for the salvation of any man. Nothing less than this ought to be pressed on men, by every one who professes to teach Bible religion. We must bid men repent, if we would walk in the steps of the apostles, and when they have repented, we must bid them repent more and more to their last day.
Have we ourselves repented? This, after all, is the question that concerns us most. It is well to know what the apostles taught. It is well to be familiar with the whole system of Christian doctrine. But it is far better to know repentance by experience and to feel it inwardly in our own hearts. May we never rest till we know and feel that we have repented! There are no impenitent people in the kingdom of heaven. All who enter in there have felt, mourned over, forsaken, and sought pardon for sin. This must be our experience, if we hope to be saved. [Footnote: The concluding verse in this passage, together with one in the Epistle of James (Jam 5:14 ), is generally quoted by Roman Catholics, in support of their pretended sacrament of extreme unction. A moment’s reflection will show that neither this text nor the other referred to, is any proof at all
In both cases the anointing with oil is expressly connected with the healing of those anointed. Extreme unction, on the contrary, is an anointing administered to a dying person, when there is no hope of his recovery.
This discrepancy between the anointing of the apostolic times and the anointing practised by the Church of Rome, is so glaring, that some of the ablest Romish controversalists have been obliged to acknowledge, that “extreme unction” is founded on church authority, and not on the authority of Scripture. Lombardus, Bonaventura, Bellarmine, Jansenius, and Tirinius, are all mentioned by Calovius as being of this opinion.]
Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels
Mar 6:7. By two and two. These pairs seem to be indicated in the list given by Matthew, although he does not mention that they were thus sent out. A proof both of truthfulness and of independence.
Power over the unclean spirits. Peculiar to Mark, and characteristic of his narrative.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
We heard before, chap. 3, of our Saviour’s solemn calling his apostles to their work and office; now he sends them forth to execute their office.
Where observe, 1. The person that sends them forth; Christ.
Learn thence, That none ought to take upon them the office of preaching, or any other ministerial function in the church, till thereunto lawfully called by Christ himself, and received the doctrine which they taught immediately from Christ’s own mouth. His ministers now are called immediately, they receive their authority from Christ by the hands of the governors of his church.
Observe, 2. The manner of their sending, by two and two in a company: partly to make their message of more authority; partly to testify their mutual consent in the doctrine which they taught; and partly to comfort and encourage, to help and strengthen, to assist and support each other: in imitation of this example, the Jesuits send forth their emissaries by pairs.
Learn hence, That the ministers of the word do stand in great need of the mutual help and comfort, of the united assistance and encouragement of each other, in the weighty duties of their calling and function; like labourers in the harvest-field, they should help one another, the strong endeavouring to strengthen the hands of the weak.
But, Lord, what tears are sufficient to bewail the want of love and unity, yea, the prevalency of that fear and malignity which is found too often amongst the ministers of the gospel! So that instead of going forth by two and two, happy is he that is alone in a place. Well might Melancthon bless God, when he lay a-dying, that he was going to a place where he should be freed from the implacable hatred of divines. This is, and ought to be, for a lamentation.
Observe, 3. The power given by Christ to work miracles for confirming the doctrine of the gospel which his apostles preached; he gave them power over unclean spirits, and they cast out devils, and anointed with oil them that were sick, and healed them. This power to work miracles was necessary for the apostles; partly to procure reverence to their persons, being poor and unlearned men, but principally to gain credit and authority to their doctrine; for the doctrine of faith in the Messiah, as now come, and exhibited in the flesh, being a strange and new doctrine to the Jews, the truth and certainty of it was to be extraordinarily ratified by Christ’s and his apostles’ miracles, some of which were casting out of devils; and by anointing with oil, to heal and recover sick persons. This gift of healing remained some time in the church, as appeared by St. James, Is any sick? Anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, Jam 5:14.
Where observe, That the apostles did not use oil as the instrument and means of healing, (for then the cure had not been miraculous,) but only as a symbol of the cure, or as an outward sign and testimony of miraculous healing: which outward sign was for the strengthening of the faith of such as were healed; assuring them, that as certainly as their bodies were anointed, so certainly should their health and strength be restored.
The Papists upon this ground their sacrament of Extreme Unction; but very vainly: for the apostles anointed those that were sick, as a sign of their recovery: but the Papists anoint those that have the pangs of death upon them, that their sins may be blotted out, and the snares of the devil avoided.
Observe, 4. The charge given by Christ to his apostles at the time of their sending out. This is threefold: first, Touching their preparation for their journey, he bids them not take much care, nor spend much time in furnishing themselves with victuals, money, apparel, weapons of defence, and the like; only taking a walking-staff in their hands, because they were to finish their journey speedily, and to return again to Christ.
This command of our Saviour to his apostles, not to incumber themselves when going forth to preach the gospel, teaches his ministers their duty, to free themselves as much as possibly they can from worldly incumbrances, which may hinder them in the performance of their office and function, No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, 2Ti 2:4.
Secondly, Touching their lodging in their journey. Our Saviour advises them not to change it, during their stay in one place; but into whatsoever house they first entered, they should there continue till they departed out of that place; that so they might avoid all show of lightness and inconstancy, and testify all gravity and stayedness in their behaviour, this being a special mean to win authority to their persons and ministry.
Thirdly, Christ gives a charge to his apostles touching their carriage towards such as should refuse to give entertainment to them and their doctrine. They were to denounce the judgments of God against such contemners, by shaking off the dust of their feet for a testimony against them.
Thence learn, That the contempt of God’s ministers, and especially of their ministry and doctrine, is an odious and execrable sin, detested by God, and which ought to be abhorred by man: Shake off the dust of your feet. This action was emblematical, signifying that Almighty God would in like manner shake them off as the vilest dust.
Learn, 2. That wherever the word is preached, it is for a testimony; either for or against a people. For if the dust of a minister’s feet bear witness against the despisers of the gospel, their sermons much more.
Observe, lastly, The dreadful judgment denounced by our Saviour against the contemners of the apostles’ doctrine: Verily it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Where note, 1. That there shall be a day of judgment.
2. That in the day of judgment some sinners shall fare worse than others.
3. That of all sinners the condition of such will be saddest at the day of judgment who having lived under the gospel, have died after all in impenitency and infidelity: Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mar 6:7. He calleth unto him the twelve While Jesus preached among the villages in the neighbourhood of Nazareth, he sent his twelve apostles through the several cities of Galilee, to proclaim that God was about to establish the kingdom of the Messiah, wherein he would be worshipped in spirit and in truth; and instead of all external rites and ceremonies, would accept nothing but repentance, faith, and sincere obedience. Moreover, to confirm their doctrine, he gave them power to work miracles of healing, which also would tend to procure them acceptance. See Luk 9:1-2. By two and two We may suppose that Matthew had an eye to this circumstance in the catalogue which he has given of the apostles; for, chapter Mar 10:2-4, he has joined them together in pairs; very probably just as they were sent out now by their Master. Jesus ordered his disciples to go by two and two, doubtless that they might encourage each other in their work. The history of their election and commission is given, Mat 10:1, &c.; where see the notes. But it seems they were not actually sent till now, when Jesus intended forthwith to enlarge the scene of his ministry. He, therefore, on this occasion renewed their powers, and repeated the principal things contained in the instructions formerly given.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
HE SENDS OUT THE TWELVE
Mat 9:37-38. Then He says to His disciples, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest, in order that He may send out the laborers into His harvest. Our Lord, seeing the awful state of the Jewish Church, destitute of competent spiritual guides, going miserably into eternal ruin, and consequently calls on all of His disciples to unite in a prayer to God to send out more laborers into the harvest. This prayer ascends up to Heaven, and receives a speedy answer, so that, instead of a single evangelistic force, He determines to multiply seven-fold, sending out the twelve apostles, two by two, to scour the whole country of Galilee and Judea, moving with all possible expedition, and preaching the gospel in every city and village. O how inconceivably urgent a similar policy this day! N.B. The time has not yet arrived to unfurl the gospel banner to the Gentile world. Hence, all of this evangelistic movement was confined to the Jews; i.e., in the Churches, preaching in the synagogues, as well as to the multitudes in the open air.
Mat 10:1-42; Mar 6:7-13; & Luk 9:1-6. Matthew: And calling His twelve disciples, He gave them power over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out, and heal every disease and every malady. Luke says, He sent them forth to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. The kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven, is the Divine government, which prevails among the angels and redeemed spirits throughout all celestial worlds; hell having none of it, and earth a mixture some, citizens of Gods kingdom; others, the denizens of Satans pandemonium.
Matthew Jesus sent forth these twelve, commanding them, saying, Go not into way of the heathens nor enter ye into a city of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As the Jews were the organized Church of God, and the custodians of the Divine Oracles, Gods plan was first to give them the gospel, so they might turn evangelists, and carry it to the ends of the earth. For a similar reason, we should now begin with the Churches, and get all of them saved who will receive the living Word, and then go to the world. You see our Savior repeatedly mentions the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Do you not know that this included the rank and the of the ministry and membership? There were a few honorable exceptions, like Simeon, Anna, Zacharias, Elizabeth, and the apostles. The Divine economy originally contemplated the Jewish Church en masse receiving Christ, and enjoying the immortal honor of heralding Him to the world. This they missed, both preachers and people, except the elect few. In a similar manner, it is the glorious privilege of the whole Church to receive Christ at His second coming; but amid the sad apostasy of the latter days (2 Thessalonians 2), we see that only the elect few will enjoy this transcendent glory. Going, preach, saying, That the kingdom of the heavens draweth nigh. This was significantly true, because they were the heralds of the kingdom, enjoying citizenship in the same, and commending it to all others. Heal the sick, raise the dead. We have a number of instances, in the ministries of Paul and Peter, of healing the sick; and at Joppa, Peter actually raised Dorcas from the dead. Her tomb was pointed out to me when I was there a few days ago. Cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Paul at Philippi ejected the fortune-telling demon from a damsel. The genuine, regular work of the Holy Ghost in the gospel dispensation, saving and sanctifying souls, is constantly accompanied by demoniacal ejectment and bodily healing. Possess neither gold nor silver, nor copper in your girdles; i.e., do not wait and prodigalize Gods precious time and opportunity in order to get money of any kind, as God can feed and clothe you as well out in the evangelistic field as at home. Have faith in Him to feed you like the birds and clothe you like the lilies. Nor valise, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff; for the laborer is worthy of his food. Hence, you see, we are to wait for nothing, but go as we are, taking what we have, and trusting God for everything.
Into whatsoever city or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and abide there until you may depart. This is not an interdiction of house-to- house preaching; but their time was short, and the work too great to admit of it. Hence they are commanded to find some place with Gods elect, and thence radiate out everywhere, preaching the Word, till they traverse the field. And going into a house, salute it. And if the house may be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it may be unworthy, let your peace return unto you. Salvation is optionary, and never goes begging. God is infinitely rich, and can get along without any of us. Whosoever may not receive you, nor hear your words, going out from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Truly, 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. When we go to a people and offer them the gospel, we have done our part, and will be rewarded in eternity as if they had received it. When they reject our message, they relieve us, and assume the responsibility of their own damnation. Sodom and Gomorrah were Gentile cities, in the beautiful, rich, and productive Vale of Sidim, which were destroyed for their wickedness, the very site they occupied being now covered by the Dead Sea. These heathen cities never had the opportunities of the Jews and the Christians. Consequently the latter, who reject the gospel, will sustain a more grievous responsibility in the judgment-day, and sink to a more terrible doom in the world of woe, than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, with all their dark vices.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. The serpent is the symbol of Satan, who has a wonderful intelligence, shrewdness, and cunning; while the dove is the symbol of the Holy Ghost, full of innocent, sweet, regenerating, and sanctifying love, and ready to pour it out into every penitent, believing heart. Harmless is akeraioi, from akeranumi, from a, not, keranumi, to mix. Hence the word means unmixed, the strongest statement of entire sanctification. Sinners are full of unmixed evil; holy, sanctified saints are full of unmixed good; while unsanctified Christians have a mixed experience, the pure love of God in a heart which is not free from depravity, but needs the second work of grace to eliminate it all away, leaving nothing but the pure love of God to fill the sanctified heart. We see from this commandment that, while we are to be innocent, holy, and faithful, trusting God for everything necessary to soul and body, we are still to carry with us the good, common sense with which we are born, and to utilize all the intelligence God gives us, watching lest we enter into temptation. Ministerial failures are constantly being made, simply because people do not use their common sense. Beware of men; for they will deliver you up unto the Sanhedrins, and scourge you in their synagogues. You see how they arrested, beat, and imprisoned Paul and Silas. And you shall be led before governors and kings, for My names sake, for a testimony to them and the Gentiles. Whereas the former clause specifies Jewish punishments and persecutions, this gives those they will encounter among the Gentiles; e.g., Paul, at Paphos, on the Isle of Cyprus, testified, when arraigned before Sergius Paulus, and won him; but when, in a similar manner, at the tribunal of Felix, another Roman proconsul, at Caesarea, he testified; but Felix rejected.
But when they may deliver you up, do not he solicitous, how or what you may speak, for it will be given to you in that hour what you shall say; for it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you. Wonderful has been the testimony and preaching of the martyrs, in all ages, when brought face to face with the burning fagot or the blood-thirsty lion. This Scripture has been most wonderfully verified, the heathen historians of the first three centuries certifying that the testimony of the dying martyrs often won their own murderers, so that they embrace the Christian religion, likewise sealing their faith with their blood. Brother will deliver up brother to death, and father the child; and the children will rise up against the parents, and put them to death. It has been estimated that two hundred millions of martyrs, during the Pagan and Papal ages, have died for Jesus. You can readily see how families would all be divided during those times of peril and bloodshed, the persecutors requiring them to testify against each other, and even participate in their martyrdom, as the only way of escape from a similar fate. You shall be hated by all men for My names sake; but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Those apostles, to whom He gave this commission and appended these stringent liabilities, all proved true to the end, except poor Judas. Matthew suffering martyrdom in Ethiopia; Mark, in Egypt; Luke, in Greece; James the Elder, the first of all, beheaded by Herod in Jerusalem; and James the Less, at a later date, hurled from a pinnacle of the temple; Matthias, the successor of Judas, suffered martyrdom in Abyssinia; Thomas, in India; Jude, in Tartary; Andrew, in Armenia; Bartholomew, in Phrygia; Philip, at Heliopous, in Syria; Paul and Peter, at Rome; and John, miraculously delivered from martyrdom in the caldron of boiling oil at Rome, and, as we believe, finally translated into heaven without seeing death.
And when they may persecute you in this city, fly into another. Thus you see, the people of God who bear this message of love and grace are not to use carnal weapons in self-defense, but run away, trusting the Lord for another open door. For truly, I say unto you, That you may not complete the cities of Israel, till the Son of man may come. You must remember, the immediate commission of these apostles, under which they are now going out, is restricted to the Jews, that restriction being removed when our Lord ascended, and the Holy Ghost fell on them, qualifying them for the conquest of the world. They are only gone out about three months in these duets, traversing the territory of Israel, till they return to the Lord, and accompanied Him the ensuing year of His ministry. N.B. The Mount of Transfiguration was really a prelude of the Lords second and glorious coming. This they actually witnessed in a few months from that date, thus verifying this mysterious declaration, as they had not yet gone over all the cities of Israel till the Son of man did actually come in adumbration on the Mount of Transfiguration, thus preliminarily revealing to them His second and glorious coming.
The disciple is not above his teacher nor the servant above his lord. Where we have Master so frequently in E.V., the word didaskalos, the noun, from didasko, to teach, hence it literally means a teacher. Jesus is the worlds Great Teacher, without whom the black darkness of the pandemonium would envelop it. It is sufficient for the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they called the landlord Beelzebub, how much more the inmates of his house? Our Savior here reveals to all who would be His witnesses, and herald His truth to a dying world, that we must be ready for any fate and disappointed at nothing.
My rest is in heaven, My home is not here; Then why should I murmur at trials severe?
Come trouble, come sorrow; The worst that can come, Will shorten my journey, and hasten me home.
Our Teacher and Lord, our great Exemplar, was homeless, destitute, and the world combined against Him, not even permitting Him to live on the earth which He had created. If we can riot accept the situation, and walk in His footprints, we can not be His disciples.
Therefore be not afraid of them. For nothing has been hidden which shall not be revealed, and secret which shall not be known. This follows as a logical sequence from the preceding affirmation in reference to the grave, criminal, and even diabolical affirmations which have invariably been adduced against the people of God. The Roman historians, Seutonius, Pliny, and Sallust, have all chronicled the gravest sins and darkest crimes against the Christians during the Martyr Ages of the heathen empire, thus apologizing for the bloody persecutionary edicts issued against them by the emperors. Of course, these historians only recorded hearsay, not claiming ocular testimony in the case. They said of Jesus, constantly, He hath a demon, He is gone mad, and He is beside Himself. They finally killed Him in the most disgraceful method, even hanging Him up between two criminals, notorious for robbery and murder. Similar accusations have been arrayed against the martyrs of all ages, thus signally verifying these prophecies of our Savior. Millions of people have been put to death, under gravest accusations, who, in the judgment-day, will shine like angels, while their accusers and persecutors, who stood at the head of the Church, will be calling for rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne. While, of course, the primary application of our Lords affirmation as to the revealment of all secrets is the ultimate and eternal vindication of His saints, it certainly follows that we should, in this life, become perfectly lucid and transparent to all illuminated eyes, so they can actually look through us, and read the hieroglyphics the Spirit has written on the tablets of our hearts, thus sweeping away the oath-bound secrecy of lodgery in all its forms and phases. What I say to you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim ye upon the house-tops. This is a confirmation of the preceding, showing up the thorough transparency of Gods true saints. When filled with the Holy Ghost, secrecy evanesces.
Be not afraid of those who kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The sainted mother, by her godly teaching, baptized with loving tears and fired with the prayer of heavenly inspiration, should put the hell-scare on her infant so thorough that the tomfoolery and superficialism of the popular religion, which brings a polar iceberg into the Church to melt in hell-fire, can never be able to obliterate; but an early conversion will only add expedition to the race-horse speed with which you are running from an open hell and an unchained devil, and sanctification give you eaglewings to expedite the velocity of your precipitate flight from the awful, deep-toned thunders of that quenchless damnation which awaits all who, by the intrigues of men and devils, shall fall below the Bible standard of holiness to the Lord. (Heb 12:14.) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father; indeed, all the hairs of your head are numbered. The infinite minutiae of the Divine cognizance, absolutely passing by nothing, but taking in everything indiscriminately, are here mentioned as a constant and potent inspiration to us all, peremptorily to settle matters for judgment and eternity by actually getting rid of the devil and everything belonging to him, in the glorious experience of entire sanctification and the constant indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as nothing short of this can actually settle that awful problem, whose solution is the destruction of soul and body in hell. Therefore be not afraid; for you are of more value than many sparrows. Perfect love casts out fear. Consequently the poorest and weakest saint, if true to God, can shout perennial victory from the mouth of hell to the gate of glory.
Therefore, every one who shall confess Me before the people, I will confess him in the presence of My Father who is in heaven; but whosoever may deny Me in the presence of the people, I will also deny him in the presence of My Father who is in the heavens. O what a potent inspiration to Christian testimony, semper et bique, always and everywhere! The awful delinquency in this duty and depreciation of this glorious privilege, thus turning the Churches into graveyards instead of battle-fields, is the Ichabod superscribed on the walls of modern Churchism. In the face of these glorious promises on the one side, and terrific denunciations on the other, voiceless pews are an incontestable proclamation of dead Churches. Do not consider that I came to send peace on the earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. The Bible abounds in riddles and enigmas, inexplicable to the carnal mind. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace, and at the same time described as a mounted military General, leading His embattled host into deadly conflict, deluging the world with blood, and heaping it with mountains of the slain. Both of these characteristics are literally true. The peace which He gives only follows a bloody war with sin and the devil, fought under the black flag, which means victory or death. The sword in this passage is the formidable weapon wielded by the Holy Ghost in the extermination of sin and the decapitation of Adam the First
For I came to divide a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and the enemies of a man shall be the inmates of his own house. All this is the normal effect accompanying a true work of salvation; Satans grip on the people being so tight that he is certain to hold enough to represent him in every family, unless literal miracles of grace flood the home with heavenly conquest and stampede the devils down to hell. Bogus, popular religion makes no disturbance in families and communities, from the simple fact that the devil is not fool enough to waste his ammunition on dead game, as there are plenty of live people to shoot at. Whenever the holiness movement gets so it does not arouse the devil in dead Churches and stir up hell in debauched communities, you may go and write Ichabod on its banner, and prepare its winding sheet as quickly as possible, to bury it speedily, before the stench of a putrifying carcass disseminates pestilential malaria far and wide. He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whosoever does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Here we see illustrated the absolute sine qua non confronting every aspirant to discipleship and heaven; i.e., the utter subordination of consanguinity, affinity, home, friends, and earthly possessions to the great Captain of our salvation. This is the fatal maelstrom into which many a bark has foundered.
The one having found his soul, shall loose it; the one having lost his soul for My sake, shall find it. The E.V. here has life, instead of soul. The word used by our Savior is not zoe, life, but psyche, the regular word for soul. In every instance in the New Testament, where the E.V. has soul, the Greek is psyche. Hence I give it just as Jesus said it. While King Jamess translators were scholarly theologians, they were not eminent for spirituality, but much on par with the English clergy. I do not think they saw down into the profound depths of our Saviors meaning in this passage. There never was but one creation of the human race. We were all created in Adam seminally. Hence, in the fall, we all fell with Adam, forfeiting the Divine and receiving the Satanic or carnal mind. James speaks of the double-soul man. (Jas 1:4; Jas 4:8.) The sinner has but one mind, and that is bad. The wholly sanctified has but one mind, and that is good; while the unsanctified Christian is Jamess double-minded man, having the carnal mind in subjugated state, and the mind of Christ, received in regeneration, ruling in his heart and life, but must have the carnal mind sanctified away before he can go to heaven. Psyche, soul, is the word used by James. The reason why so few get saved is because they are not willing to travel the death route to heaven. Millions, intimidated by the grim monster, lifting up the battle-ax to decapitate Adam the First, turn away, and travel some other road, which does not require so much self- denial. We are born into the world with an evil soul, which must die, or hell is our doom. Hence this awful test: Unless you are brave enough to die, and take chances for life beyond the black river, your heavenly hope is Satans ignis tatuus,
whose delusive ray Glows but to betray.
He that receiveth you receiveth Me; he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me. Christ bridges the chasm between God and man. Hence the wonderful feasibility of the redemptive scheme. He sends out His saved people to save others. The lost millions of earth have nothing to do but receive us, with our messages of truth and holiness, and in so doing they receive Christ; i.e., the loving, sympathizing Brother, Jesus. But He is not only man, but God. Therefore when the condescending, tender-hearted Nazarene takes you by the hand, behold! the hand of the Omnipotent grips you, lifting you from the lowest hell to the highest heaven. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophets reward; he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous mans reward. O what a thrilling incentive to wide-open door and generous hospitality, ever ready, with joyful enthusiasm, to receive the saints and prophets, whom Jesus sends forth into this dark world to rescue the perishing and save the lost! The reward of Gods prophets and righteous people what is it? None other than a crown of life and a home in heaven. The departure of hospitality from the Church is the death-knell now ringing from ocean to ocean, pealing out the mournful funeral of the great Protestant denominations.
Whosoever may only give one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink in the name of the disciple, truly, I say unto you, Can not lose his reward. We must remember that God sets great store on little things, appreciating the giver rather than the gift. How these promises should inspire us all to lend a helping hand in the expedition of every gospel pilgrim on his way, publishing salvation to the ends of the earth! And it came to pass when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and to preach in all the cities. The preceding discourse, delivered by our Savior to His twelve apostles, when He sent them out, two by two, to traverse all Israel with the uttermost expedition, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, should receive the especial and diligent study of all who read these pages. O that He may so pour on you the Holy Ghost, meanwhile, that you may hear His interior voice calling you into the evangelistic field! I assure you, this is the grand incentive inspiring the humble writer of the Commentaries, praying incessantly that all the readers may catch the heavenly flame, respond to the loving call, and enter the gospel-field unhesitatingly.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 7
By two and two; that they might render to each other mutual assistance and sympathy.
Mark 6:8,9. That is, that they should go as they were, without making special preparations for the expedition. That the directions were not meant to be insisted upon literally and strictly, is evident from the fact that the accounts differ, in regard to the particulars, in the different evangelists. (Comp. Matthew 10:10, in respect to shoes and staves.) The script was a a leather bag or wallet for provisions,–such as shepherds used.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city.
Okay, now I think many women would be irate to be sent out without a suitcase or two or three -well many men as well. Christ told the apostles to go forth and take nothing with them. Humm I wonder if he means I cannot take my hand-held computer with me. NOTHING but a staff – the staff was to assist in walking. They were to take no comforts, but the necessary staff to assist in those long walks.
No cash, no barter items, no Capital One cards, go with nothing not even a Macdonald’s salad for supper. But my pocket pc and ipod are totally needed!
They were to stay in homes that were opened to them and then move on to other places.
Now comes that passage that the Jehovah Witnesses have made famous, if they reject your message then “shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.” Many a time Jehovah Witnesses have had to shake their feet, even if standing on a clean sidewalk to show that they have been rejected. They have taken this as a sign of martyrdom, they have been rejected however the Lord spoke of the message being rejected – “not receive you, nor hear you” indicates the Word was rejected and along with it the person.
This passage does not tell us that missionaries should go to the field without support, without equipment, or without a change of clothes. It was a specific sending of the apostles. Now there might be a principle here that we should take note of.
The thought of the passage was that they had no need of these things that others would take care of them in their mission. Thus a modern day missionary should rely upon the gifts of others and the support of others for their ministry. It is right and proper for us to care for missionaries and to house them, feed them and encourage them if they have need. This might mean we ought to offer them housing until they move on to their next place of meeting as the passage implies.
The passage does not teach that the missionary should be destitute and poor though for his spiritual sake that might be a good thing as it would be for all of us. I think that frugal is good that conservative in appearance is good and that we all should also consider how our spending appears to others. The passage also shows to us the great need of the world. Christ sent them out to preach the gospel while doing miracles. The miracles were a sign of their true message and the validity of Christ.
We all have this same command in Mat 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
6:7 {2} And he called [unto him] the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
(2) The disciples are prepared for that general apostleship by a special sending forth.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jesus called the Twelve to Himself and then sent them out as His official representatives (cf. Mar 3:14). In Jesus’ culture, one sent was regarded exactly as the one who sent him. [Note: Lane, pp. 206-7.] Jesus was following Jewish custom and wisdom in sending the disciples out in pairs, which Mark alone mentioned (cf. Deu 17:6; Deu 19:15; Ecc 4:9-12). This was primarily to validate the truthfulness of their message by providing two witnesses (cf. Num 35:30; Deu 17:6). The Twelve were to preach the kingdom of God (Luk 9:2) and to perform miracles to authenticate their message for their Jewish audiences (Mat 10:1; Luk 9:1-2). Mark just mentioned casting out demons as the most powerful demonstration of Jesus’ power at work through them. This was a mission that would prepare the Twelve for larger responsibility in Jesus’ service later.
"Jesus authorized the disciples to be his delegates with respect to both word and power. Their message and deeds were to be an extension of his own." [Note: Ibid., p. 206.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
CHAPTER 6:7-13 (Mar 6:7-13)
THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE
“And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and He gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He charged them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse; but to go shod with sandals: and, said He, put not on two coats. And He said unto them, Wheresoever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart thence. And whatsoever place shall not receive you, and they hear you not, as ye go forth thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony unto them. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” Mar 6:7-13 (R.V.)
REPULSED a second time from the cradle of His youth, even as lately from Decapolis, with what a heavy heart must the Loving One have turned away. Yet we read of no abatement of His labors. He did not, like the fiery prophet, wander into the desert and make request that He might die. And it helps us to realize the elevation of our Lord, when we reflect how utterly the discouragement with which we sympathize in the great Elijah would ruin our conception of Jesus.
It was now that He set on foot new efforts, and advanced in the training of His elect. For Himself, He went about the villages, whither slander and prejudice had not yet penetrated, and was content to break new ground among the most untaught and sequestered of the people. The humblest field of labor was not too lowly for the Lord, although we meet, every day, with men who are “thrown away” and “buried” in obscure fields of usefulness. We have not yet learned to follow without a murmur the Carpenter, and the Teacher in villages, even though we are soothed in grief by thinking, because we endure the inevitable, that we are followers of the Man of Sorrows. At the same moment when democracies and priesthoods are rejecting their Lord, a king had destroyed His forerunner. On every account it was necessary to vary as well as multiply the means for the evangelisation of the country. Thus the movement would be accelerated, and it would no longer present one solitary point of attack to its unscrupulous foes.
Jesus therefore called to Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth. In so doing, His directions revealed at once His wisdom and His fears for them.
Not even for unfallen man was it good to be alone. It was a bitter ingredient in the cup which Christ Himself drank, that His followers should be scattered to their own and leave Him alone. And it was at the last extremity, when he could no longer forbear, that St. Paul thought it good to be at Athens alone. Jesus therefore would not send His inexperienced heralds forth for the first time except by two and two, that each might sustain the courage and wisdom of his comrade. And His example was not forgotten. Peter and John together visited the converts in Samaria. And when Paul and Barnabas, whose first journey was together, could no longer agree, each of them took a new comrade and departed. Perhaps our modern missionaries lose more in energy than is gained in area by neglecting so humane a precedent, and forfeiting the special presence vouchsafed to the common worship of two or three.
St. Mark has not recorded the mission of the seventy evangelists, but this narrative is clearly colored by his knowledge of that event. Thus he does not mention the gift of miraculous power, which was common to both, but he does tell of the authority over unclean spirits, which was explicitly given to the Twelve, and which the Seventy, returning with joy, related that they also had successfully dared to claim. In conferring such power upon His disciples, Jesus took the first step towards that marvelous identification of Himself and His mastery over evil, with all His followers, that giving of His presence to their assemblies, His honor to their keeping, His victory to their experience, and His lifeblood to their veins, which makes Him the second Adam, represented in all the newborn race, and which finds its most vivid and blessed expression in the sacrament where His flesh is meat indeed and His blood is drink indeed. Now first He is seen to commit His powers and His honor into mortal hands.
In doing this, He impressed on them the fact that they were not sent at first upon a toilsome and protracted journey. Their personal connection with Him was not broken but suspended for a little while. Hereafter, they would need to prepare for hardship, and he that had two coats should take them. It was not so now: sandals would suffice their feet; they should carry no wallet; only a staff was needed for their brief excursion through a hospitable land. But hospitality itself would have its dangers for them, and when warmly received they might be tempted to be feted by various hosts, enjoying the first enthusiastic welcome of each, and refusing to share afterwards the homely domestic life which would succeed. Yet it was when they ceased to be strangers that their influence would really be strongest; and so there was good reason, both for the sake of the family they might win, and for themselves who would not become self-indulgent, why they should not go from house to house.
These directions were not meant to become universal rules, and we have seen how Jesus afterwards explicitly varied them. But their spirit is an admonition to all who are tempted to forget their mission in personal advantages which it may offer. Thus commissioned and endowed, they should feel as they went the greatness of the message they conveyed. Wherever they were rejected, no false meekness should forbid their indignant protest, and they should refuse to carry even the dust of that evil and doomed place upon their feet.
And they went forth and preached repentance, casting out many devils, and healing many that were sick. In doing this, they anointed them with oil as St. James afterwards directed, but as Jesus never did. He used no means, or when faith needed to be helped by a visible application, it was always the touch of His own hand or the moisture of His own lip. The distinction is significant. And also it must be remembered that oil was never used by disciples for the edification of the dying, but for the recovery of the sick.
By this new agency the name of Jesus was more than ever spread abroad, until it reached the ears of a murderous tyrant, and stirred in his bosom not the repentance which they preached, but the horrors of ineffectual remorse