The Twelve Apostles

¹ And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

The Ministry of the Twelve

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts. ¹⁰ Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.^*

¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on. ¹² As you enter the home, greet its occupants.¹³ If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return^* to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Sheep among Wolves

¹⁶ Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd^* as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. ²⁰ For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

Fear God Alone

²⁶ So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

²⁸ Do not be afraid^* of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.^* Instead, fear^* the One who can destroy both soul^* and body in hell.^*

²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Confessing Christ

³² Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

Not Peace but a Sword

³⁴ Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.^{* 35} For I have come to turn

‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

³⁶ A man’s enemies will be the members

of his own household.’

³⁷ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; ³⁸ and anyone who does not take up^* his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

⁴⁰ He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. ⁴¹ Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”