Matthew 10 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered
A response and reply to the notes on Matthew 10 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).
King James Version
SAB comment
My comment
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
More information on the twelve apostles can be found here. But as in the Old Testament, it was quite common for people to have two names. In this case a Greek and a Hebrew name.
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Lebbaeus was a brother of James, Acts 1:14. Thaddaeus is Thaddai in Syria and has the same meaning as Judas, the former is a Greek name, the latter a Hebrew name. As a saint he is called Judas Thaddaeus. See John Gill's comments on Thaddaeus as well.
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Should the gospel be preached to everyone?
Sigh, I suppose most people will fail to see the point the author of the SAB tries to make here. Jesus gives a particular command to his disciples for a particular time. The disciples had to go to the Israelites at this point in time. Later he commands them to go to the whole world, chapter 28:19. Where's the contradiction?
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Jesus tells his disciples to perform all the usual tricks: "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils."
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
Matthew uses here the plural “staves,” i.e. not more than one. They were allowed one, see Mark 6:8. The meaning is that they were allowed a staff for leaning on while walking, but not staves for defense or fighting.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Cities that neither "receive" the disciples nor "hear" their words will be destroyed by God. It will be worse for them than for Sodom and Gomorrah. And you know what God supposedly did to those poor folks (see Gen.19:24).
Everyone will be judged for their own sins. But Jesus asserts here that people who reject him will be judged accordingly.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Families will be torn apart because of Jesus. (This is one of the few "prophecies" in the Bible that has actually come true.)
(10:22) "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but He that endureth to the end shall be saved."
What must you do to be saved?
One of Ann Coulter's favorite Bible verses
(10:22) "He that endureth to the end shall be saved."
What must you do to be saved?
(10:23) "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."
Jesus tells his disciples that he will return before they can "go over the cities of Israel." Later (24:14) he says he will not come until the gospel is preached throughout the world. Well, his disciples went over the cities of Israel and then died waiting for the "return of the Lord." Now, nearly 2000 years later, and long after the gospel had been preached throughout the world, his followers still wait.
When will the end of the world come?
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
I also wonder why the author of the SAB does not claim here that Jesus asserts that nobody will believe the apostles. Doesn't Jesus say that all men will hate them?
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
but either of his resurrection from the dead, when he was declared to be the Son of God, and when his glorification began; or of the pouring forth of the Spirit at the day of Pentecost, when his kingdom began more visibly to take place, and he was made, or manifested to be the Lord and Christ; or of his coming to take vengeance on his enemies, that would not have him to rule over them, and the persecutors of his ministers, at the destruction of Jerusalem.
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Should we fear God?
One of Ann Coulter's favorite Bible verses
(10:28) Notice that Jesus makes a clear distinction between the soul and the body in this verse. Why would he do that if, as the Governing Body of the Jehovah's Witnesses teaches, the soul is the body?
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
The author of the SAB makes a good point with regards to the distinction between body and soul.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
God is involved in the death of every sparrow. He sees to it that they each die painful deaths of starvation, predation, or disease. But don't worry. God will do the same for you. (He thinks that humans are worth much more than sparrows.)
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
According to the gospels (Mt.26:69-75, Mk.14:66-72, Lk.22:55-62, Jn.15:18-27), Peter denied Jesus three times before men. Therefore Jesus must have denied Peter before God.
One of Ann Coulter's favorite Bible verses
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Is Jesus peaceful?
One of Ann Coulter's favorite Bible verses
Holy War and the Holy Father: the Bible vs the Quran
So this statement does not mean that it is Jesus intention to bring war, but that this will be an effect of him proclaiming the gospel.
The second meaning of this verse is Jesus opposition to the idea the Jews had that he came to establish an earthly kingdom and peace on this earth. Instead he came to tell his followers that in this world they would have tribulations, John 16:33.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Even the moon landing, which hundreds of millions have watched, is disputed to have happened at all (by 6% of Americans!). Let's face it, for some people no amount of proof will ever convince them. But that does not mean there is no evidence or there are no facts.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
(10:37) "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Jesus warns us not to love our parents or children too much. We have to make sure that we always love him (who we don't even know existed) more than our family.
Theologikos: Test yourself: Are you intelligent or stupid? The Holy Test!
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Jesus gave his disciples "power against unclean spirits" and to cure all sickness and disease.