2. FIRST MISSION OF THE TWELVE Mark 6:7-13 (Matthew 9:35; Matthew 10:42; Luke 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. (Luke 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. (Mark 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. (Acts 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:" (Matthew 15:24.) The gospel was first preached to the Jews; afterward to all nations. (Matthew 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. (Matthew 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 (John 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 (Luke 10:5) gives the form of salutation. (See also Luke 24:36; 1 Samuel 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 (Luke 9:53) and the Gerasenes (Mark 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. (Matthew 11:20-24.)] 12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.--All men. (Acts 17:20.) The term also includes women for the reason they are included in this free salvation. (Acts 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." (Acts 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. (John 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" (Luke 9:6); "and the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto him what things they had done" (Luke 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 (Luke 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." (Luke 10:17-20)]