He gives to the Twelve the power of Miracles, and so sendeth them to the lost sheep of the Jews, (5) with instructions accordingly: (10) and by occasion of the sending, foretelleth of the persecutions after his Ascension, arming them and all other against the same, (40) and also exhorting the people to harbour his servants in such times of persecution.
AND having called his twelve Disciples together, * he gave them • power over unclean Spirits, that they should cast them out, and should cure all manner of disease, and all manner of infirmity.
2And the names of the twelve Apostles be these: The • first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 3James of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Barthlemew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, 4Simon Cananaeus, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5These twelve did Jesus send: commanding them, saying: Into the way of the [a] Gentiles go ye not, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6but go rather to the sheep that are perished of the house of Israel. 7And going preach, saying: That the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out Devils: gratis you have received, gratis give ye. 9Do not • possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses: 10not a scrip for the way, neither two coats, neither shoes, neither rod. For the workman is worthy of his meat. 11And into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy: and there tarry till you go forth. 12And when ye enter into the house, salute it, saying: • Peace be to this house.
13And if so be that house be worthy, your peace shall come upon it. But if it be not worthy: your peace shall return to you. 14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words; going forth out of the house or the city • shake off the dust from your feet. 15Amen I say to you, it shall be • more tolerable for the land of the Sodomites and Gomorrheans in the day of judgement, than for that city.
16Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore [b] wise as Serpents, and simple as Doves. 17And take heed of men. For they will deliver you up in Councils, and in their Synagogues they will scourge you. 18And to Presidents and • to Kings shall you be led for my sake, in testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19But when they shall deliver you up, * take no thought how or what to speak: for • it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. 20For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. 21 * The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the Father the Son: and the children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death, 22and you shall be odious to all men for my name: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.
23And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the son of man come.
24 * The Disciple is not above the Master, nor the servant above his Lord. 25It sufficeth the Disciple that he be as his master: and the Servant as his Lord. If they have called the Goodman of the house Beelzebub, • how much more them of his household? 26Therefore fear, ye not them. For nothing is hid, that shall not be revealed: and secret, that shall not be known. 27That which I speak to you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops. 28And [c] fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body into Hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing: and not one of them shall fall upon the ground without your Father? 30But your very hairs of the head are all numbered. 31Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows. 32 * Every one therefore that shall • confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father which is in Heaven. 33But he that shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father which is in Heaven. 34Do not ye think * that I came to send peace into the earth: I came • not to send peace, but the sword. 35For I came to separate * man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36And a man’s enemies, they of his own houshold. 37He that loveth father or mother • more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me. 39He that hath found his life, shall lose it: and he that hath lost his life for me, shall find it.
40 * He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. 41He that receiveth a Prophet • in the name of a Prophet, shall receive the reward of a Prophet. and he that receiveth a [d] just man in the name of a just man, shall receive the reward of a just man. 42And * whosoever shall give drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water, only in the name of a Disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
Footnotes
- ↑ They have here commission to preach only in Israel: the time being not yet come to call the Gentiles.
- ↑ Wisdom and simplicity both be necessary in Preachers, Bishops, and Priests.
- ↑ A goodly comfort for Christians and Catholics and all good men, in the persecutions of Turks, of Heretics, of all wicked men.
- ↑ The reward for harbouring and helping any just person suffering for his justice and conscience.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. X.
↑ 1. Power.) Miracles were so necessary to the confirmation of their doctrine beginning then to be preached, that not only Christ himself did miracles, but also he gave to his Apostles power to do them.
↑ 2. First Simon.) Peter the first, not in calling, but in pre-eminence. For (as St. Ambrose saith in 2 Cor. 12.) Andrew first followed our Saviour before Peter and yet the Primacy Andrew received not, but Peter. Which pre-eminence of St. Peter above the other Apostles is so plainly signified in this word, First, by the judgement even of Heretics, that Beza, notwithstanding he confesseth the consent of all copies both Latin and Greek, yet is not ashamed to say, that he suspecteth that this word was thrust into the text by some favourer of Peter’s Primacy. Whereby we have also that they care no more for the Greek than for the Latin, when it maketh against them, but at their pleasure say that all is corrupted.
↑ 9. Do not possess.) Preachers may not carefully seek after the superfluities of this life, or anything which may be an impediment to their function. And as for necessaries, they deserve their temporal living at their hands for whom they labour spiritually.
↑ 12. Peace to this house.) As Christ himself used these words, or this blessing often, Peace be to you, so here he biddeth his Apostles say the like to the house where they come. And so hath it been always a most godly use of Bishops * to give their blessing where they come; which blessing must needs be of great grace and profit, when none but worthy Persons (as here we read) might take good thereof; and when it is never lost, but returneth to the giver, when the other party is not worthy of it. Among other spiritual benefits it taketh away venial sins. Amb. in 9 Luc.
↑ 14. Shake off the dust.) To contemn the true Preachers, or not to receive the truth preached, is a very damnable sin.
↑ 15. More tolerable.) Hereby it is evident, that there be degrees and differences of damnation in Hellfire according to men’s deserts. Aug. lib. 4 de Bapt. ch. 19.
↑ 18. Kings.) In the beginning Kings and Emperors persecuted the Church, that by the very death and blood of Martyrs it should grow more miraculously, afterward when the Emperors and kings were themselves become Christians, they used their power for the Church, against Infidels and Heretics. Aug. ep. 48.
↑ 19. It shall be given.) This is verified even at this present also, when many good Catholics, that have no great learning, by their answers confound the Adversaries.
↑ 25. How much more.) No marvel therefore if Heretics call Christ’s vicar Antichrist, when their forefathers, the faithless Jews called Christ himself Beelzebub.
↑ 32. Confess me.) See how Christ esteemeth the open confessing of him, that is of his truth in the Catholic Church. For as when Saul persecuted the Church, he said * himself was persecuted; so to confess him, and his Church, is all one. Contrarywise see how he abhorreth them that deny him before men, which is not only to deny any one little article of the Catholic faith commended to us by the Church; but also to allow or consent to heresy by any means, as by subscribing, coming to their service and sermons, furthering them any way against Catholics, and such like.
↑ 34. Not peace but sword.) Christ came to break the peace of worldlings and sinners; as when the son believeth in him, and the father doth not; the wife is a Catholic, and the husband is not. For to agree together in infidelity, heresy, or any other sin, is a naughty peace. This being the true meaning of Christ’s words, mark that the Heretics interpret this to maintain their rebellions and troubles which their new Ghospel breedeth. Beza in nov. Test. anno. 1565.
↑ 37. More than.) No earthly thing, nor duty to Parents, wife, children, country, or to a man’s own body and life, can be any just excuse why a man should do, or feign himself to do or believe anything, against Christ or the unity and faith of his Church.
↑ 41. In the name.) Reward for hospitality, and specially for receiving a holy Person, as Prophet, Apostle, Bishop, or Priest persecuted for Christ’s sake. For by receiving of him in that respect as he is such a one, he shall be partaker of his merits, and be rewarded as for such a one. Whereas on the contrary side, he that receiveth a Heretic into his house and a false Preacher, doth communicate with his wicked works. Ep. 2 Joh.
Margin Notes
- 16–22. The Ghospel upon the Commemoration of St. Paul, Jun. 30.
- 23–28. The Ghospel upon St. Athanasius day May. 2.
- 29–33. The Ghospel for some Martyrs, not Bishops.
- 34–42. The Ghospel upon St. Augustine’s day our Apostle, May 26. And for some Martyrs not Bishops.
- annot. 2. Peter’s Primacy.
- annot. 12. Bishop’s blessing.
- annot. 12. It remitteth venial sins.
- annot. 32. Confessing of Christ and his truth.
Margin References
- 1. Mar. 3, 13. 6, 7. Luc. 6, 13. 9, 1.
- 19. Mar. 13, 11. Luc. 12, 11.
- 21. Luc. 21, 16.
- 24. Luc. 6, 40.
- 32. Mar. 8, 38. Luc. 9, 26. 12, 8.
- 34. Luc. 12, 51.
- 35. Mich. 7, 6.
- 40. Luc. 10, 16.
- 42. Mar. 9, 41.
- annot. 2. Beza in Annot. novi. Test. 1556.
- annot. 1.2 * Aug. civit. lib. 22 ch. 8. Leo Imp. in vit. St. Chrys. Socrat. lib. 6 ch. 14.
- annot. 32. Act. 9.
