Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3.13-19Luke 6.12-16)1 Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2 The first of the twelve apostles was Simon, better known as Peter. His brother Andrew was an apostle, and so were James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. 3 Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. 4 The others were Simon, known as the Eager One, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.
Instructions for the Twelve Apostles
(Mark 6.7-13Luke 9.1-6)5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:
Stay away from the Gentiles and don't go to any Samaritan town. 6 Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. 7 As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid. 9 Don't take along any gold, silver, or copper coins. 10 And don't carry a traveling bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick.
Workers deserve their food. 11 So when you go to a town or a village, find someone able and willing to have you as their guest and stay with them until you leave. 12 When you go to a home, give it your blessing of peace. 13 If the home is deserving, let your blessing remain with them. But if the home doesn't accept you, take back your blessing of peace. 14 If someone won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave their home or town. And shake the dust from your feet at them. 15 I promise you the day of judgment will be easier for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Warning about Trouble
(Mark 13.9-13Luke 21.12-17)16 I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their synagogues. 18 Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. 19 But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. 20 But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say.
21 Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 22 Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. 23 When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come.
24 Students are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teacher and for slaves to be like their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?
The One To Fear
(Luke 12.2-7)26 Don't be afraid of anyone! Everything that is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. 27 Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must tell in the light. And you must announce from the housetops whatever I have whispered to you. 28 Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell. 29 Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. 30 Even the hairs on your head are counted. 31 So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Telling Others about Christ
(Luke 12.8Luke 9)32 If you tell others you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven you are my followers. 33 But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven you don't belong to me.
Not Peace, but Trouble
(Luke 12.51-53Luke 14.26Luke 27)34 Don't think I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. 35 I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. 36 Your worst enemies will be in your own family.
37 If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. 38 And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow me, you are not fit to be my disciples. 39 If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.
Rewards
(Mark 9.41)40 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. 42 And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will be rewarded.
1 And hee called his twelue disciples vnto him, and gaue them power against vncleane spirits, to cast them out, and to heale euery sickenesse, and euery disease. 2 Nowe the names of the twelue Apostles are these. The first is Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother: Iames the sonne of Zebedeus, and Iohn his brother. 3 Philippe and Bartlemewe: Thomas, and Matthewe that Publicane: Iames the sonne of Alpheus, and Lebbeus whose surname was Thaddeus: 4 Simon the Cananite, and Iudas Iscariot, who also betraied him. 5 These twelue did Iesus send forth, and commanded them, saying, Goe not into the way of of the Gentiles, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter yee not: 6 But goe rather to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye goe, preach, saying, The kingdome of heauen is at hand. 8 Heale the sicke: cleanse the lepers: raise vp the dead: cast out the deuils. Freely ye haue receiued, freely giue. 9 Possesse not golde, nor siluer, nor money in your girdels, 10 Nor a scrippe for the iourney, neither two coates, neither shoes, nor a staffe: for the workeman is worthie of his meate. 11 And into whatsoeuer citie or towne ye shall come, enquire who is worthy in it, and there abide till yee goe thence. 12 And when yee come into an house, salute the same. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come vpon it: but if it be not worthie, let your peace returne to you. 14 And whosoeuer shall not receiue you, nor heare your woordes, when yee depart out of that house, or that citie, shake off the dust of your feete. 15 Truely I say vnto you, it shall be easier for them of the lande of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement, then for that citie. 16 Behold, I send you as sheepe in the middes of the wolues: be yee therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doues. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliuer you vp to the Councils, and will scourge you in their Synagogues. 18 And ye shall be brought to the gouernours and Kings for my sake, in witnes to them, and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliuer you vp, take no thought howe or what ye shall speake: for it shall be giuen you in that houre, what ye shall say. 20 For it is not yee that speake, but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the sonne, and the children shall rise against their parents, and shall cause them to die. 22 And yee shall be hated of all men for my Name: but he that endureth to the end, he shall be saued. 23 And when they persecute you in this citie, flee into another: for verely I say vnto you, yee shall not goe ouer all the cities of Israel, till the Sonne of man be come. 24 The disciple is not aboue his master, nor the seruant aboue his Lord. 25 It is ynough for the disciple to bee as his master is, and the seruaunt as his Lord. If they haue called the master of the house Beel-zebub, howe much more them of his housholde? 26 Feare them not therefore: for there is nothing couered, that shall not be disclosed, nor hid, that shall not be knowen. 27 What I tell you in darkenesse, that speake yee in light: and what yee heare in the eare, that preach yee on the houses. 28 And feare yee not them which kill the bodie, but are nor able to kill the soule: but rather feare him, which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell. 29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fal on the ground without your Father? 30 Yea, and all the heares of your head are nombred. 31 Feare ye not therefore, yee are of more value then many sparowes. 32 Whosoeuer therefore shall confesse me before men, him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heauen. 33 But whosoeuer shall denie me before me, him will I also denie before my Father which is in heauen. 34 Thinke not that I am come to sende peace into the earth: I came not to send peace, but the sworde. 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 lawe. 36 And a mans enemies shall be they of his owne housholde. 37 He that loueth father or mother more then me, is not worthie of me. And he that loueth sonne, or daughter more then mee, is not worthie of me. 38 And hee that taketh not his crosse, and followeth after me, is not worthie of me. 39 He that will finde his life, shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall finde it. 40 He that receiueth you, receiueth me: and hee that receiueth mee, receiueth him that hath sent me. 41 Hee that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receiue a Prophetes rewarde: and hee that receiueth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receiue the rewarde of a righteous man. 42 And whosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these litle ones to drinke a cuppe of colde water onely, in the name of a disciple, verely I say vnto you, he shall not lose his rewarde.