Now, we've been snowed out a couple Sabbaths here, so I thought I'd continue with the Sabbath Bible study in Matthew 10, which is Matthew's second discourse. And by the way, many were very encouraging on the first section of that that they found it interesting. My son-in-law, Bill, suggested that maybe it was because I had originally prepared this to speak to elders rather than to the congregation. And again, the audience is significant, and you'd think, well, it'd be the same. It never crossed my mind that I was doing it, but in preparing it for the elders, you want to give some background that you might not always explain to the members that could be vice versa.
But anyway, I thought that was an interesting observation. I don't know if it's 100% true, but it did seem to register in a way that hadn't before. Now, we had gone into Matthew 10, and we'd covered all the way to verse 4, and getting the background, of course, on the... We also started in chapter 9 in verse 35, you may remember, because it seemed to lead up to that. And then we got through the first part. And I closed last time with Jamison, Fawcett, and Brown mentioning the first part, the first part of Christ's discourse, and we're going to get to the actual discourse now, contains directions for the brief and temporary mission on which they were now going forth.
That's Matthew chapter 10, verses 5 to 15, and for which we're going with respect to the places they were to go, the works they were to do, the message they were to bear, and the matter in which they were to conduct themselves. And you'll find this first section is really fascinating. I'm hoping to get through two sections today, but I may not. Okay, Matthew 10, verses 5 and 6. These twelve Jesus sent out, and commanded them, saying, Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The phrase there, These twelve Jesus sent out, the word sent is apostello. It's the form of the word apostle, to send somebody. Apostle means one sent, and this is the verb, Thayer's first definition, to order one to go to a place appointed to tell somebody to go somewhere. So he sent them. They had to go. When I was in Ambassador College, they used to emphasize this thing about go, because the reason they said to come to Ambassador College was to go.
That you would go, because the work was growing, it was developing, it was 1961, and things were growing exponentially, so they were trying to find laborers to help and to carry on the work in pastor churches and do various other things. So the idea was to come to Ambassador College was to go. And I sure did my share of travel, and let me tell you, all over the earth. So these were told to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Jesus said in Matthew 15, 24, I'll just refer to it, but he answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
So that's who he sent his apostles to as well. Now, at that time, the tribes were not lost in terms of their identity. Maybe some were, but not all. The New Testament indicates that various geographical areas contained Israelites. It's interesting, James begins his epistle. James, the bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. Greetings. So he targeted his message to the twelve tribes.
Now, you mustn't know where to mail it. You had to know, you know, you're right, you had to know where to send the copy to be able to do that. To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.
Greetings. There's an interesting little play on that. James is the Greek form of the name Jacob. So this is Jacob to the twelve tribes of Israel, which gives it a little more, a little interesting point there. And Peter knew where the children of Israel, or at least many of them, lived. In 1 Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2, again, I'll just read it, check it if you like.
1 Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, now you know what that means once said, right? Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion, which in the Greek word is diaspora. And among the Jewish community today, they still call themselves the diaspora, the ones that are scattered. So Peter used the very word, diaspora. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the diaspora, or dispersion, in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
So he named where they were. And it's very interesting. They lived in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. The Exposer's Bible commentary says the destination of Peter's letter is named Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. These were the Roman provinces north of the Taurus Mountains in what is today Turkey.
So when Peter wrote his epistle, he was writing to Israelites who were living in what today is Turkey.
Now, it's interesting also, some of Peter's readers may have heard him give his first sermon in Jerusalem because they were in there for the Holy Day. Remember, they all came in for the Holy Day? And they were from various places on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. JF and B comments on 1 Peter, he was ministering to the same peoples as he preached to on Pentecost. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Dwellers of Mesopotamia, and Judea. He's quoting Acts 2.9. That is, the Jews now subject to the Parthians, whose capital was Babylon, where he labored in person. Dwellers in Cappadocia, Pontish, Asia, Phrygia, Bithynia. The Asiatic dispersion derived from Babylon, whom he administers to by letter. Perhaps some of the readers were among the 3,000 who were baptized on the day of Pentecost, or the 5,000 that were baptized a few days later.
Excuse me. My throat's giving me trouble. But it seems highly unlikely that on that trip, the 12 would have traveled to the Roman provinces north of the Taurus Mountains. You wouldn't think he would have told them to do that.
That would have taken considerable time. Additionally, from our 21st century view, the phrase, the House of Israel, refers specifically to the 10 tribes of Israel. So when we think of the House of Israel, we think of the 10 tribes.
And in verse 23 of Matthew 10, he will tell them, he will tell them, you will have not gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. So he sends them to the children of Israel, but he says, you won't get them all done before I return. Now, how do we understand that?
There's a prophetic aspect to his instruction, go rather than the lost sheep of the House of Israel, that could reach even down to our time. It was only later that Jesus would reveal to them that they would proclaim the Gospel in the whole world. I'll show it later. I'll show you Matthew, God willing. I will show you Matthew 21, where he says, Paul wrote to the Romans in 1 16, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. God set it up that the Jews would hear it first, and then he would spread it out from there to all the nations. And that was God's plan. Here he's sending out 10, and he's just telling them, don't go to the gentile areas, go to the children of Israel.
But he started with the Jews, and then, and I'll make another comment on that a little further down.
Verse 7, Matthew 10, verse 7, And as you go preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. It's thought that Matthew used the term kingdom of heaven in respect of the Jews, many religious Jews, did not like to use the name God.
They preferred, they were sensitive about using that, and he was sensitive to it as well.
The phrase is found only in Matthew, the kingdom of heaven, and where it's used 33 times. The others all used the kingdom of God. However, Matthew does use the kingdom of God four times.
He does say it, maybe he's quoting Christ, he's going to say it exactly as Christ said it, see.
That may be in the reason that he did it that way.
Because the kingdom is a central focus of Christ's ministry. Matthew mentions it 50 times in those in those verses. It's really amazing.
Okay, and he said the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The message of the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
But what does that statement actually mean? At hand. It means that God was about to take decisive action and carry out his word, is what it means. God had made a covenant with the children of Israel, which they had broken time and again, as we know. He had previously taken the nation captive in 584 BC, and later permitted a small remnant to return to Jerusalem, where most of them just kept going, though. A small remnant came back. Now, he was about to have the nation taken captive again.
But this time, it would not be restored until his second coming. There wouldn't be a remnant come back. What we have there now is happening, and we'll see how that all works out, but temple isn't built and all those kind of things that are there. It's going to be quite different at his return. Matthew recorded the warning to the chief priests and elders, and I want to share that with you, and I think you'll find it really powerful. You already know the verses, but before I show you that, let me show you a prophecy on which Jesus' words are based, which I think it will make it doubly interesting. Have a look at Isaiah chapter 5. Isaiah chapter 5.
The first six chapters of the book of Isaiah are an introduction to Isaiah, and this is part of that introduction. Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 1. Now let me sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. Whose vineyard? His vineyard. My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared it of its stones and planted it with a choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst. He also made a wine president. So he expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.
He said one of the choicest vines. He had brought the children of his faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You think that's, you know, they had learned God's ways. They'd been part of the family culture, and they'd known the fathers, and he's going to put them there.
He says, so expected to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.
And now what happens if Jerusalem and men of Judah, he mentions particularly Judah, and he says, judge, please, between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? What more could God do to bless the children of Israel in our day? What more could he add? I mean, we have incredible blessing.
Why then, when I expected to bring forth good grapes and to bring forth wild grapes?
And now, please let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge. Vineyards have hedges to protect them. And it shall be burned, and break down its wall. They have walls as well. And it shall be trampled down. No wall people just walk through.
No hedge. Fire comes through. Other things come through. It shall be trampled down. Verse 6, I will lay at waste, and it shall not be pruned or dug. Think about our nation today. Is God pruning it at all? No. It's just growing wild. This is growing wild. Nobody's trimming it. Nobody's coming in in a national way and saying, guys, listen up. We've got to change. Nobody's saying that. I will lay at waste. It will not be pruned or dug. But there shall come up briars and thorns. I also will command the clouds. There'll be no rain on it. Not today. Some other day.
Now notice verse 7. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel.
And the men of Judah is pleasant plant. Isn't that an amazing verse? He looked for justice, but behold oppression. He looked for righteousness, but behold a cry. In Hebrew, there's a play on that. Those are two words. Justice and oppression sound alike, and righteousness and a cry sound alike. There's a little play on words there that you don't see in English. But anyway, just wanted to introduce you to it. Now let's go back to Matthew chapter 21. Matthew chapter 21.
And we'll begin at verse 33.
Now he's speaking to the elders of Israel. Actually, to the elders of the men of Judah.
And you can see that in verse 23. Now when he came out into the temple, the chief priests, and well, that was they would of course be Levi, and the elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching and said by what authority you know that story. Let's go to verse 33. Here are another parable. There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it.
He's referring to Isaiah 5. And dug a winepress and built a tower, and he leased it to the vine dressers and went to a far country. Now when the vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the vineyard to the vine dressers that they might receive its fruit. And the vine dressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all, now please notice that phrase, last of all. And last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, they'll respect my son. But when the vine dressers saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir. What's the heir? The one who's destined to inherit the old vineyard. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of that vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine dressers? They said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lease the venue to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their season. When you understand Isaiah 5, it's just so dramatic. Verse 42, Jesus said to them, have you not read the scriptures? And this is from Psalm 118, a very, very significant Psalm. They're all significant, of course. The stone which the builders rejected has became the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it's marvelous on our side. The builders didn't want the chief cornerstone to be the chief cornerstone, so they rejected him. Kill them.
Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you, the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
To be a part of the kingdom of God, you've got to bear the fruits.
And we all have an opportunity to do that, and if we bear the fruits, fine, and if we don't, well, don't expect to continue on as a part of the kingdom of God.
Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Can you imagine these men coming up in the resurrection and being reminded that he told them this?
And whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but on whoever it falls, it will grind into powder.
Now, when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived he was speaking of them. They got the message.
It's really a very powerful passage when you see that of what he was going to do.
Back to Matthew chapter 10. Then, as I said, he was going to look at the kingdom of God's head.
The kingdom was taken from them.
He destroyed the temple, and the priesthood was effectively shut down. They can't operate without a temple. And he sent it away. And it's very powerful. The kingdom of God's head, action is going to be taken. Repent, therefore. He didn't say repent here, but repent, therefore.
And God opened up salvation to the Gentiles. I mean, this is powerful stuff.
But he sent them to the children of Israel, remember? It's for them to have the message first.
Then others do. Verse 7, Matthew 10, and as you go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And then he said, in verse 8, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You should know that the phrase raise the dead is not in the majority text that was added in there. It says that in my margin. I hope it does yours if you have a margin Bible. So he didn't say raise the dead, apparently. Not according to the majority text. But he did give them power to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. The apostles were given power. Let's notice that.
And I quoted this earlier in Matthew 10. But let me go over it again. This is James and Fawcett Brown and their comment on Matthew 10. And when he had called unto them his 12, unto him his 12 disciples, he gave them power. The word signifies both power and authority or right. If it were not evident here, both ideas are included. We find both words expressly in the parallel passage of Luke 9.1. He gave them power and authority. In other words, he both qualified them and authorized them.
I tried to emphasize last time how powerful the power he gave to these apostles. And he gave them. The kingdom of God involves power. And we must never forget that. Now, God delays it. He delays it, but it's still there. And the demons know it, and they tremble. God is not the head of a make-believe kingdom. But a real kingdom with power, and that's power over every disease and even spirits, God's kingdom is to be respected. And if we do respect it, it's a great blessing to respect the kingdom of God. And then he said to them, freely you have received, freely give. Today there are many people selling Bible tapes, magazines, and books. Excuse me. I haven't been speaking at home like this, so I haven't had this problem. As I said, there are many people selling lots of stuff to do with religion, and they seem unaware of this principle. You may want to turn to 2 Corinthians 2.17. I'll read it if you want to check it. Fine. 2 Corinthians 2.17. Give you a second to get there if you want to. It's a very telling passage. He said, 2 Corinthians 2.17, For we are not as so many peddling the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
That's 2 Corinthians 2.17. And the word translated peddling comes from the Greek word, which means a hockster or to retail. In other words, to sell something.
By implication, to adultery, corrupt. The word was used of wine merchants who would add water.
They'd corrupt it. They'd add water to increase their profits. And the implication is, for people selling stuff, they water down the truth for the sake of profit. And that is so true, brother.
They water down the truth for the sake of profit. They're not talking about judgments coming on top and that God's going to deal with things and they came to God's hand, take it seriously. No, it's watered down. Paul had received freely and he gave freely. The New English Bible translates that phrase back in Matthew 10. You have received without cost, give without charge. I really like that one. You receive without cost, give without charge. And the majority text translates that. It's another instructive point. It says, for we are not, 2 Corinthians 2.17, for we are not as the rest. Paul, they translated in New King James, as so many.
But apparently, Paul wrote, we're not as the rest as everybody else.
Adulterating the word of God for financial gain, but as out of integrity, but as from God. We speak in the presence of God in Christ. Mr. Armstrong always gave the gospel free of charge. And to do that requires faith. God's servants preached the truth, trusting God to provide. God's work will always be a work of faith. It's always going to be that. And that's exactly the lesson he was about to give them. And look at verse 9 of Matthew 10. He's going to give them a lesson on faith.
He said in verse 9, provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs, for a worker is worthy of his food. Now, this was the first mission or tour or whatever you want to call it, for the 12 disciples. And it was also a test of faith. The NIV Study Bible on Mark 6.8, a parallel chapter, says, no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. They were to depend entirely on the hospitality of those to whom they testified. That's how God sent them out, to depend on the hospitality of those to whom they testified. And on the next verse, Mark 6.9, he says, nor an extra tunic. At night, an extra tunic was helpful as a covering to protect from the cold night air, and the indication here is that the disciples were to trust to provide God lodging every night. Just after the Garden of Gethsemane, take a look at Luke, chapter 22.
I'm sorry about this throat. It hasn't been doing this.
Luke, chapter 22. I'm grateful the knees working and the back was on the throat.
Luke, chapter 2, verse 35. He said to them, this is actually at the Passover there. I'm wrong. I didn't before I said that many.
After he told Peter, you'll deny me three times. And he said to them, when I sent you without money, bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything? So they said nothing. Then he said to them, but now he who has a money bag, let him take it. And likewise, a knapsack. And he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that which was written me must be accomplished in me. And he was numbered with transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end. And then they had two swords and that was enough. So later, Jesus rescinded this instruction. The initial training involved trusting God to sustain him for every physical necessity.
And while the structure was in place, they themselves said they lacked nothing.
Of course, the disciples will continue to walk by faith. That's just how it was going to be.
Mr. Armstrong's ministry began with 20 years of real financial hardship. I don't know that most members know that today. He probably came into church when things were a little bit more prosperous. But he began with 20 years of real financial hardship. You read it in the biography or the autobiography. Back then, I heard him say, I have a suit for every day of the week and this is it.
And it was only later in the late to mid-50s that God began to bless the church with greater income. And the income started going up into the 50s and in the 60s. But even in Pasadena, when I was a student at Pasadena in 1961, they used to, on occasion, announce paydays. We'd have a forum and they would announce a payday. We'd all cheer, hey, you're going to pay! Because you didn't have a regular payday. They didn't have the money to do it. So when they had enough money, then they had a payday for the Ambassador College students. And I don't know how the others worked. Because we have, then we, I said we cheer, we don't have a little money to spend. In the years that followed, finances began to improve. And as you know, it began to improve a lot in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and the, well, not so much in the 90s, but in the 80s. Mr. Armstrong died in 86. Now, it seems the finances may be coming tight again. They're asking the church pastors, all United Church pastors, to see if they can keep their expenses the same as they were last year because they don't have any room for increase. And so things are a little tighter again than they were. At any rate, I want you to know the first 20 years Mr. Armstrong had it really financially very, very tight.
Most have seen it in a more prosperous time, but that's not how it started. And God let that go on for two decades. Then he said, for a worker is worthy of his food. Later, Paul would quote this statement by Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 9, we were there, I'll just read it to you, but it's 1 Corinthians 9 verses 13 and 14. He says, do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple and those who serve it at the altar, partake in the offerings of the altar? Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
Now, you get the feeling that Paul had read Matthew, right? Or Mark, because he wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5, 18. 1 Timothy 5, 18. For the Scripture says, you shall not muzzle and arcs while it treads out the grain, that's the Old Testament, and the laborer is worthy of his wages, that's what Jesus said. And Paul here in Timothy says that Scripture. So it's already written.
And Paul had access to it. So the laborer is worthy of his wages. To the Galatians, Paul wrote, let him who is taught in the Word share in all good things with him who teaches. That's the way it's supposed to be. The ones who are being taught are to share with the things, with the one that teaches. That's why we contribute to the Home Office and they cover it all. We do it that way. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever man sows, that will he also reap. For he who sows to the flesh, in this context, sowing to the flesh is not sharing in good things with all he even teaches. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reach corruption. But he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life. As I said, Paul's teaching here moved from helping the brethren carrying their burdens, which is what the topic was, to help to faithfully carrying our own to share in all good things with those who teach.
The message of Galatians, speaking on Galatians, said, The Lord Jesus said to the seventy he sent out, The laborer deserves his wages. That's Luke 10.7. And Paul makes explicit use of the sowing and reaping metaphor to teach the same truth. If we have sown spiritual goods among you, is it too much we reap your material benefits? So Jesus said, The laborer is worthy of his food.
Now, the next part of that, which is the final part of this first section, verses 11-15. Matthew 10, verses 11-15. Now, whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and say, Stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. Remember that when he says, Assuredly, I say to you, that's the closing of that particular section. So he will note it at the end, but I wanted to note it here at the beginning. That it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. Now he's telling them those who respected Christ's representatives welcomed and hosted in their homes, and they received God's blessing of peace. That's quite a blessing. He said, he wrote through Luke, but whoever house you enter first say, peace to this house. James and Fawcett and Brown, and thereby it until you go thence, not shifting about as if discontented, but returning the welcome given with a courteous, contented, accommodating disposition. If they're putting you up, be nice.
And be pleasant, and you know, don't go to somebody else's house. Well, I don't know.
Not none of that. Exposited Bible commentary. Instead, the greeting prepares for Matthew 10.13.
As you enter the home, the NIV, the same word house, probably with the meaning of household, you are to give the normal greeting, shalom, peace. But if the home turns out to be unworthy, as defined above, contrary to what you have been led to believe, then let your greeting of peace return to you. In other words, don't stay. JF&B on verse 14, shake off the dust of your feet for a testimony against them. As Mark and Luke add, for testimony against them, as Mark and Luke add, by this symbolic action, they vividly shook themselves from all connection with such and all responsibility for the guilt of rejecting them and their message. Such symbolic actions were common in ancient times, even among others than the Jews. As strangling appears in Pilate, Matthew 27, 24. Remember he washed his hands? He did it before everybody? He thought, it's nothing to do with me. And even to this day, it prevails in the east. And he said, Sodom and Gomorrah, they would be more tolerable. I say to you, or I tell you the truth. As it said in Matthew 10, these words indicate the end of the first section of the teaching. Those who didn't respect Christ's representatives will answer for it in the day of judgment, rather.
Let's go to Matthew 11, verse 20. Matthew 11, verse 20. Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. Woe to you, Corazun, woe to you, Bessedah. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, they would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it should be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.
Now, that's pretty strong language. Notice chapter 12, and verse 41. Matthew 12, 41.
The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with his generation. Now, it seems like all these different nations are going to come up at once. Now, we probably have things to learn about that, but that's an awful lot of people coming up in the resurrection.
The men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment with his generation and condemn it, because they repented the preaching of Jonah. And indeed, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of south, queen of Sheba, will rise up in the judgment with his generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed, a greater than Solomon is here.
So, the day of judgment, the people of that day who heard Jesus and his disciples will rise together with Sodom and Gomorrah, Tyre and Sidon, the men of Nineveh, and the queen of the south, and the rest of the dead will rise in the thousand years mentioned in Revelation chapter 20. This is an incredibly astonishing thing. They're going to come up and be judged, and they heard, I sent my apostle there, why didn't you listen to him?
Why didn't you eat him? I don't know how that's going to work, but I think it's going to be a serious time.
As we go through Matthew's discourses, let's notice how often Jesus spoke about those who heard him and his disciples being held accountable for not eating his words. That's a very sobering thing that we all should take in mind. And let's look at John chapter 3.
I like to point this out. John chapter 3.
And you know these verses, John 3 16, For God's soul of the world that he gave is only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. But for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. And people hear that phrase. He didn't send his son in the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Now verse 18, He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed the name of the only begotten son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world and middle up darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Men love darkness. We sometimes think we can go out and let our light shine, and everybody's gonna say, oh, it's wonderful. People like darkness. They don't like light. When you start keeping the Sabbath, if you remember when you started, you might have been very discreet and not try to criticize anybody else for not keeping it. But the mere fact you keep it is a testimony that you think you should, and therefore you think they should.
It's a witness. It's like that. And they tend not to like that. Verse 20, for everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, voluntarily, that his deeds may be clearly saying they've been done to God. They've been done to God. So those who love the truth will go to God and say, God, am I doing this right? Am I handling this right? Am I saying this right or did I say that right? Did I do that right? It's very important to see that. I fear today so many Christians focus entirely on Jesus' statement of income in the world and condemn the world, but the next few verses they tend to overlook. Okay, and then last of all, reading James and Paul and Brown again, Christ's words, assuredly I say to you, indicate the end of the first section, directions for the brief and temporary mission in which they were now going forth, who respect the places they were to go, the works they were to do, the message they were to bear, and the manner in which they were conduct themselves. Now, the second part is, and it begins at verse 16, the second part, Matthew 10, 16 to 23, contains directions of no such limited and temporary nature, but opens out into the permanent exercise of the gospel ministry. The New King James, my New King James, has a section heading on this section called, The Persecutions Are Coming.
And that's what it says. All right, 16, Matthew 10, 16 to 20, Behold, I send, again the word send, you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as does, but beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings, for my sake, as a testimony to them, and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak. For it's not you who speak, but the spirit of your father who speaks in you. Isn't everything the spirit of your father speaks?
Spirit's not the father, it's the spirit of the father. We straightforward. Now, if you were a sheep, and you were standing surrounded by wolves, picture that, it would be absolutely vital to combine shrewdness and harmlessness. J.F. and B. says, as sheep, defenseless, in the midst of wolves, ready to make a prey of you, John 10-12. To be left exposed as sheep to wolves would have been startling enough, but the sheep should be sent among the wolves would be, would sound strange indeed. No wonder this announcement begins with the exclamation, Behold, behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise a serpent, and harmlessness doves. Then he adds this, Be you therefore wise a serpent, and harmlessness doves. Wonderful combination this. It's a very English way of saying things, by the way. Wonderful combination this. Alone, the wisdom of the serpent is mere cunning, and the harmlessness of a dove is little better than weakness. But in combination, the wisdom of the serpent should save them from unnecessary exposure to danger. The harmlessness of a dove from sinful expedience to escape it.
In the apostolic age of Christianity, how harmoniously were these qualities displayed? You read through New Testament. They were wise as serpents, and they were harmlessness doves.
In the apostolic age of Christianity, how harmoniously were these qualities displayed? Indeed, of the fanatical thirst for martyrdom to which a later age gave birth, there was a time when they saw, I want to be martyred. They were going out trying to get martyred.
Not smart. In the, instead of the fanatical thirst for martyrdom to which a later age gave birth, there was a manly combination of unflinching zeal and calm discretion, before which nothing was able to stand. I really like that combination that he's telling them. In Romans 16-19, from the New American Standard Bible, when he's writing to the Roman Church there, in Romans 16, as they're getting near the end, he said, For the report of your obedience has reached to all. Therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
God's people are to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
It's an interesting instruction, especially if you're being told you're going to be sent like a sheep in the midst of a wolf. I mean, that's telling you, I'm putting you in harm's way. But beware of men. Do not push your trust in men who are likely to turn against you. They can be friendly at first, but then turn around and do something quite different.
Expositators say, significantly, however, the Old Testament prophets, in speaking for God, commonly use their and them language when referring to apostate Israel. Here, it is very likely that the Old Testament background explains this passage. And because Matthew makes much of the failure of most of the Jews to receive their own Messiah, it is likely that the Old Testament has affected his phrasing elsewhere. And notice where the opposition would come from. It would come from councils, so local governments, local government authority, or there are synagogues, local religious authority, and from higher governmental authorities, from governors and kings. And the latter would provide opportunities to proclaim Christ's gospel more prominently. And the Spirit of the Father would make full use of the opportunity when he got up there in that spot. And he gives them the exact testimony. Christ himself stood before the Jewish leaders and also Pilate. Peter in Acts 4 and 5 before the Sanhedrin. Stephen in Acts 6 and 7. And Paul was repeatedly arrested in Gentile areas and later by his own people in Acts 21 to 26, which eventually led him to go into Rome before Nero. You might find this interesting. Let me just take a minute to go here. In 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 16. This is his last impassioned letter. It was his last letter. He was martyred shortly after this.
2 Timothy 4.16. At my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me.
May it not be charged against them. Can you believe that? This is Rome. He wrote a letter to all the Roman members of the Church. Though when he was up against it, not one stood with him.
J.F. and me stood with me. Greek came forward with me as a friend or advocate. John Stott says, now Roman law would have permitted him to employ an advocate and call witnesses. But as Alfred Plummet quotes it, among all the Christians of Rome, there was not one who would stand at his side in court either to speak on his behalf or to advise him in the conduct of the case or to support him by a demonstration of sympathy. That's really remarkable. Later, Stott added, this moment, one might cautiously say, was Paul's Gethsemane. He was alone. They all fled him.
And then he said, may it not be charged against them. When Jesus was taken by the Jews of Romans, his own disciples were taken and fled, all of them. And on the eve of his death, Jesus told them they would do exactly that. And he told Peter he would deny him three times and Peter disagreed with him. Human. And now all men have forsaken Paul. But he said in verse 17, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Jesus kept his promise. I will never forsake you or leave you. He kept his promise.
The expositor's Bible commentary says, but he did not lack support. Triumphedly and gratefully, he cries, but the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. They put the Greek word for strength there. And the middle letters are D-Y-N-A-M-O.
Dynamo! He put that in there. He infused me with strength. He empowered me. He made me dynamic, is how he translates it. The result was that the Gentiles in Caesar's court heard the gospel, which they got, which thereby got a wider publicity. Verse 17, But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that by the message might be preached fully through me, not by me, through me. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work to preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever. Amen. So strengthened by Christ, Paul, as Chris Harrell preached the message fully. If his trial with Nero took place at the forum, which was possible, the members of the public could attend it and commit it. And Rome was the capital of the world at that time. Citizens from all over the world might have come there and attended Paul's trial. Then Nero, his entire court, and others from throughout the Roman Empire, heard the message from the Apostle Paul himself. And that explains, and that all the Gentiles may hear. As we know, from Christ's words that we've covered, those who have heard will be held accountable.
God can ask Nero, well, why didn't you listen to him? What did you find wrong when he said it?
And all people were there. Could be right there. Now, the next section will go there. I think I'll just break off because we're about time. We started a little late, but I'll break off. And he says, now brother, we'll deliver our brothers to death. We'll get into that next time when we pick it up in Matthew 10.
