Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles

(Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16)

1Then Jesusa called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every illness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;b 4Simon the Cananaeanc and Judas Iscariot, who laterd betrayed Jesus.e

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples

(Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6)

5These were the Twelve whom Jesus sent out after he had given them thesef instructions: “Don’t turn on to the road that leads to the unbelievers,g and don’t enter Samaritan towns. 6Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nationh of Israel. 7As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom fromi heaven is near!’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

You have received without payment,

so give without payment.

9Don’t take any gold, silver, or copper in your moneybags, 10or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt,j or sandals, or a walking stick, because a worker deserves his food.

11“Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is receptivek in it and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet its occupants.l 13If the household is receptive,m let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn’t receptive,n let your blessing of peace return to you. 14If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet. 15I tell all of youo with certainty, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!”

Future Persecutions

(Matthew 24:9-14; Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-19)

16“Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17Watch out for people who will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues. 18You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to unbelievers.p 19When they hand you over, don’t worry about how you are to speakq or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you. 20It won’t be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking throughr you.

21“Brother will hand brother over for execution, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 23So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell all of yous with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24“A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master. 25It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul,t how much more will they do the same tou those of his household!”

Fear God

(Luke 12:2-7)

26“So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whisperedv in your ear you must shout from the housetops. 28Stop beingw afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.x

29“Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren’t they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission.y 30Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted! 31So stop beingz afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows.”

Acknowledging the Messiah

(Luke 12:8-9)

32“Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”

Not Peace, but Division

(Luke 12:49-53)

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword!aa 35I came to turn

‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36A person’s enemies will include members of his own family.’bb

The Cost of Discipleship

(Luke 14:25-27)

37“The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn’t worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38The one who doesn’t take up his cross and follow me isn’t worthy of me. 39The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”

Rewards

(Mark 9:41)

40“The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41The one who receives a prophet ascc a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person asdd a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42I tell all of youee with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he isff a disciple will never lose his reward.”