Read Matthew 10 at Bible Gateway.
Mat 10 outline:
Mat 10:1-4, The twelve disciples chosen
Mat 10:5-42, Jesus commissions the twelve + instructions for ministry
Mat 10 forms a chiastic structure with part of Mat 11. The chapter divisions did not appear in the original text, and when they were added, it was not with these natural breaks from the Spirit of God in mind.
Mat 10:1-11:24 chiastic structure:
1a) Mat 10:1-15, Disciples commissioned to do Messiah’s works;
1) Mat 10:1-6, The twelve disciples chosen and commissioned;
2) Mat 10:7-10, Power to preach, heal, cleanse lepers, cast out demons, raise the dead;
3) Mat 10:11-14, Shake off the dust of those who do not receive the disciples;
4) Mat 10:15, More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on that day than for those cities;
1b) Mat 10:16-20, Those who will deliver the disciples up;
1c) Mat 10:21, Brother will deliver brother to death, fathers children, and children parents;
1d) Mat 10:22-25, You will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved;
1e) Mat 10:26a, Therefore do not fear them;
central axis) Mat 10:26b-27, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops;”
2e) Mat 10:28-31, Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot harm the soul;
2d) Mat 10:32-33, Confess Me before men and I will confess you before My Father;
2c) Mat 10:34-39, A man’s enemies will be those of his own household;
2b) Mat 10:40-42, Those who receive the disciples receive Jesus and will not lose their reward;
2a) Mat 11:1-24, Messiah’s works proclaim who He is;
1) Mat 11:1, When Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples;
2) Mat 11:2-5, The works of Messiah (preaching, healing, etc.) testify that Jesus is Messiah;
3) Mat 11:6-19, Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me;
1a) Mat 11:6, Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me;
1b) Mat 11:7-8, What did you go out into the wilderness (to John) to see?;
1c) Mat 11:9-11, He is a prophet and more than a prophet;
1d) Mat 11:12a, From the days of John the Baptist until now;
central axis) Mat 11:12b, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force;”
2d) Mat 11:13, For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John;
2c) Mat 11:14, He is Elijah who is to come;
2b) Mat 11:15, He who has ears to hear, let him hear;
2a) Mat 11:16-19, This generation takes offense at Jesus no matter what.
4) Mat 11:20-24, More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on that day than for the unrepentant cities.
Disciples are commissioned and empowered to witness of Jesus the Messiah. More than the twelve were commissioned and empowered: all who follow Him were commissioned with the Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20), and empowered with the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses (Act 1:8, 2). You and me are included among them.
But when we start to preach the kingdom of heaven (Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand), then the world gets offended and persecution follows. If the world is not offended at us, then perhaps it is time to reexamine our testimony and our works.
matthew 10, in the service of the king (2011)
matthew 10, the kingdom of heaven is at hand (2009)
Hume Jephcott says
Thank you so much Christine for freely sharing the truly amazing arrangements of the texts of the Scriptures that were given to the writers and that are being revealed to you (and to us through you) by the gracious favor of our LORD. I have been wrestling with exactly who Jesus was referring to when he referred to ‘this generation’ in Matthew 11:16. Your unveiling of the literary structure of this part of Matthew’s work has settled the matter for me. Thank you Christine.
christine says
Hume thank you so much for visiting today and for your kind comments. Please do come back again!