Matthew 10:1

ESV And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

NIV Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

NASB Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.

CSB Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.

NLT Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

KJV And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

NKJV And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

What does Matthew 10:1 mean?

The previous chapter concluded with Jesus' expression of compassion for the people of Israel. Looking on the crowds following Him, Jesus saw vast fields ready to be harvested. He meant that the people were primed to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and be made ready to participate in the kingdom of heaven. The problem, though, is that not enough workers were available to go out and harvest them by bringing the good news about the Messiah (Matthew 9:36–37).

Christ will address this problem by sending out twelve laborers to do this harvesting work. These are specifically chosen men, also known as "the Twelve." These are the twelve apostles, who form a special group that will represent Him both in this moment and after His death, resurrection, and return to heaven. A group of twelve carried significant symbolism, because of the connection to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus will send them out in pairs to the towns of Israel. Matthew 10 contains Jesus' very specific instructions about how to accomplish the mission He is giving them. Remarkably, Jesus is sending them out with the same authority He has been displaying during His ministry on earth. Matthew has made much of the word "authority." The Romans centurion recognized Jesus' authority over physical illness (Matthew 8:5–13). Jesus demonstrated to the scribes His authority to forgive sins on earth by healing a paralyzed man (Matthew 9:1–8).

Now Jesus gives to this core group of twelve disciples the authority to cast out unclean spirits—meaning demons—and to heal every disease and affliction. They will operate under the authority of Jesus and with His power.

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Context Summary
Matthew 10:1–4 lists the twelve apostles, Jesus' core group of hand-picked followers. These men are often collectively referred to as "the Twelve." Jesus gives them His own authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and affliction, the same miracles Jesus Himself has been doing up to this point. The apostles include brothers Peter and Andrew, brothers James and John, along with Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, another James, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. Judas is the one who will betray Jesus after the Last Supper.

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Chapter Summary
Jesus gives His authority over disease, demons, and even death to His twelve hand-picked apostles. He gives them instructions in preparation both for a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee and their ministry after He has left the earth. First, they will preach His message of the kingdom in Israelite towns as they heal and cast out demons to demonstrate His power. Later, they will suffer great persecution as they represent Him before both Jews and Gentiles. They should not be afraid, though, and trust their Father to be with them and to reward them.

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What is the Gospel?

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