Mark 6:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

NIV: Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

NASB: And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;

CSB: He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

NLT: And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits.

KJV: And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

NKJV: And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.

By separating the Twelve into groups of two, Jesus follows the Old Testament law of affirming the truth with two witnesses (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6). This idea of confirmation is also recommended in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19). Going on missions in pairs provides encouragement, affirmation, and safety (Mark 11:1; Luke 7:18–19; Acts 8:14; 9:38; 11:30).

Matthew's account includes much more detail, particularly what Jesus teaches the Twelve in preparation for their trip (Matthew 10). Jesus intends the Twelve to be extensions of Himself, reaching the "sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). The authority He gives them includes healing, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and casting out demons (Matthew 10:8). Jesus warns them about coming persecution and exhorts them to reject fear and stay on mission. He tells them that although the gospel brings life, it also separates those who accept it from those who don't.

The authority the Twelve have over demons isn't absolute. In Mark 9:14–29, they will be unable to exorcise a demon from a little boy, despite their successes in this earlier experience. Likewise, this authority isn't exclusive. Although the Twelve are specifically charged by Jesus, others who have faith in Him will receive similar abilities (Mark 9:38–41).

This commission is an example of an important cultural custom from the Biblical era. Then, a servant sent on an errand had the same authority as the master who sent him. This gives insight into the seeming contradiction in the story of the healing of centurion's servant. In Matthew 8:5–9, a centurion approaches Jesus and explains that his servant is paralyzed and he knows that Jesus can heal him with a mere word. Luke 7:2–8 indicates that the centurion sent Jewish elders to explain his servant was sick and friends to say he believed Jesus could heal with a word. This is not a contradiction. It merely shows that the centurion sent the elders and his friends in his name with his authority. Likewise, the Twelve represent Jesus. When they speak Jesus' message, it's true that Jesus is speaking to those listeners.

Mark 6:7–13 describes the Twelve's missions trip, sandwiched by two less-encouraging accounts. Jesus' rejection at Nazareth teaches the disciples and us that preaching the gospel is often most difficult at home (Mark 6:1–6). The execution of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas shows that sometimes doing the work of Christ brings dire consequences (Mark 6:14–29). Jesus had chosen the Twelve to be with Him, to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:14). They had been with Jesus, not it was a time for them to be sent out to minister to others. Later, Jesus will send out seventy-two (Luke 10:1–12). Before He ascends to heaven, He will send out all who believe in Him (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; John 17:20–26). Matthew 9:35—11:1 recounts this event with more detail, while the account in Luke 9:1–6 is nearly identical to Mark's.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.