Matthew 10:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

NIV: As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'

NASB: And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

CSB: As you go, proclaim, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'

NLT: Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

KJV: And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

NKJV: And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

This continues a very thorough set of instructions for the Twelve, the hand-picked apostles of Jesus Christ. He is sending them out into Galilee, and only to the people of Israel, for now (Matthew 10:1–6). There, they will do the work they have seen Him doing since each of them began to follow Him.

Now Jesus tells them what they should say to the people of Israel. The message He gives them is the same one proclaimed by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2), and the lesson Jesus Himself declared (Matthew 4:17). Both John the Baptist and Jesus began that message with the word "repent," and the same is implied here.

In short, the disciples were to go out and tell people that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised King of Israel. His kingdom was near, because He was on the earth now. The time had come for the people to put their faith in the Christ in order to be welcomed into His kingdom. Nobody understood, yet, that the kingdom would begin not with the overthrow of the Romans but with Jesus' death for the sins of humanity and His defeat of death in the resurrection.

Matthew 10:5–15 contains Jesus' instructions for His twelve apostles, for their missionary trip to the towns of Galilee, in northern Israel. Their mission will be to preach His message that the kingdom of heaven is near, while also healing people and casting out demons. The apostles must not take with them extra money or clothes. Instead, they will stay with those who are worthy in each town they visit. If nobody in a town believes their message, the disciples are to shake the dust of that town from their feet. Jesus will follow these instructions with a series of warnings and encouragements.

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.

Jesus has recently expressed compassion for the people of Israel, who are spiritually lost. Matthew 10 is a record of Jesus' instructions to His twelve core apostles, as He sends them on a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee. He also includes warnings and encouragements about the persecution they will eventually experience. In chapter 11, Jesus will continue to proclaim truth to the people of Israel, leading to further conflict with local religious leaders.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/3/2024 3:21:15 AM