Matthew 10:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

NIV: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

NASB: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

CSB: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

NLT: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

KJV: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

NKJV: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

The Twelve, Jesus' hand-picked apostles, are being sent out to represent Him to the people of Israel (Matthew 10:1–6). He has directed them to preach the same message that He does: The kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 10:7).

Now Jesus directs them to authenticate that the message is true by performing the same kinds of signs and wonders He has done: miracles of healing, casting out of demons, and raising the dead. In doing these things, Jesus' apostles will demonstrate to all who witness them that they represent Him, since He did these things first. They will also demonstrate the absolute truth of their message. The disciples will not perform these miracles through their own power. They will act in Jesus' name and by Jesus' authority, doing the things they have seen Jesus do. They will be His representatives even in the miracles that are performed.

Christ specifies that the message of the kingdom is not something they should ever sell. The disciples had received it for free from Jesus, and they were to offer it freely to all who would come and hear and believe. The heart of the good news of Jesus is the grace of God, which is always a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9). Connecting faith to material prosperity is a grave mistake; attempting to "sell" salvation is a despicable sin.

The meaning Jesus applies here, however, goes even further. He will make it clear that on this mission, the disciples are not to seek much in the way of support. They will travel, and preach, but they will not "work" or ask to be paid.

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.