John Calvin Commentary Matthew 10
John Calvin Commentary
Matthew 10
John Calvin Commentary
Matthew 10
"And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness." — Matthew 10:1 (ASV)
The calling of the Apostles is here described to us, not as on a former occasion, when the Lord Jesus Christ, intending to prepare them for their office, selected them for admission into his private circle. They are now called to immediate performance, are ordered to prepare themselves for the work, receive injunctions, and, so that there may be no lack of authority, are endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit. Formerly, they were held in expectation of future labor; now, Christ announces that the hour has come when they must put their hands to the work.
It is proper to observe, however, that he does not yet speak of perpetual apostleship, but only of temporary preaching, which was designed to awaken and excite the minds of people, so that they might be more attentive to hear Christ. So then, they are now sent to proclaim throughout Judea that the time of the promised restoration and salvation is near. At a future period, Christ will appoint them to spread the Gospel through the whole world.
Here, he employs them as assistants only, to secure attention to him where his voice could not reach. Afterwards, he will commit into their hands the office of teaching which he himself had performed. It is very important to observe this, so that we do not mistake the instructions our Lord gives to the preachers of his doctrine—concerning what he wishes them to do for a short time—for a certain and fixed rule laid down for all ministers of the Word. Due to inattention to this point, many have been led astray, so as to demand from all ministers of the Word, without distinction, conformity to this rule.567
And having called the twelve disciples. The number twelve, was intended to indicate the future restoration of the Church. As the nation was descended from twelve patriarchs, so its scattered remains are now reminded by Christ of their origin, so that they may cherish a steadfast hope of being restored.
Although the kingdom of God was not in such a flourishing state in Judea as to preserve the nation entire—but, on the contrary, that people, who had already miserably fallen, doubly deserved to die on account of their ingratitude in despising the grace that had been offered to them—yet this did not prevent a new nation from springing up afterwards.
At a future period, God extended the scepter of his Son’s power far beyond Zion and caused rivers to flow from that fountain, to water abundantly the four quarters of the world. Then God assembled his Israel from every direction and united into one body not only the scattered and torn members, but also people who had formerly been entirely alienated from the people of God.
It was not without reason, therefore, that the Lord, by appointing, as it were, twelve patriarchs, declared the restoration of the Church. Besides, this number reminded the Jews of the purpose of his coming; but, as they did not yield to the grace of God, he begot for himself a new Israel.
If you look at the beginnings, it might appear ridiculous that Christ should bestow such honorable titles on persons who were lowly and of no reputation; but their astonishing success, and the wide extension of the Church, make it evident that, in honorable rank and in numerous offspring, the apostles not only are not inferior to the patriarchs, but greatly excel them.
Gave them power. The apostles had almost no rank among people, while the commission Christ gave them was divine. Besides, they had neither ability nor eloquence, while the excellence and novelty of their office required more than human endowments.568
It was therefore necessary that they should derive authority from another source. By enabling them to perform miracles, Christ invests them with the badges of heavenly power, in order to secure the confidence and veneration of the people.
And from this we may infer what is the proper use of miracles. Since Christ gives them, at the same time and in immediate connection, the appointment to be preachers of the gospel and ministers of miracles, it is clear that miracles are nothing other than seals of his doctrine; therefore, we are not free to dissolve this close connection.
The Papists, therefore, are guilty of forgery and of wickedly corrupting the works of God by separating his word from miracles.
567 “Voulant reigler indifferemment tous ministres de la parole selon ee qui est ici dk;” — “wishing to regulate indiscriminately all ministers of the word according to what is here said.”;” — “wishing to regulate indiscriminately all ministers of the word according to what is here said.”
568 “Et cependant une charge si excellente et nouvelle requeroit des graces plus grandes qu'on n'en pent trouver en l'homme;” — “and yet an office so excellent and new demanded higher graces than can be found in man.”;” — “and yet an office so excellent and new demanded higher graces than can be found in man.”
"Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother;" — Matthew 10:2 (ASV)
The first, Simon, who is called Peter. The Church of Rome displays extreme folly in drawing from this passage their doctrine of the primacy. That Simon Peter was the first among the apostles we readily allow, but what was true in reference to a few persons cannot, on any proper grounds, be extended to the whole world. Besides, the circumstance of his being mentioned first does not imply that he possessed authority over his companions. Granting all that they ask regarding Peter, his rank will be of no avail to the Roman See until they prove that wicked and sacrilegious apostles are Peter’s successors.
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into [any] way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:" — Matthew 10:5 (ASV)
Into the way of the Gentiles. This makes even more evident what I have recently hinted: that the office then given to the apostles had no other purpose than to awaken in the Jews the hope of an approaching salvation, and thus to make them more attentive to hear Christ.
For this reason, he now confines their voice within the limits of Judea, which he later commands to sound everywhere, to the furthest limits of the world. The reason for this initial confinement is that he had been sent by the Father to be the minister of circumcision, to fulfill the promises which had long ago been given to the fathers (Romans 15:8).
Now, God had entered into a special covenant with the family of Abraham, and therefore Christ acted properly in confining the grace of God, at the outset, to the chosen people, until the time for publishing it had fully come. But after his resurrection, he spread over all nations the blessing which had been promised in the second place, because then the veil of the temple had been rent, (Matthew 27:51) and the middle wall of partition had been thrown down, (Ephesians 2:14). If anyone imagines that this prohibition is unkind because Christ does not admit the Gentiles to the enjoyment of the gospel, let him contend with God, who, to the exclusion of the rest of the world, established his covenant with the seed of Abraham alone—the covenant on which the command of Christ is founded.
"but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." — Matthew 10:6 (ASV)
But go rather to the lost sheep. The first rank, as we have said, is assigned to the Jews because they were the firstborn; or rather, because at that time they alone were acknowledged by God to belong to His family, while others were excluded.569 He calls them lost sheep, partly so that the apostles, moved by compassion, may more readily and with warmer affection run to their assistance, and partly to inform them that there is at present abundant occasion for their labors.
At the same time, under the figure of this nation, Christ taught what the condition of the whole human race is. The Jews, who were near to God and in covenant with Him, and therefore were the lawful heirs of eternal life, are nevertheless pronounced to be lost until they regain salvation through Christ. What then remains for us who are inferior to them in honor?570
Again, the word sheep is applied even to the reprobate, who, properly speaking, did not belong to the flock of God, because the adoption extended to the whole nation; as those who deserved to be rejected on account of their treachery are elsewhere called the children of the kingdom, (Matthew 8:12). In a word, by the term sheep, Christ recommends the Jews to the apostles, so that they may dedicate their labors to them, because they could recognize as the flock of God only those who had been gathered into the fold.
569 “Les autres en estans eslogncz et bannis;” — “the others being removed and banished from it.”;” — “the others being removed and banished from it.”
570 “Qui n'avons point une telle prerogative;” — “who have not such a prerogative.”;” — “who have not such a prerogative.”
"And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." — Matthew 10:7 (ASV)
Preach, saying, This is the preaching,571 I spoke of, by which Christ intended to arouse the minds of the nation to expect an approaching redemption. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. For the kingdom of heaven Luke substitutes the kingdom of God; but the meaning is the same. It was to inform the Jews:
- that they owed their restoration to divine agency, and not to the kindness of men;
- that under the reign of God their condition would be prosperous;
- and that the happiness which had been promised to them was not earthly and fading, but heavenly and eternal.
571 “La predication, ou publication;” — “the preaching, or publication.”;” — “the preaching, or publication.”
Jump to: