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Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Verse Takeaways
1
The Three Demands of Discipleship
Commentators explain that following Jesus involves three distinct actions. First, to "deny himself" means a radical surrender of your own will, desires, and self-reliance to God. Second, to "take up your cross" means willingly accepting the specific, personal burdens and sufferings God appoints for you. Third, to "follow me" is a command to continuously imitate Christ's example in duty, character, and suffering.
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Matthew
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10
18th Century
Presbyterian
Let him deny himself. That is, let him surrender to God his will, affections, body, and soul. Let him not seek his own happiness as the su…
Take up his cross (αρατω τον σταυρον αυτου). Pick up at once, aorist tense. This same saying in 10:38, which see. But pertinent he…
19th Century
Anglican
Then Jesus said to his disciples —Saint Mark adds that He “called the multitude with the disciples,” and Saint Luke’s phrase, “he …
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Baptist
This is the law of self-sacrifice, based on the sacrifice of Christ, and leading up to the complete sacrifice of the redeemed. We are not our own; …
Though addressed to Jesus’ “disciples” (), the thought is expressed in widest terms—“if anyone.” As in 10:33, Jesus speaks of “disowning” or “renou…
16th Century
Protestant
Then Jesus said to his disciples. As Christ saw that Peter had a dread of the cross, and that all the rest were affected in the s…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Then said Jesus to his disciples Knowing that they had all imbibed the same notion of a temporal kingdom, and were in exp…
A true disciple of Christ is one who follows him in duty, and will follow him to glory. He is one who walks in the same way Christ walked, is led b…
13th Century
Catholic
Above, Peter’s confession of Christ’s divinity was related; here, Christ commands silence for a time, specifically, that they do not say that He is…
