Matthew 10:1-6

Matthew 10.1-6

November 1st 2026

Prerecorded the week before

So, we come to a place where Yeshua chooses his Apostles out from among the masses and then sends them forth. Of course there are twelve of them.

We often get the idea that Yeshua called the twelve, then began His ministry, and then began doing miracles. That all twelve were His special twelve from the get go. They were all there, but they were not his special twelve until later.

And in Matthew that later is now. These had sat down at his feet, and had received of his words; they had heard his doctrines, and had seen his miracles, and had been by him training up for public work.

But up to this point they had not been called and sent forth to enter into service.

Now all things were apparently ready, and having been properly instructed, he called them together, gave them a commission to preach the Gospel because he had elected or chosen then (ordained them) ministers of the word, and installed them into the office of apostleship, meaning to be the ones He sent forth.

The number "twelve" is significant in the text.

There were twelve spies that were sent by Moses into the land of Canaan . . .

twelve stones in Aaron's breast plate . . .

twelve fountains the Israelites found in the wilderness . . .

twelve oxen on which the molten sea stood in Solomon's temple . . .

twelve gates in Ezekiel's temple . . .

twelve patriarchs and twelve tribes which sprung from them . . .

Now these twelve would be the initial instruments of spreading the Gospel. So let’s read starting at verse 1 of chapter 10

Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

2 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;

3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

5 These twelve Yeshua sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Alright back to verse 1

1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

We can also read the account of Yeshua sending these twelve out in Mark 6:7-11 and Luke 9:1-6.

Mark says that he sent them out two and two.

Now the word apostle, in the Greek (apostolos) literally means “one that is sent,” and here we see a fulfillment of this name fitting in their lives because they are literally being sent by Yeshua out into the land of Israel. Later, they would ostensibly be sent out into the world which was beyond the borders of Israel.

Now, we can get into what some make a pretty sticky wicket when it comes to numbers of apostles and who and what apostles really are.

Again, apostle means ONE SENT - remember this.

It would not be improper, using the Greek, to call you an apostle if I sent you to the parking lot to get a book from the car – this is what the word means.

This being the case, are there countless apostles talked about in scripture. Absolutely.

Even Yeshua is called “an apostle” in scripture. Why? Because He was sent by the Father to reconcile the world.

In a manner of speaking I am an apostle to the people of Utah because the Lord sent me here to labor. Does this make me an apostle in the same tense and definition as one of Yeshua twelve.

Not in the least.

But the modern body of believers still speaks of apostles because we do believe in people being “sent.”

But looking to what God established in the past, this is what 1st Corinthians 12:28 says:

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”

That speaks of all God established then to build His Church/Bride upon.

Now, here comes the other wrench in the works – “Do Christians believe in Twelve Apostles today?”

Christians believe in twelve apostles, sure. The ones Yeshua called to be His special witnesses.

I think we have to ask more specifically, “Do we believe in more than twelve apostles?” and secondly, “do we believe there needs to be twelve apostles on earth today, leading His Church, like He established when He was alive?”

First question, “Do Christians believe that there are more than twelve apostles?”

This question gets tricky because of what happened in the Apostolic Record.

If we look at the number of men called to be actual apostles of Our Father, we read of fourteen. But I reject the notion that all fourteen were His special witness apostles He sent forth.

So, fourteen were called, but only twelve were actual apostles.

This situation is why there are Christian churches today that believe there is an ongoing place for an endless number of apostles in the body of believers today but also there are those who say that there were only twelve who were apostles like the ones Yeshua called.

Again, I am of the latter opinion and let me explain why.

Of the twelve Yeshua called, one was named Judas Iscariot, as we read, and though he was called, he was not one sent out into the world to share the Good News – as the narrative of his demise proves. So that leaves eleven.

Once Yeshua died, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, there was a gap.

The apostle Peter was told by the Lord to go to Jerusalem and wait but in the interim for the Holy Spirit to come but in the interim, Impetuous Peter decided to call another man to fill the vacancy left by Judas.

They cast lots on who it would be (with the potentials being men who had been with them from the beginning). The lot fell on Mathias (who would be the thirteenth apostle called but ostensibly completing the twelve again).

I strongly suggest Mathias was called by the will of Men (led by Peter) and though called, was like Judas Iscariot, and was not truly chosen.

Why do I say this?

We hear NOTHING about Mathias as an apostle from the moment he is called by these men who cast lots. Remember, the Church is the Lords after His death and resurrection. He leads and guides it and He chooses His apostles, and trains them.

So who did the Lord call to be the twelfth apostle of the Good News?

Paul.

Why couldn’t it have been all fourteen?

First, I would suggest that twelve is the historically meaningful number in scripture, not fourteen.

Second, I think that the Lord had only twelve special witnesses and no more.

In the book of Revelation 21:14, we read, a description of heaven. This is what it says:

4 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Notice there are not fourteen foundations undergirding the foundations in heaven, (or thirteen or three hundred) but twelve, with the names of the Apostles of the Lamb being inscribed upon them all.

Now what names are they? There are only twelve, remember. We know who eleven of them are for sure. But there is a foundation that needs a name. And the choices are

Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord.

Mathias, who was chosen by men before they were regenerated by the Holy Spirit and whom we never hear from again, or

Paul, who essentially led the Gospel out into the world and provided us with maybe 75% of the Apostolic Record.

I would suggest the twelfth and last apostle called by Our Father, trained by Our Father and Sent by our Father was Paul.

Okay, getting back to our text for today.

Yeshua gathers the initial twelve and sends them forth to preach the gospel. (verses 2-4)

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, (1) Simon, who is called Peter, and (2) Andrew his brother; (3) James the son of Zebedee, and (4) John his brother;

3 (5) Philip, and (6) Bartholomew; (7) Thomas, and (8) Matthew the publican; (9, the second) James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was (10) Thaddaeus;

4 (11, who is the second) Simon (the Canaanite), and (12) Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Now, in order to really understand the chronology of what Matthew is doing here in this part of his account, we have to look at Mark 3:13-18 and Luke 6:12-19.

Both Mark and Luke record the circumstances of Yeshua calling them to be His specific twelve. And both agree that He called them “on a mountain” and, according to Luke, He did it before the sermon on the mount was delivered.

So, we discussed the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5-7, so what is he talking about here in Chapter ten?

I would suggest that Matthew is merely recounting who had been called as His special witnesses and covering these details here, ties it in to the time when Yeshua asks them to gather round and then He sends them out to do what He has trained them to do.

Does this make sense?

So, here in Matthew ten all we are reading is the collection of who Yeshua called earlier. And this is who he lists:

Simon, who is called Peter.

The name Peter means a little rock.

He was also called Cephas which was a Syro-Chaldaic word, meaning Peter.

Peter was impetuous, a fisherman, thought to be a large man, and certainly passionate.

Once filled with the Holy Spirit, Simon Peter lived up to his name as he was radically zealous, steadfast, and immovable – like a rock.

History suggests that he was crucified at Rome with his head downwards, thinking it too great an honor to die as his Master did.

And in the gospel of John (21:18) the Lord intimates that Peter would in fact, die a martyrs death.

Andrew’s name means “manliness, and it was a Greek name.

According to John 1:44 he was from Bethsaida in Galilee and was, as it reads here, the brother of Simon Peter.

On one occasion John the Baptist, whose disciple Andrew was at the time, pointed to Yeshua, said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:40) and hearing him, Andrew immediately became a follower of Yeshua.

From this it seems like he was the first of the Lord’s disciples. After he recognized Yeshua as the Messiah, he brought his brother Simon Peter to Him as well.

Very little is said of Andrew.

But he was one of the confidential disciples who with Peter, James, and John inquired of our Lord privately regarding his future coming (Mark 13:3 and Matthew 24).

He was present at the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:9), and he introduced the Greeks who desired to see Yeshua (John 12:22).

Little more is known of him, but we do know from scripture that three times he brought others to the Lord:

(1st) Peter

(2nd) a lad with loaves of bread; and

(3rd) certain Greeks.

James, the son of Zebadee.

This James was the elder brother of John the apostle. He is also known as “James the Greater.”

He was by trade a fisherman who was in partnership with Peter.

He was with John and Peter and was present at the Mount of Transfiguration, at the raising of Jairus's daughter, on the Mount of Olives and in the garden of Gethsemane with our Lord.

He and his brother John were called “boanerges,” which means "sons of thunder."

Of all the apostles it seems he was the first to die - beheaded by King Herod Agrippa (according to Acts 12:1-2) in AD 44.

John, means God’s gracious gift.

There are two main John’s in scripture – John the Baptist, and this John, the beloved. There could be a third, John of Patmos but that is up to debate.

John the beloved is responsible for the Gospel of John, the epistles of John, and perhaps the Book of Revelation.

Apparently, he and James (the greater’s) father was a man of some wealth so he was undoubtedly raised in what constituted an ordinary Jewish education.

When he grew up he followed the occupation of a fisherman on the sea of Galilee.

When John the Baptist began his ministry in the wilderness of Judea, John, with many others, gathered round him, and was deeply influenced by his teaching.

We know from the Gospel of John (1:36-37) that when he heard the announcement from John the Baptist, "Behold the Lamb of God," he too became a disciple.

He and his brother then returned to their former vocation of fishermen, for how long is uncertain.

Again, Yeshua called them and this time “they left all” and permanently attached themselves to His company.

John became one of the innermost circle of the Lord’s and became known as the disciple “whom Yeshua loved.”

At the trial and passion of the Lord scripture tells us that John followed Him (from a distance) wherever He went when all the other twelve took flight (or betrayed Him as Peter had).

After the resurrection, scripture has Peter and John with each other quite a bit.

According to Acts 15 and Galatians, John remained apparently in Jerusalem as one of the leaders of the church there. His subsequent history is unrecorded.

According to Acts 21 when Paul made a last visit to Jerusalem, John wasn’t there and appears to have retired to Ephesus, but at what time is unknown.

We know from Revelation that the seven churches of Asia were in his special care (Revelation 1:11) IF he was the John of that Book.

We also know he suffered great persecution (according to legend he was being boiled in oil which did not kill him) and, again IF he was John the Revelator, was ultimately banished for a period of time to a place called the Isle of Patmos

Where he received the Revelation of Yeshua Christ, the last book of our Bible.

It is believed he returned to Ephesus, where he died probably about 98 AD, having outlived all the other apostles.

There are all sorts of interesting traditions regarding John during his residence at Ephesus, but none of them can be considered historically true.

Phillip means “lover of horses,” but we cannot say he ever even saw one. He was a native of Bethsaida, where both Andrew and Peter lived.

He readily responded to the call of Yeshua when first addressed by him and then went and brought Nathanael to the Lord as well.

Based on a number of passages Philip seems to have held a prominent place among the apostles. It is said he met his death at Hierapolis.

Bartholomew, the next listed apostle, was the son of Tolmai and it is believed he was the same man called, Nathanael.

The reason is in the synoptic gospels “Philip and Bartholomew” are always mentioned together while Nathanael is never mentioned . . . but in the Gospel of John “Philip and Nathanael” are always mentioned together, but nothing is said of Bartholomew.

According to John 21:2 “Bartholo/Nathaniel” was one of the disciples to whom our Lord appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection.

According to Acts 1 he was also a witness of the Ascension. Scripture calls him an "Israelite indeed" (John 1:47).

Thomas means “twin.” He was also called Didymus which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name.

Everything we know about him is recorded in the Gospel of John (11:15,16; 14:4,5; 20:24,25,26-29).

Because he doubted the story that the Lord rose from the grave he is forever known as “doubting Thomas.”

Matthew (the publican) whose name means gift of God which was a common Jewish name after the Exile. His given name was Levi.

We know from our previous studies that Matthew was a hated tax collector or publican, who when Yeshua told him to follow Him he immediately did, and that he threw a party upon his departure, which was full of sinners.

His name does not occur again in the Gospel history except in the lists of the apostles. There is nothing definitive about the time and manner of Matthew’s death.

Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus. The two names have the same meaning in in Hebrew.

Now, what gets confusing is Luke calls him “Judas, the brother of James” (Luke 6:16) and John refers to him as “Judas, not Iscariot.” So Lebbaeus, Thaddeus, and Judas not Iscariot are all the same person.

We know nothing about him or his works as an apostle.

Then we come to the second James. To me he presents us with a problem.

We know the first James, who is called James the Greater, was the brother of John.

But we also have a second James.

But we also have a James who wrote the Epistle of James. Then we also have a James called the Lord’s brother.

Then we have a James who leads the Church at Jerusalem.

Then we have a James mentioned in Galatians.

Are they all the same person? There are believers who think there are three James – two who were apostles and one who wrote the epistle of James. But I reject this and suggest this:

This James is the son of Alphaeus (or Cleopas). He is called the “brother" of the Lord in Galatians 1:18-19 but I believe this means he was His kinsman or cousin.

He is called "the Less," or "the Little" because he was probably short in stature.

According to 1st Corinthians 15:7 it seems he had an interview with the Lord after his resurrection and is mentioned as one of “the apostles of the circumcision” in Acts 1:13.

He also appears to have occupied the position of head of the Church at Jerusalem, where he presided at the council held to consider the case of the Gentiles (Acts 12:17; 15:13-28:31; 21:18-24).

Finally, I think it was this James who authored the epistle which bears his name.

The eleventh apostle mentioned is Simon the Canaanite.

Now this word "Canaanite" does not mean a native of Canaan, but is derived from the Syriac word “Kanean”which was the name of a Jewish sect.

Luke calls him, “Zelotes" which means zealot and probably so does because before being called to be a special witness he was a member of a fanatical Jewish sect known as the “Zealots.”

Other than this we have no record of him.

And last of all . . . Judas Iscariot.

There was a small town located in the tribe of Judah called Carioth (Kerioth) and it is believed that Judas was named after where he came from . . . “carioth” or “Iscariot.”

He is always listed last in the synoptic gospels.

It is thought that he progressed toward his ultimate evil state over time, and finally, when ripe, “Satan entered him” (as it says in John 13:27) and it was then he betrayed the Lord.

John 6:64 tells us that Yeshua knew from the beginning who would betray Him but I would reject the notion that Judas was forced to do it (or commanded), as Scorsese tries to intimate in his film, “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

And while Judas “owned his sin” with "an exceeding bitter cry," and “cast the money he had received on the floor of the sanctuary,” he "departed and went and hanged himself"

Acts says, he "went unto his own place." (Acts 1:25).

We’ll talk at more length about Judas (and others) as we progress through scripture.

Verse five! (Whew)

5 These twelve Yeshua sent forth, and commanded them, saying, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

In other word, “Don’t go anywhere except to the lost sheep of the Jews.”

The time for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles was not come. A major reason for this was due to prophesy.

God called His covenant people forward 1500 years before – the Jews. He promised them a Messiah. He made covenants with her, saying that they He married her.

Yeshua came in and through their line, He was a Son of David and He came unto His own . . . first.

It was only proper that He should first come and preach to the Jews, the ancient covenant people of God, and the people from whom the Messiah was born.

Later the charge would come for them (first Peter then Paul) to reach out to non-Jews, or who scripture calls Gentiles.

Now, whenever you come to the word, Gentile in the New Testament, the Greek word for it is Hellen (Hellane).

It essentially means any non-Jews but specifically means Greek speaking people, or people who are not Hebrews.

As an aside, anytime we see the word Greek or Gentile in scripture, they come from the Greek word Hellane. So, Yeshua tells these apostles don’t go where non-Jews are. And adds:

(nor) into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

We covered some of this stuff a few weeks back but the major differences between the Jews and the Samarians were:

The Jews, after their return from Babylon, set about rebuilding their temple. The Samaritans offered to help them. The Jews, however, did not believe they did so out of a love for God but because they wanted to obtain favor granted to the Jews by Cyrus. So, the Jerusalem Jews rejected their offer to help.

This resulted in a long and bitter animosity between them.

While Nehemiah was engaged in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans used every art to thwart him in his undertaking. More bad blood (according to Nehemiah 6:1-14).

The Samaritans then received permission to build a temple for themselves from the King of Persia. They built it on Mount Gerizim and, like all counterfeits, began to strenuously contended that they had established the place designated by Moses where the nation should worship.

A guy named, Sanballat, the leader of the Samaritans, then made his son-in-law, Manasses, the high priest, and therefore the religion of the Samaritans perpetuated an irreconcilable hatred between them and Jews of Jerusalem.

Afterward, Samaria became a place for all the outlaws of Judea to hide out and find acceptance. And they willingly took all the Jewish criminals and refugees in from justice as their own.

This increased the numbers of the Samaritans adding to the hatred between the two nations.

As an FYI, the Samaritans received only the five books of Moses, and rejected the writings of the prophets, and all the Jewish traditions.

As a result of all of this the Jews regarded them as the worst of the human race, (John 8:48) and had no dealings with them, (John 4:9).

Anyway, the Lord did go and preach the gospel to them later in His ministry as did the apostles afterwards, and there they had great success, but the Good News was to first go to the House of Israel, or as Yeshua says in (verse 6)

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Last week we read that He regarded his brethren as wandering and lost, like sheep straying because they had no shepherd.

They had been the chosen people of God; they had long looked for the Messiah; and it was proper that the gospel should be offered to them first . . . and then to the rest of us.

We will stop here.