DOES MATTHEW 10:8 APPLY TODAY?
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
In an apprenticeship, a master teaches the apprentice. Once the apprentice has completed his or her training, they are expected to have the same orientation, skills, and attitude of the master, possessing and being able to demonstrate said properties of the master, not just in word, but in deed. When you’re a Sensei ( Master Teacher at martial arts), you teach a particular discipline or form of martial arts, we’ll say Bushido Kan, for example. Once you’re fully trained, you yourself are qualified to teach the same, as you are as skilled as your teacher, and so the line of the discipline continues unbroken.
True, Matthew 10:8 does address the disciples, but why? Jesus chose the twelve whom he personally trained up to CONTINUE his earthly ministry. And of course, after Jesus returned to heaven, the people came to the disciples expecting them to do what Jesus did, and rightly so, for they had been taught by Jesus for 3 1/2 years, and Jesus charged them to do so. Were they up to the task? Certainly so. What was job one for the disciples then? To teach others what Jesus taught them. That’s precisely what “discipleship: does. We see in the scripture where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, ok, he was one of the twelve disciples, but what about Paul? He raised Eutychus, from the dead, and he was not one of the disciples.
Acts20:9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
How about Stephen? He was not one of the twelve. But he obviously heard the Gospel and became a believer with signs and wonders following:
Act 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
Concerning Philip, one of the twelve, he went and ministered to the Samaritans, though Jesus indeed said that he was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. Yet Jesus himself healed the Samaritan woman’s daughter. If you’re referring to one specific time period in the ministry of Jesus, therefore limiting salvation only to the Jews, then Matthew 10:8 does not apply to us today as the modern day disciples of Christ Jesus. You see, if the disciples were limited by Jesus only to preach to the lost sheep of Israel, then salvation is NOT FOR US TODAY as we are not Israelites.
Act_8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Act_8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
So, why doesn’t the church today demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit? Simple, lack of sound teaching, that is, teaching what Jesus taught, and NOT teaching what Jesus did NOT teach. God will back up HIS words, but is not obligated to back up DOCTRINES OF MEN. Another issue is the same thing that stopped Jesus from doing great works in his own community: UNBELIEF. If we preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached, people will hear, faith will come, and they will believe unto salvation, and the body of Christ will grow. But, just as in the times of Jesus’ ministry, some will believe, some won’t. Jesus taught those who were ready to listen, and multitudes did and followed him. He didn’t stay somewhere and keep hammering on the unbelievers, but moved on when they refused the Gospel message. He taught the disciples to do the same. Yet churches today keep reaching out to those who keep saying NO, thereby wasting ministry resources and time. Preach the Kingdom of God and it will produce believers, and concentrate on discipling them into faithful people who will themselves go out and preach the Kingdom of God. Simple in theory, but when you add in “church denominational doctrines”, “doctrines of men”, the Gospel falls flat and produces no fruit. That’s why I personally do not preach “denominations”, “Baptist, AG, Pentecostal, Methodist, etc”. Jesus didn’t, and I won’t either. I preach the “Kingdom of God” that Jesus preached, and He backs up His Words with power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. It works for me, I see no reason to change it, for that’s how God operated through Jesus and the disciples, and THOSE THAT HEARD THEM AND BELIEVED (THAT’S ME).
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God certainly has the power to change lives. It changed mine forever. I want to keep the main thing “the main thing”, and that is winning souls for the Kingdom. For every Kingdom, there is a King, and the King has rules of conduct, and if you want to be under the King’s protection and enjoy his benefits, you must live by his rules. That’s why it’s called a Kingdom. I live by Kingdom rules, having His authority over me, and exercising the authority granted me as a believer, a modern day disciple of Christ Jesus. I take the charges that Jesus taught His disciples as relevant for today, striving to maintain the same teachings that Christ Jesus taught his disciples unchanged, for if I don’t, then the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been watered down by traditions of men, and absolutely powerless to change lives.
The Book of Acts clearly demonstrated how the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, how the work of the Holy Spirit continued in and through their lives. And that same Holy Spirit empowers those who believe yet today.
Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Ok, we can say that applied to the eleven remaining disciples, minus Judas. Note verse 16 HE THAT BELIEVETH. That DEFINITELY is not referring to the eleven, but those who hear and believe THEIR PREACHING. Again, I assert, HE THAT BELIEVETH goes in an unbroken line unto today. What “Gospel” have we been listening to? What are WE preaching? Is it bringing forth the fruit of verses 16-18? If not, we are not preaching the same Gospel they preached back then. Their preaching resulted in multitudes of people being saved! Would you like to see a thousand salvations a week? It’s possible, for the Holy Spirit is willing, for it is the very work of God. The remedy? Go back and reexamine what Jesus did and didn’t do, what He said and didn’t say. Preach what Jesus preached, and it will bring forth the same fruit for you as it did for him.
I can spend HOURS and days elaborating on this, for I’ve built my last 20 years around it, but I hope this short letter clears up what I believe and how I arrive at my reasoning.
God bless!