The Instructions That Were Given

Church history: The Instructions That Were Given Them, Which Are Very Full And Particular; Matthew 10:5-42; Luke 9:43-45
In the last verse, Christ commanded them to give freely, they might reasonably be thinking that they needed to provide well for their journey. No, says the Lord, Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass, ect. That this was but a temporary journey, the will of God concerning them for this short journey, appears from Luke 22:35-36, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip They were to finish this journey in a short time, and much provision would have been a hindrance to their motion. Besides, our Savior designed to give them an experience of the providence of God, and to teach them to trust in it; as also to teach people that the laborer is worthy of his hire, and that God expects that his ministers should not live of their own, but upon the altar which they served; so as at once he taught his apostles not to be covetous, nor overmuch solicitous, and people to provide for those who ministered to them in things spiritual. I pass over what others have critically observed concerning the words, that being not my proper work. Mark said, Mark 6:8-9, that he commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: but be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. It is plain that the staffs forbidden in Matthew were either staffs for defense, or to bear burdens upon, not merely travelers’ staffs. The conclusion is, in this their first journey, which they were soon to dispatch, he would have them trust God for protection and sustenance, and load themselves with nothing more than necessary.