Section 10:1–4

Jesus appointed the twelve disciples as apostles

In the previous section, Jesus challenged the disciples to pray that God would send out workers into the spiritual harvest. In this section, Jesus appointed his twelve closest disciples as apostles or “sent ones.” He gave them power to cast out evil spirits and heal people. Matthew used this occasion to list the names of these twelve men.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The Twelve Apostles (Good News Translation)

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 3:13–19 and Luke 6:12–16.

Paragraph 10:1–4

10:1a

And: This is the beginning of a new section. This section is loosely connected to the previous section.

Here are some other ways to begin this new section:

Then (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Later
-or-
After that

calling His twelve disciples to Him: In this context, the verb calling means that Jesus was “asking the disciples to come” to him. According to the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, Jesus did this when he was in the hills around Lake Galilee.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Jesus called together his twelve disciples (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Jesus told/asked his twelve disciples to come to him

disciples: The word disciple also occurs in 8:21a. See the note there for help in translating this term. See also disciple in the Glossary for more information.

10:1b

Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out: This phrase means that Jesus gave his disciples the power to cast unclean spirits out of people. Up to this point, only Jesus had this power.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

He gave them the power to force out evil spirits (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and gave them the power to make unclean spirits leave people

unclean spirits: The term unclean spirits refers to the same beings as “evil spirits” and “demons” (8:16a). You can translate these three terms with the same term.

The Jews believed that anyone who had an evil spirit was unclean. So an evil spirit was also called an unclean spirit.

Here are some other ways to translate unclean spirits:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people. For example:

demons
-or-
devils

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. Do not use a term that refers to the spirit of a dead person.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

evil spirits (New International Version)

See demon in the Glossary for more information.

they could drive them out: The phrase drive them out means “to cause evil spirits to leave people and stop controlling their lives.”

Different cultures have different ways of speaking about people being controlled by evil spirits and being released from the control of evil spirits. Use a natural way to say this in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

to send away evil spirits
-or-
to free people whom demons controlled
-or-
to expel evil spirits from people

The term drive…out also occurs in 8:16c.

10:1c

and heal: This is the second thing that Jesus gave his disciples power to do. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

and ⌊he also gave them⌋ ⌊the power⌋ to heal

every disease and sickness: The words disease and sickness are a doublet. This means that these words have almost the same meaning. Together, these words refer to every type of illness and physical problem that people can have.

This same pair of words occurs in 4:23d and 9:35d. See the notes there for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use two terms. For example:

every kind of disease and sickness (New Century Version)
-or-
every disease and handicap
-or-
every illness and injury

• Use more than two terms. For example:

people who were sick, ill, or had a disease

• Use one term. For example:

every kind of sickness

-or-

everyone who was not well

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