In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has just appointed the twelve Apostles and they are listed in their traditional order at the beginning of the chapter. Jesus gives them authority over unclean spirits and charges them with going to to the lost tribes of Israel, to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans but preach to the Jew’s about the incoming Kingdom of God. They are to cure lepers, exorcise demons and raise the dead, all without pay as a witness to their preaching of the Kingdom.
17 Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues,
Jesus warns his Apostles to be wary of men who will deliver them to the councils, most likely the Sanhedrin, the governing authority of the Jews but the labelling as councils give the implication that Gentile authorities to will persecute them. He goes on saying that they will be flogged in the synagogues of the men he is warning them about, this puts the attention on the Jews themselves who owned the Synagogues. They functioned as community hubs of teaching and prayer.
Considering the context of what has happened previously, Jesus is asserting that their work for the Kingdom, even good things like raising the dead, curing lepers and healing the sick for no pay, will actually cause the local authorities to persecute them. These good acts and the power that Jesus has bestowed upon them will have its downsides. It will mark them out as the individuals to be oppressed by the authorities of men.
18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.
Jesus continues with the repercussions that the Apostles will suffer for preaching the Kingdom of Heaven. Now the perspective is shifted on to how the Gentiles will react. The Jews who reject their message will deliver them to the councils to be judged and will be flogged in the synagogues. In the case of of the Gentiles, the Apostles will be dragged before secular Gentile authorities like Governors and kings. This will act as a spring board for them to bear testimony to the Good News before the Gentiles.
These particular events will take place eventually in the Book of Acts, both flogging in the synagogues and being brought before Governors (Felix) and Kings (Herod Agrippa).
19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Jesus specifically referring to the Apostles in the future events he is describing he instructs to not be anxious in how they are to speak. “For what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” the words they will speak in their testimonies before the authorities will not be their own words, they will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
They are to act as conduits, not actors of their own motivations. This is not general advice for all Christians, this is specifically directed at the Apostles in these particular moments. In these moments the Holy Spirit will cause the Apostles to prophesy meaning that it is absolutely not their own words, but the words of God. “The Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Jesus’ mission and proclamation will be so divisive that even fraternal bonds will be severed in its preaching. This is both immediate brothers in the sense of siblings but also brothers in the context of tribal brethren. It will split apart parents from their children and in both cases will the proclaimer of the Gospel be delivered up to death. Jesus is stressing to his audience that his message is not just a cause for minor disagreement but will shatter family units if there are those who follow him and others who do not within the same household. This division will not cause them to just argue but render the other to execution before the authorities persecuting the Church.
Those who cling to Jesus’ name and enter his New Covenant will be hated by all. All being all those who are not of the Covenant. Those who endure till the end, till death will be saved. Jesus here articulates and enduring process of salvation, your acceptance intellectually speaking of Jesus or assent to him existing does not extend to you salvation. But he who endures to the end will be saved, there will be testing the entire time and struggles that will effect you and steer you from him. He who endures till the end wins.
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