ALL GOOD SOLDIERS ARE PROPERLY PREPARED FOR BATTLE! THEY ARE SCHOOLED IN THE PROPER USE OF WEAPONRY! HOWEVER, THERE HAS TO BE A TRIAL  PERIOD TO DETERMINE WORTHINESS!

SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION!

Matthew 10:16 KJV

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

OBSERVATION!

Here we are told,  who they were that Christ ordained to be his apostles or ambassadors they were his disciples,

Matthew 10:1
[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.

He had called them some time before to be disciples, his immediate followers and constant attendants, and he then told them that they should be made fishers of men, which promise he now performed.

Note, Christ commonly confers honours and graces by degrees. The light of both, like that of the morning, shines more and more. All this while Christ had kept these twelve,

1. In a state of probation. Though he knows what is in man, though he knew from the first what was in them (John 6:7), yet he took this method to give an example to his church.

Note, the ministry being a great trust, it’s  fit that men should be tried for a time before they are entrusted with it.

Let them first be proved, 1 Timothy 3:10. Therefore, hands must not be laid suddenly on any man, but let him first be observed as a candidate and probationer, a proposant (that is the term the French churches use), because some men’s sins go before, others follow, 1 Timothy 5:22. [22]Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

COMMENTARY!

Those whom Christ intends for, and calls to any work, he first prepares and qualifies, in some measure, for it.

He prepared them, (1) By taking them to be with him. Note, The best preparative for the work of the ministry, is an acquaintance and communion with Jesus Christ. They that would serve Christ, must first be with him (John 12:26). (It is here we recognize the importance of building a personal relationship with Yeshua!)

Paul had Christ revealed, not only to him, but in him, before he went to preach him among the Gentiles, Galatians 1:16.

By the lively acts of faith, and the frequent exercise of prayer and meditation, that fellowship with Christ must be maintained and kept up, which is a requisite qualification for the work of the ministry

(2) By teaching them they were with him as scholars or pupils, and he taught them privately, besides the benefit they derived from his public preaching he opened the scriptures to them, and opened their understandings to understand the scriptures: to them it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and to them they were made plain.

Note, They that designed to be teachers must first be learners they must receive, that they may give they must be able to teach others, 2 Timothy 2:2.

Gospel truths must be first committed to them before they be commissioned to be gospel ministers.

To give men authority to teach others, that have not an ability, is but a mockery to God and the church it is sending a message by the hand of a fool, Proverbs 26:6.

Christ taught his disciples before he sent them forth (Matthew 5:2), and afterward, when he enlarged their commission, he gave them more ample instructions, Acts 1:3.

OBSERVATION!

Please note the importance of these facts offered by the Apostle Luke!

It was usual with the ancients, both Christian and heathen writers, thus to inscribe their writings to some particular persons.

But the directing of some of the books of the scripture so, is an intimation to each of us to receive them as if directed to us in particular, by name for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.

Please note this testimony by Luke to inspire the knowledge of our Lord’s teachings even 2025 years later in the gospels as our presence spiritually with Yeshua our master and mentor guiding the Holy Spirit’s presence as part of our preparation to serve diligently!

Observe, (1) Christ both did and taught. The doctrine he taught was confirmed by the miraculous works he did, which proved him a teacher come from God (John 3:2) and the duties he taught were copied out in the holy gracious works he did, for he hath left us an example, and that such as proves him a teacher come from God too, for by their fruits you shall know them.

Those are the best ministers that both do and teach, whose lives are a constant sermon

(2) He began both to do and teach he laid the foundation of all that was to be taught and done in the Christian church. His apostles were to carry on and continue what he began and to do and teach the same things.

Christ set them in, and then left them to go on, but sent his Spirit to empower them both to do and teach. It is a comfort to those who are endeavoring to carry on the work of the gospel that Christ himself began it.

The great salvation at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, Hebrews 2:3

(3) The four evangelists, and Luke particularly, have handed down to us all that Jesus began both to do and to teach not all the particulars–the world could not have contained them but all the heads, samples of all, so many, and in such variety, that by them we may judge of the rest. We have the beginnings of his doctrine (Matthew 4:17), and the beginnings of his miracles, John 2:11.

Have you surrendered all to receive in order to be properly readied to bare fruit in the name of ABBA our Heavenly Father?

Robert a humble obedient servant to Yeshua and his Father in heaven Yahewa. And all of God’s children say Amen and Amen in the name of ABBA!