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Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave
them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every
disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first,
Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James
son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and
Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son
of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas
Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following
instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any
town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of
Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of
heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you
have received, freely give.
9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take
with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra
shirt or sandals or a staff, for workers are worth their
keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search for some
worthy person there and stay at that person’s house until
you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if
it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will
not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off
your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell
you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the
day of judgment than for that town.
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local
councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account
you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses
to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do
not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time
you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you
speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through
you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father
his child; children will rebel against their parents and
have them put to death. 22 Everyone will hate you because of
me, but those who stand firm to the end will be saved. 23
When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly
I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of
Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “Students are not above their teacher, nor servants
above their master. 25 It is enough for students to be like
their teacher, and servants like their master. If the head
of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the
members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing
concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will
not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in
the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from
the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who
can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two
sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to
the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever publicly acknowledges me I will also
acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever
publicly disowns me I will disown before my Father in
heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to
the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35
For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 your enemies will be the members of your own
household.’
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than
me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves a son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take
up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever
finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life
for my sake will find it.
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone
who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever
welcomes someone known to be a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes someone known to be
righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And
if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these
little ones who is known to be my disciple, truly I tell
you, that person will certainly be rewarded.”
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Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
