“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.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 10:1 Mean?
"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." Jesus delegates his authority to twelve ordinary men: power over unclean spirits and power over every kind of disease. The transfer is comprehensive — "all manner" of sickness and disease. No exceptions. No limitations by severity or type. What Jesus did, the twelve are now authorized to do.
The word "power" (exousia — authority, delegated right) means the twelve don't operate in their own strength. They operate under Jesus' authority. The power isn't theirs. It's his, exercised through them. The difference between a person with authority and a person without it isn't ability. It's authorization.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What authority has Jesus given you that you haven't been exercising?
- 2.How does understanding power as 'delegated' (not generated) change your approach to spiritual warfare?
- 3.Where do you need to step into the 'all manner' authorization — addressing things you've considered beyond your scope?
- 4.What does the twelve's ordinariness (fishermen, tax collectors) teach about who God empowers?
Devotional
He gave them power. Twelve ordinary men — fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot — received the authority to cast out demons and heal every disease. Not earned through training. Given. By the one who had it.
The giving is the key: Jesus gave them power. They didn't develop it. Didn't earn it through years of spiritual practice. Didn't attend a seminar on deliverance ministry. He called them and he gave them. The authority is transferred, not generated. It comes from Jesus' authority, not from their competence.
Against unclean spirits, to cast them out. The twelve receive power over the spiritual realm — authority to command demons. Fishermen commanding fallen angels. Tax collectors ordering unclean spirits to leave. The absurdity of the delegation is the point: the power isn't in the vessel. It's in the authorization. A Roman centurion understood this (8:9): authority operates through the chain of command. The twelve have authority because the one who has all authority delegated it to them.
All manner of sickness and all manner of disease. No exceptions. The authorization covers everything: chronic disease and acute disease, visible illness and invisible ailment, physical sickness and spiritual bondage. The comprehensiveness of the authorization matches the comprehensiveness of human need.
This delegation is the first expansion of Jesus' ministry beyond himself. What was operating through one person now operates through twelve. The multiplication principle is established: Jesus doesn't just do the work. He authorizes others to do the same work. The kingdom doesn't grow by Jesus doing more. It grows by Jesus giving power to more people.
You have the same authorization. Not through the twelve's unique apostolic office. Through the same Spirit that empowered them. The power against unclean spirits. The authority over disease. The delegated right that comes from the one who has all authority. You didn't earn it. It was given. And given authority operates the same way in your hands as in Peter's: not by your strength but by his name.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples ... - This account of sending the apostles forth is recorded also…
Here we are told, I. Who they were that Christ ordained to be his apostles or ambassadors; they were his disciples, Mat…
his twelve disciples The first passages in St Mark and St Luke record the choiceor callingof the Twelve, this chapter…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture