translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: MAT

label: NET study note

text: Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.


text: The term apostles is rare in the gospels, found only here, Mark 3:14 , and six more times in Luke ( 6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10 ).


text: In the various lists of the twelve, Simon (that is, Peter) is always mentioned first (see also Mark 3:16-19 ; Luke 6:13-16 ; Acts 1:13 ) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.


text: Bartholomew (meaning “son of Tolmai” in Aramaic) could be another name for Nathanael mentioned in John 1:45 .


text: This is the “doubting Thomas” of John 20:24-29 .


text: See the note on tax collectors in 5:46 .


text: There is some debate about what the name Iscariot means. It probably alludes to a region in Judea and thus might make Judas the only non-Galilean in the group. Several explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). For further discussion see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 1:546; also D. A. Carson, John , 304.


text: Mark 6:8 allows one staff. It might be that Matthew’s summary (cf. Luke 9:3 ) means not taking an extra staff or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.


text: The response to these messengers determines how God’s blessing is bestowed – if the messengers are not welcomed, their blessing will return to them. Jesus shows just how important their mission is by this remark.


text: To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11 ; Acts 13:51; 18:6 . It was a sign of rejection.


text: The allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah , the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29 , shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment.


text: This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.


text: Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.


text: See the note on synagogues in 4:23 .


text: These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.


text: I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice here and in the next verb see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known.


text: Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.


text: See the note on the word hell in 5:22 .


text: The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15 .


text: Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.


text: It was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion for the prisoner to be made to carry his own cross . Jesus is speaking figuratively here in the context of rejection. If the priority is not one’s allegiance to Jesus, then one will not follow him in the face of possible rejection.


text: If there is no willingness to suffer the world’s rejection at this point, then one will not respond to Jesus (which is trying to find life) and then will be subject to this judgment (which is losing it).


text: The one who sent me refers to God.