Matthew 10:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Matthew 10:16

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

As sheep

Luke 10:3

Acts 20:29

Wise

Colossians 4:5

Harmless

1 Thessalonians 5:22

Bible References

As sheep

Go your way; I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

I know that when I am gone, fierce wolves will get in among you, and they will not spare the flock; yes.

Wise

for I will give you words and wisdom that not one of your opponents will be able to meet or refute.

Everyone has heard of your loyalty to the gospel; it makes me rejoice over you. Still, I want you to be experts in good and innocents in evil.

Brothers, do not be children in the sphere of intelligence; in evil be mere infants, but be mature in your intelligence.

but I am afraid of your thoughts getting seduced from a single devotion to Christ, just as the serpent beguiled Eve with his cunning.

Be strictly careful then about the life you lead; act like sensible men, not like thoughtless;

Hence, from the day we heard of it, we have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight,

Let Christian wisdom rule your behaviour to the outside world; make the very most of your time;

Harmless

Such creatures are no servants of Christ our Lord, they are slaves of their own base desires; with their plausible and pious talk they beguile the hearts of unsuspecting people. But surely not of you!

My proud boast is the testimony of my conscience that holiness and godly sincerity, not worldly cunning but the grace of God, have marked my conduct in the outside world and in particular my relations with you.

for I want to take precautions against any risk of suspicion in connection with the administration of this charity;

but I am afraid of your thoughts getting seduced from a single devotion to Christ, just as the serpent beguiled Eve with his cunning.

so as to be blameless and innocent, faultless children of God in a crooked and perverse generation where you shine like stars in a dark world;

You are witnesses, and so is God, to our behaviour among you believers, how pious and upright and blameless it was,

and abstaining from whatever kind is evil.