Matthew 10:16-25 - Persecution Of Disciples Predicted

¹⁶ "Behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves: Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men: for they shall deliver you up to the councils, and shall scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ And ye shall be brought to the head rulers and kings for my sake, in witness to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, take no thought, how, or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you even in that same hour, what ye shall say. ²⁰ For it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you.

²¹ The brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall arise against their fathers, and mothers, and shall put them to death, ²² and ye shall be hated of all men, for my name: but he that shall endureth unto the end, shall be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one city, fly into another: I tell you for a truth, ye shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the son of man be come. ²⁴ The disciple is not above his Master, nor yet the servant above his Lord. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be as his Master is, and that the servant be as his Lord is. If they have called the Lord of the house Beelzebub: how much more shall they call them of his household so?

⁹ Then shall they put you to trouble, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake: ¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one the other. ¹¹ And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall have the upper hand, the love of many shall abate. ¹³ But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be safe. ¹⁴ And this glad tidings of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

⁹ But take ye heed to yourselves. For they shall bring you up to the councils, and into the synagogues, and ye shall be beaten, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings, for my sake, for a testimonial unto them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be published among all nations. ¹¹ But when they lead you, and present you, take no thought aforehand what ye shall say, neither imagine: but whatsoever is given you at the same time, that speak. For it shall not be ye that shall speak, but the holy ghost. ¹² Yea, and the brother shall deliver the brother to death. And the father the son, and the children shall rise against their fathers and mothers, and shall put them to death. ¹³ And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But whosoever shall endure unto the end, the same shall be safe.

¹² But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you: delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prison: and bring you before kings and rulers for my name's sake. ¹³ And this shall chance you for a testimonial. ¹⁴ Let it stick therefore fast in your hearts, not once to study before, what ye shall answer for yourselves: ¹⁵ For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, where against all your adversaries shall not be able to speak nor resist. ¹⁶ Yea, and ye shall be betrayed of your fathers and mothers, and of your brethren, and kinsmen, and lovers. And some of you shall they put to death. ¹⁷ And hated shall ye be of all men for my name's sake. ¹⁸ Yet there shall not one hair of your heads perish. ¹⁹ With your patience, possess your souls.

¹ These things have I said unto you because ye should not be offended. ² They shall excommunicate you: yea the time shall come, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God true service. ³ And such things will they do unto you, because they have not known the father, neither yet me. ⁴ But these things have I told you: that when that hour is come, ye might remember then, that I told you so. These things said I not unto you at the beginning, because I was present with you.