Matthew 10:16-25 - Persecution Of Disciples Predicted

¹⁶ I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men! They will take you to court! They will have you beaten in their meeting places. ¹⁸ You will be taken before governors and kings for my sake. This will serve as a testimony to them and to the people of the nations. ¹⁹ When they hand you over, do not worry about what to say and how to say it. You will be given the words to speak at that time. ²⁰ You will not speak on your own. Your Father's Spirit will speak through you.

²¹ People will hand over their brothers to be put to death. Parents will oppose children and children will oppose parents, causing them to be put to death. ²² Men will hate you because of me. He who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in this city, flee to the next. I tell you; before you have gone through all the cities of Israel the Son of man will come. ²⁴ A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a servant his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple (student) that he is like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they called the master of the house Beelzebub (Satan), others of the household could also be called the same!

⁹ People will cause you tribulation, and kill you. You will be hated by all the nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ Many will stumble and betray and hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² Wickedness and lawlessness will increase. The love of many will grow cold. ¹³ The person who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ The good news of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world for a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.

⁹ Be on guard for they will deliver you up to courts. You will be beaten in the meeting places. You will be taken before governors and kings for a testimony to them for my sake. ¹⁰ And the good news must first be preached to all the nations. ¹¹ When they deliver you up to judgment, do not worry before hand what you shall speak. Holy Spirit will give it to you at that time. ¹² Brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. ¹³ All men will hate you because of my name. He who endures to the end will be saved.

¹² Even before all these things, they will capture you, and persecute you. You will be delivered to synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. ¹³ It will give you an opportunity to witness. ¹⁴ Do not think about what you will say before it happens. ¹⁵ I will give you ability to talk and words of wisdom, which your adversaries shall not be able to resist or refute. ¹⁶ Parent, brothers and sisters and friends will turn you over and cause you to be put to death. ¹⁷ Men will hate you because of my name. ¹⁸ Yet not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ You will gain your lives because of your endurance.

¹ I have spoken these things to you that you should not be made to stumble. ² They will throw you out of the synagogues. Yes, the hour comes that whoever kills you will think that he offered service to God. ³ But they do these things because they do not know the Father or me. ⁴ I tell you these things so you will remember that I told you when the time comes. I did not tell this from the beginning because I was with you.