Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
Christ sent out the seventy in pairs ahead of Him to prepare towns to receive Him by announcing that God's kingdom had come near, telling them to travel without money, bag, or extra provisions and rely on the homes they entered for food and rest, and to pass by the long formal greetings of the road that would waste time and weaken the urgency of their message. The ban on greetings does not forbid ordinary friendliness but forbids stopping for time-consuming ceremony and controversy that would distract from carrying the message straight forward. Their burden was to keep the kingdom in view, teaching from the Old Testament prophecies of Christ and presenting softening truth rather than arguing over unessential points, while healing the sick and calling to repentance as one inseparable work. That sending was not for Jews only but for all people without regard to nation, character, caste, or position, and it shows His plan to train many new workers under direction rather than depend only on experienced men. The same directions press with even greater necessity now, calling for earnest labor with heart, mind, soul, and strength in little companies without years of delay, entering the great centers humbly to scatter truth, pray for the sick, and minister to need, because doors now open will soon be closed forever.
Sending and Specific Instructions
Luke 10:4 belongs to the instruction given to the seventy when they were sent two and two before His face into every city and place where He Himself would come. They were sent after the twelve to go everywhere preaching, with Him to follow after in every place where they were sent. Their work was to awaken interest in His work, announce that the kingdom of God had come near, invite people to receive its message and messenger, and prepare the people to receive Him, the grand truths He would impart, and the blessings within their reach. They were sent under His direction to work as He worked, with the same first directions He had given to the twelve. It shows the plan to bring in new men and place them in responsibility, educating a large number of workers and giving new ones a chance to learn under direction instead of depending only on experienced men already in use. They were sent into fields already white to harvest, the same harvest work later taken up when three thousand souls were added through Peter's preaching.
The command to carry neither purse, nor bag, nor shoes meant traveling without provisions and without stopping to greet people along the way. The disciples were to depend on the hospitality of those they met and of the homes they visited for food and a place to rest. The welcome, support, and reception received helped guide where they should spend their time and strength. These directions were part of their sacred work, to be kept in mind while carrying their message without entering into controversy.
The command to greet no one on the way does not forbid an ordinary friendly greeting but forbids stopping for lengthy ceremonial greetings while traveling. Such ceremonies consumed time without benefit, and the urgent mission left no time for them. They were to be avoided because they could lead to controversy and keep workers from focusing on preparing the way for Christ and proclaiming the gospel. Performing them could also make the life-and-death message seem unimportant to those who heard it.
Kingdom Message to All
The seventy were sent two and two ahead into every city and place where Christ Himself would come, to awaken interest and prepare people to receive the great truths He would impart when He followed after them. Their appointed burden was to keep the coming of the kingdom of God in sight and announce that it had come near, inviting people to receive its message and its Messenger so they could receive the blessings within their reach. They were to teach from the Old Testament, explaining the prophecies of the mission and work of Christ, and to present truths that soften hearts, so that hearers would be prepared to receive Christ when He followed. They were not to lose sight of that burden nor to enter into controversy over unessential matters, since controversy would close the door to important truths.
That mission was not restricted to the Jews, for the world was their field. They were to proclaim the kingdom of God and the gospel of truth to everyone without regard to nation, character, caste, or social position. Christ's church is therefore to carry the work to every part of the world with tireless labor, treating every person, including bitter opponents, with respect while sharing the truth.
In this sending preaching and healing were joined and are never to be separated. After the twelve apostles, the seventy were sent to preach the gospel and proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand, with power given them in His name to heal the sick and cast out devils and evil spirits. Their work included calling people to repent, and His commandment-keeping people are to be one in this united work of teaching and healing. They traveled without provisions and depended on the people whose homes they visited for food and a place to rest, and the support and reception they received helped guide where they should spend their time and strength.
The sending of seventy men after the twelve shows the plan for leaders to bring in new men and place them in responsibility. It is God's way to educate a large number of workers and to give new ones a chance to learn the work under direction, instead of depending only on experienced men already in use.
Urgent Application for Today
The command lays a serious work on God's people that enlists heart and mind and soul and strength in His service. That labor is not to be confined to believers but must reach unbelievers by becoming acquainted with them and placing the truth before those who are living up to all the light they have. This includes precious souls in cities such as Melbourne, for loving God with all the heart requires loving those for whom He gave His only begotten Son, since Christ died to redeem human beings from sin, and an open door stands before His people through which to bring others into fellowship with the saints. It is part of Christ's recipe for the necessities of this time, showing ministers how to labor so that convicted souls ask what they must do to inherit eternal life. That result comes by faith that works through intensity of desire and perseverance, rather than by long discourses that put the truth out of reach.
The appointment calls for going forth now in little companies without spending years in preparation. Doors now open to the truth will soon be forever closed, and waiting allows the enemy to take possession of open fields. The workers are to labor as gospel medical missionary evangelists, scattering publications and talking of the truth to those they meet. They are to pray for the sick, minister to their necessities not with drugs but with nature's remedies, and teach them how to regain health and avoid disease.
The directions given were to travel without purse, bag, or shoes and not to stop to greet people along the way. These directions belonged to their sacred work, to be kept in mind while carrying the message without entering into controversy. Those same instructions direct work in the great centers now with even greater necessity than in His time. The work is to be done in a humble manner, with strong men appointed and many thoroughly converted young men and women associated with them, presenting the words of eternal life with great ingenuity and in a spirit of tenderness so that souls are reached and converted and hearts are won.
Christ sent out the seventy in pairs ahead of Him to prepare towns to receive Him by announcing that God's kingdom had come near, telling them to travel without money, bag, or extra provisions and rely on the homes they entered for food and rest, and to pass by the long formal greetings of the road that would waste time and weaken the urgency of their message. The ban on greetings does not forbid ordinary friendliness but forbids stopping for time-consuming ceremony and controversy that would distract from carrying the message straight forward. Their burden was to keep the kingdom in view, teaching from the Old Testament prophecies of Christ and presenting softening truth rather than arguing over unessential points, while healing the sick and calling to repentance as one inseparable work. That sending was not for Jews only but for all people without regard to nation, character, caste, or position, and it shows His plan to train many new workers under direction rather than depend only on experienced men. The same directions press with even greater necessity now, calling for earnest labor with heart, mind, soul, and strength in little companies without years of delay, entering the great centers humbly to scatter truth, pray for the sick, and minister to need, because doors now open will soon be closed forever.
Sending and Specific Instructions
Luke 10:4 belongs to the instruction given to the seventy when they were sent two and two before His face into every city and place where He Himself would come. They were sent after the twelve to go everywhere preaching, with Him to follow after in every place where they were sent. Their work was to awaken interest in His work, announce that the kingdom of God had come near, invite people to receive its message and messenger, and prepare the people to receive Him, the grand truths He would impart, and the blessings within their reach. They were sent under His direction to work as He worked, with the same first directions He had given to the twelve. It shows the plan to bring in new men and place them in responsibility, educating a large number of workers and giving new ones a chance to learn under direction instead of depending only on experienced men already in use. They were sent into fields already white to harvest, the same harvest work later taken up when three thousand souls were added through Peter's preaching.
The command to carry neither purse, nor bag, nor shoes meant traveling without provisions and without stopping to greet people along the way. The disciples were to depend on the hospitality of those they met and of the homes they visited for food and a place to rest. The welcome, support, and reception received helped guide where they should spend their time and strength. These directions were part of their sacred work, to be kept in mind while carrying their message without entering into controversy.
The command to greet no one on the way does not forbid an ordinary friendly greeting but forbids stopping for lengthy ceremonial greetings while traveling. Such ceremonies consumed time without benefit, and the urgent mission left no time for them. They were to be avoided because they could lead to controversy and keep workers from focusing on preparing the way for Christ and proclaiming the gospel. Performing them could also make the life-and-death message seem unimportant to those who heard it.
Kingdom Message to All
The seventy were sent two and two ahead into every city and place where Christ Himself would come, to awaken interest and prepare people to receive the great truths He would impart when He followed after them. Their appointed burden was to keep the coming of the kingdom of God in sight and announce that it had come near, inviting people to receive its message and its Messenger so they could receive the blessings within their reach. They were to teach from the Old Testament, explaining the prophecies of the mission and work of Christ, and to present truths that soften hearts, so that hearers would be prepared to receive Christ when He followed. They were not to lose sight of that burden nor to enter into controversy over unessential matters, since controversy would close the door to important truths.
That mission was not restricted to the Jews, for the world was their field. They were to proclaim the kingdom of God and the gospel of truth to everyone without regard to nation, character, caste, or social position. Christ's church is therefore to carry the work to every part of the world with tireless labor, treating every person, including bitter opponents, with respect while sharing the truth.
In this sending preaching and healing were joined and are never to be separated. After the twelve apostles, the seventy were sent to preach the gospel and proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand, with power given them in His name to heal the sick and cast out devils and evil spirits. Their work included calling people to repent, and His commandment-keeping people are to be one in this united work of teaching and healing. They traveled without provisions and depended on the people whose homes they visited for food and a place to rest, and the support and reception they received helped guide where they should spend their time and strength.
The sending of seventy men after the twelve shows the plan for leaders to bring in new men and place them in responsibility. It is God's way to educate a large number of workers and to give new ones a chance to learn the work under direction, instead of depending only on experienced men already in use.
Urgent Application for Today
The command lays a serious work on God's people that enlists heart and mind and soul and strength in His service. That labor is not to be confined to believers but must reach unbelievers by becoming acquainted with them and placing the truth before those who are living up to all the light they have. This includes precious souls in cities such as Melbourne, for loving God with all the heart requires loving those for whom He gave His only begotten Son, since Christ died to redeem human beings from sin, and an open door stands before His people through which to bring others into fellowship with the saints. It is part of Christ's recipe for the necessities of this time, showing ministers how to labor so that convicted souls ask what they must do to inherit eternal life. That result comes by faith that works through intensity of desire and perseverance, rather than by long discourses that put the truth out of reach.
The appointment calls for going forth now in little companies without spending years in preparation. Doors now open to the truth will soon be forever closed, and waiting allows the enemy to take possession of open fields. The workers are to labor as gospel medical missionary evangelists, scattering publications and talking of the truth to those they meet. They are to pray for the sick, minister to their necessities not with drugs but with nature's remedies, and teach them how to regain health and avoid disease.
The directions given were to travel without purse, bag, or shoes and not to stop to greet people along the way. These directions belonged to their sacred work, to be kept in mind while carrying the message without entering into controversy. Those same instructions direct work in the great centers now with even greater necessity than in His time. The work is to be done in a humble manner, with strong men appointed and many thoroughly converted young men and women associated with them, presenting the words of eternal life with great ingenuity and in a spirit of tenderness so that souls are reached and converted and hearts are won.