But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Jesus spoke this warning when He sent the twelve alone on their first mission to Israel as sheep among wolves, telling them they would be handed over to councils for trial and punishment and whipped in synagogues for witnessing to Him. To beware of men means to place little confidence in people, not to trust counsels to those who do not know God or depend on guidance not led by the Holy Spirit. The warning was fulfilled when the apostles were seized and examined before the Jewish rulers, and it returns in later opposition through slander and false accusation and will be felt most fully in the final crisis over God's commandments when believers must stand alone before courts. Those trials also open witness before rulers and peoples who would not otherwise hear, with the Father's Spirit giving the words to speak. Meeting them requires fleeing to another place when possible rather than needlessly risking life, counting the cost and living hid with Christ in prayer, and being so grounded in God's word by study and fasting that faith can give a reason for its hope and endure to the end.
Context and Warning
Jesus gave this warning when He sent the twelve out as His representatives on their first trial labor without His personal presence, sending them two and two to the lost sheep of Israel to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and to heal the sick. He sent them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, and the instruction He then gave returned to them for strength when they later faced enemies of the gospel. That charge belongs to the same line of work as giving Bible readings, requiring judgment and discrimination about where to bestow labor, and it stands for the time of the end as calling for a life hid with Christ in God and prayer for wisdom and direction. It stands together with being brought before governors and kings for His sake, being hated for His name's sake, enduring to the end, and fleeing from city to city as He Himself left cities where He was working for places where He would not be recognized.
To beware of men means to be cautious and to place little confidence in people, even in those who have occupied positions of trust if they are not under the sanctification of the Spirit of God. It means not to place implicit confidence in those who do not know God, not to entrust them with counsels, and not to depend on counsel from those unguided by the Holy Spirit. Human inventions and worldly wisdom can work against God's plans, so such misplaced confidence gives Satan's agents an advantage. Mere profession of faith saves no one, for salvation requires continuing in the faith to the end, with God abiding with His people as long as they abide with Him.
The specific danger warned of is being delivered up to the councils for examination and punishment and being scourged in their synagogues for witness to Christ. This stands with being brought before governors and kings for Christ's sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles, being hated for His name's sake, and holding the promise that he who endures to the end shall be saved. The caution was given when Christ sent them out and its cautions are to be observed, with the persecution to be experienced in the fullest sense and the surrounding promise that such trials will also give testimony before rulers and peoples with the Father's Spirit supplying what to say. The warning prepares them to count the cost and not depend on human strength, for though they may feel sinful and powerless they can go forward in faith trusting that the Holy Spirit will supply grace, angels will aid them, and Christ will lead them.
Jesus fully knew beforehand what would happen to His disciples after He was separated from them, leaving them as sheep amid wolves ready to tear and devour them. He knew they would suffer persecution because they believed His words that He is the Anointed One, that they would be put out of the synagogue, be imprisoned, and be put to death. He even saw that Stephen would be the first to win the martyr's crown in the kingdom of glory. He did not deceive them with false hope, but told them the truth while urging them not to let their hearts be troubled.
Persecution Foretold and Repeated
The warning was fulfilled when the apostles, after preaching Jesus, were seized and called before the Jewish rulers for examination and punishment. Peter and John testifying before the council and Stephen speaking with wisdom and spiritual power showed the promised trial becoming testimony. Some who had witnessed Jesus before the judges were later placed in a similar position in the judgment hall and tried for their lives. Miraculous deliverance from prison by an angel was a token of God's care and assurance of His presence, but it did not exempt them from the foretold examination and suffering for Jesus' sake.
Religious authorities can oppose Christ's servants as the Pharisees opposed Christ, especially when they teach truths contrary to the church's doctrines. This occurred when brethren who were forbidden to preach the truth were brought before church councils and publicly condemned with reproach and falsehood.
In later times the same opposition comes through slander, falsehood, criticism, suspicions of fraud, and accusations of dishonest or selfish motives and criticism of their work. It falls even where there is integrity and faithful service to God.
The persecution will be experienced in the fullest sense in the time of the end. A coming crisis will require church members to witness for the truth in councils and courts, separately and alone. At that time those who have apostatized will work signs and wonders through Satan to deceive, if possible, even the elect. In the conflict over God's commandments, those who reject light will join apostate powers in coercing conscience and persecuting, even to death, those who love God and keep His commandments.
Opponents gather false evidence and falsehood, hire halls where truth has been preached, and issue flaming public notices to attack believers and give a false history of their work. Established ministers send added help, watch the meetings, and take the names of every church member seen going in, in order to deal with them. The result leaves the people unable to discern truth from error, thinking one side speaks well and the opposite side in faith speaks well.
Faithfulness Under Persecution
Arrest and scourging do not end witness but open it, bringing the message before rulers and peoples who would otherwise never hear it, as a testimony against them and to outsiders, correcting false impressions about the faith, with the Father's Spirit supplying the words to speak. The promise was seen when accused followers stood before the council with power and when Stephen spoke with wisdom and spiritual strength.
Such suffering comes for Christ's sake and follows the Master's own treatment, for if the head of the household was called Beelzebub His followers will likewise be slandered. Grace is given for the trial, and the Holy Spirit enables truthful and powerful speech, angels give aid and Christ Himself leads, so that even under suffering His representatives display His meekness and reveal the contrast between them and their opponents. The warning therefore calls for counting the cost and refusing dependence on human strength.
Lives are not to be needlessly imperiled when ways of saving them remain, but when persecuted in one city believers are to flee to another, as Christ left cities where He had labored for places where He would not be recognized, so the Bible message can continue in other localities. When delivered up they are to take no thought how or what to speak, because the Spirit of the Father will speak through them, with the promise that the one who endures to the end shall be saved.
Meeting the warning requires going forward in faith though feeling sinful and powerless, living a life hid with Christ in God, and staying wakeful in earnest prayer to the Lord for wisdom, direction and correct judgment. The courage needed is not presumptuous nor bold in human strength, but finds relief by casting all care upon Jesus.
When the testing time comes believers must be firmly grounded in God's word by diligent study of the Scriptures and most critical examination of the positions held, with prayer and fasting, thoroughly searching all the bearings and positions of truth. Each person must move beyond merely giving assent to the truth to knowing what is truth through close examination as a Bible student, especially when called before councils and criticized by keen and critical minds. In this way faith is firmly founded upon the word of God and does not rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas, so believers can give a reason for their hope with meekness and fear. Mere profession saves no one without continuing in the faith to the end, God being with His people as long as they will be with Him, and those who have neglected to gain experience in faithful service will feel remorse when tested.
To beware of men without being afraid of men requires the most faithful discharge of duty as guardians of the flock, staying wide-awake to perceive evil and reasoning from cause to effect to prevent the sure result of unfaithfulness. It requires judgment and discrimination about where to bestow labor, since workers are sent as sheep in the midst of wolves to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, with a persecution to be experienced in the fullest sense. It means not allowing minds to be diverted from the true issues for this time but sounding a message like that of John the Baptist, not drawing souls into Battle Creek but carrying on the work for those who still need the truth and have not exchanged evidences of the truth for fallacies. It also means guarding against careless publishing that gives enemies weapons to hinder witness, and guarding the church against entering business transactions that would place it in the power of men. When opponents gather false evidence and falsehood, hire halls where truth has been preached, issue flaming public notices to attack believers and give a false history of their work, send added help, watch the meetings and take the names of church members seen going in to deal with them, leaving people unable to discern truth from error, believers are to be of good courage, take no notice of opponents and make no reference to them, yet not shun the conflict but remain and do their whole duty as the Lord sends them.
Jesus spoke this warning when He sent the twelve alone on their first mission to Israel as sheep among wolves, telling them they would be handed over to councils for trial and punishment and whipped in synagogues for witnessing to Him. To beware of men means to place little confidence in people, not to trust counsels to those who do not know God or depend on guidance not led by the Holy Spirit. The warning was fulfilled when the apostles were seized and examined before the Jewish rulers, and it returns in later opposition through slander and false accusation and will be felt most fully in the final crisis over God's commandments when believers must stand alone before courts. Those trials also open witness before rulers and peoples who would not otherwise hear, with the Father's Spirit giving the words to speak. Meeting them requires fleeing to another place when possible rather than needlessly risking life, counting the cost and living hid with Christ in prayer, and being so grounded in God's word by study and fasting that faith can give a reason for its hope and endure to the end.
Context and Warning
Jesus gave this warning when He sent the twelve out as His representatives on their first trial labor without His personal presence, sending them two and two to the lost sheep of Israel to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and to heal the sick. He sent them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, and the instruction He then gave returned to them for strength when they later faced enemies of the gospel. That charge belongs to the same line of work as giving Bible readings, requiring judgment and discrimination about where to bestow labor, and it stands for the time of the end as calling for a life hid with Christ in God and prayer for wisdom and direction. It stands together with being brought before governors and kings for His sake, being hated for His name's sake, enduring to the end, and fleeing from city to city as He Himself left cities where He was working for places where He would not be recognized.
To beware of men means to be cautious and to place little confidence in people, even in those who have occupied positions of trust if they are not under the sanctification of the Spirit of God. It means not to place implicit confidence in those who do not know God, not to entrust them with counsels, and not to depend on counsel from those unguided by the Holy Spirit. Human inventions and worldly wisdom can work against God's plans, so such misplaced confidence gives Satan's agents an advantage. Mere profession of faith saves no one, for salvation requires continuing in the faith to the end, with God abiding with His people as long as they abide with Him.
The specific danger warned of is being delivered up to the councils for examination and punishment and being scourged in their synagogues for witness to Christ. This stands with being brought before governors and kings for Christ's sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles, being hated for His name's sake, and holding the promise that he who endures to the end shall be saved. The caution was given when Christ sent them out and its cautions are to be observed, with the persecution to be experienced in the fullest sense and the surrounding promise that such trials will also give testimony before rulers and peoples with the Father's Spirit supplying what to say. The warning prepares them to count the cost and not depend on human strength, for though they may feel sinful and powerless they can go forward in faith trusting that the Holy Spirit will supply grace, angels will aid them, and Christ will lead them.
Jesus fully knew beforehand what would happen to His disciples after He was separated from them, leaving them as sheep amid wolves ready to tear and devour them. He knew they would suffer persecution because they believed His words that He is the Anointed One, that they would be put out of the synagogue, be imprisoned, and be put to death. He even saw that Stephen would be the first to win the martyr's crown in the kingdom of glory. He did not deceive them with false hope, but told them the truth while urging them not to let their hearts be troubled.
Persecution Foretold and Repeated
The warning was fulfilled when the apostles, after preaching Jesus, were seized and called before the Jewish rulers for examination and punishment. Peter and John testifying before the council and Stephen speaking with wisdom and spiritual power showed the promised trial becoming testimony. Some who had witnessed Jesus before the judges were later placed in a similar position in the judgment hall and tried for their lives. Miraculous deliverance from prison by an angel was a token of God's care and assurance of His presence, but it did not exempt them from the foretold examination and suffering for Jesus' sake.
Religious authorities can oppose Christ's servants as the Pharisees opposed Christ, especially when they teach truths contrary to the church's doctrines. This occurred when brethren who were forbidden to preach the truth were brought before church councils and publicly condemned with reproach and falsehood.
In later times the same opposition comes through slander, falsehood, criticism, suspicions of fraud, and accusations of dishonest or selfish motives and criticism of their work. It falls even where there is integrity and faithful service to God.
The persecution will be experienced in the fullest sense in the time of the end. A coming crisis will require church members to witness for the truth in councils and courts, separately and alone. At that time those who have apostatized will work signs and wonders through Satan to deceive, if possible, even the elect. In the conflict over God's commandments, those who reject light will join apostate powers in coercing conscience and persecuting, even to death, those who love God and keep His commandments.
Opponents gather false evidence and falsehood, hire halls where truth has been preached, and issue flaming public notices to attack believers and give a false history of their work. Established ministers send added help, watch the meetings, and take the names of every church member seen going in, in order to deal with them. The result leaves the people unable to discern truth from error, thinking one side speaks well and the opposite side in faith speaks well.
Faithfulness Under Persecution
Arrest and scourging do not end witness but open it, bringing the message before rulers and peoples who would otherwise never hear it, as a testimony against them and to outsiders, correcting false impressions about the faith, with the Father's Spirit supplying the words to speak. The promise was seen when accused followers stood before the council with power and when Stephen spoke with wisdom and spiritual strength.
Such suffering comes for Christ's sake and follows the Master's own treatment, for if the head of the household was called Beelzebub His followers will likewise be slandered. Grace is given for the trial, and the Holy Spirit enables truthful and powerful speech, angels give aid and Christ Himself leads, so that even under suffering His representatives display His meekness and reveal the contrast between them and their opponents. The warning therefore calls for counting the cost and refusing dependence on human strength.
Lives are not to be needlessly imperiled when ways of saving them remain, but when persecuted in one city believers are to flee to another, as Christ left cities where He had labored for places where He would not be recognized, so the Bible message can continue in other localities. When delivered up they are to take no thought how or what to speak, because the Spirit of the Father will speak through them, with the promise that the one who endures to the end shall be saved.
Meeting the warning requires going forward in faith though feeling sinful and powerless, living a life hid with Christ in God, and staying wakeful in earnest prayer to the Lord for wisdom, direction and correct judgment. The courage needed is not presumptuous nor bold in human strength, but finds relief by casting all care upon Jesus.
When the testing time comes believers must be firmly grounded in God's word by diligent study of the Scriptures and most critical examination of the positions held, with prayer and fasting, thoroughly searching all the bearings and positions of truth. Each person must move beyond merely giving assent to the truth to knowing what is truth through close examination as a Bible student, especially when called before councils and criticized by keen and critical minds. In this way faith is firmly founded upon the word of God and does not rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas, so believers can give a reason for their hope with meekness and fear. Mere profession saves no one without continuing in the faith to the end, God being with His people as long as they will be with Him, and those who have neglected to gain experience in faithful service will feel remorse when tested.
To beware of men without being afraid of men requires the most faithful discharge of duty as guardians of the flock, staying wide-awake to perceive evil and reasoning from cause to effect to prevent the sure result of unfaithfulness. It requires judgment and discrimination about where to bestow labor, since workers are sent as sheep in the midst of wolves to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, with a persecution to be experienced in the fullest sense. It means not allowing minds to be diverted from the true issues for this time but sounding a message like that of John the Baptist, not drawing souls into Battle Creek but carrying on the work for those who still need the truth and have not exchanged evidences of the truth for fallacies. It also means guarding against careless publishing that gives enemies weapons to hinder witness, and guarding the church against entering business transactions that would place it in the power of men. When opponents gather false evidence and falsehood, hire halls where truth has been preached, issue flaming public notices to attack believers and give a false history of their work, send added help, watch the meetings and take the names of church members seen going in to deal with them, leaving people unable to discern truth from error, believers are to be of good courage, take no notice of opponents and make no reference to them, yet not shun the conflict but remain and do their whole duty as the Lord sends them.