Matthew 10:21, commentary and pictures

Christ gave this warning when sending his disciples as sheep among wolves to be wise and harmless, to beware of men, and to expect councils and scourging and trial before rulers with hatred by all for his name while the Spirit of the Father speaks through them. Its plain meaning is that gospel service will meet betrayal inside the family itself, with brother giving up brother to death and father giving up child and children rising against parents to have them put to death. That division comes because loyalty to Jesus and his commandments stirs bitter hatred of the gospel that disregards the closest ties, so that unconverted relatives oppose and even seek the death of believers who long for their conversion. Such breaking of family bonds reveals the confusion and violence and death that follow when love to God and love for one another are cast aside and selfish will and passion are left under Satan's control. It will be met in fullest measure in the last days when earthly and satanic powers unite to compel worship against conscience, when blind zeal turns households against each other over the Sabbath and relatives betray believers thinking they serve God, and when in the time of trouble after Michael stands up and in the plagues families turn with bitter reproach blaming one another for losing the truth. For that time it calls for enduring to the end to be saved, for fleeing to another city rather than needlessly imperiling life, and for a life hid with Christ in God sought in prayer for wisdom.

Warning to Gospel Workers

Jesus gives this warning as part of the charge to those He sends to work as He worked, sending them as sheep in the midst of wolves to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves and to beware of men. With it comes being delivered up to councils and scourged in synagogues and brought before governors and kings for Christ's sake, being hated by all for His name's sake, with the Spirit of the Father speaking through them when they are delivered up.

It foretells that service in the gospel mission will meet opposition that breaks family bonds, with brother delivering up brother to death and father delivering up child and children rising up against parents to cause them to be put to death. Those who serve Him will face this betrayal and persecution even from their own households, and the chapter is full of instruction for meeting such opposition faithfully. The opposition described for the disciples in carrying out their gospel mission, including betrayal by family members unto death, would be experienced in its fullest sense, and the warning is to be observed.

The division comes from loyalty to Jesus and His commandments, which can so divide families that unconverted relatives oppose and persecute those who serve Him even to seeking their death, while believers long for their loved ones to be converted. Hatred of the gospel can become so bitter that even close family ties and household bonds are disregarded in betraying disciples to death. His followers will be hated for His name and must endure to the end.

That breakdown of family bonds shows the confusion, violence, and death that follow when selfish wills and violent passions are not brought under God's control, with siblings, parents, and children turning against and betraying one another even in secret plotting to destroy life. When love to God and love for one another are discarded, Satan works upon the natural egotism of the human heart, upon uncontrolled wills and violent passions never brought under God's will, with each person wanting his own way and making a center of self after losing connection with God. This brings distrust of one another and kingdoms divided against themselves, with fewer cords binding man in brotherhood to his fellow man and every man's hand against his fellow, and with relatives betraying one another unto destruction, misery, and death on every hand as men follow the unrestrained bent of hereditary and cultivated tendency to evil. It stands as an object lesson to Christians to avoid the first step that opens the way for these principles into the church.

The wider conflict to which this warning belongs is illustrated by opposition to religious work in Italy, where ministers oppose the meetings, monitor church members who attend, and seek to turn people against the worker, though no specific family betrayal is described there.

Last-Day Fulfillment and Faithfulness

The verse will be fulfilled in the last days when satanic agencies unite with the professed Christian world in opposing God. Then the powers of this earth will unite with the powers from beneath to oppress God's people, and laws will be made to compel men to worship God in accordance with human opinions. In that time blind zeal will turn family members against each other, with brother betraying brother to death and parents and children delivering each other to be put to death. Amid the last-day trials connected with the Sabbath law, relatives will betray believers and oppose them while believing they are serving God, even trying to bring them into danger in the hope that they will deny their faith.

In the time of the plagues, family members will turn against one another with bitter reproach over the truth that could have saved them. Parents will blame children, children will blame parents, and siblings will blame each other for keeping them from receiving that truth. The verse describes the time of trouble when Michael stands up, whose full time has not yet come. The time of trouble has commenced and is on the increase, but brother against brother and sister against sister with neighbor against neighbor is still future, to be all over the earth and to increase more and more until the earth is rid of the wicked.

The chapter is full of instruction for that time on how to meet opposition faithfully, and its warning is to be observed. It belongs to the charge to go as sheep among wolves, to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves and to beware of men, expecting deliverance to councils, scourging in synagogues, trial before governors and kings for Christ's sake, hatred by all for His name, and the Spirit of the Father speaking through them when delivered up. Loyalty to Christ and His commandments can bring persecution so severe that family members betray one another to death, with brother giving up brother, father giving up child, and children rising against parents to cause them to be put to death. With that warning stands the promise that he who endures to the end shall be saved, and the direction when persecuted in one city to flee to another, not imperiling life when ways and means of saving self exist so the message can continue in other places, as Jesus Himself left cities where He was working for places where He would not be recognized.

For the time of the end it calls for a life hid with Christ in God and for taking lack of wisdom to the Lord in prayer with trust that He will direct the path. It shows brother rising against brother, parents against children and children against parents to betray and kill when love to God and love for one another are discarded. Satan works on the natural egotism of the human heart, on uncontrolled wills and violent passions never brought under God's will, with each person wanting his own way and making a center of self after losing connection with God. This brings distrust, kingdoms divided against themselves, fewer cords binding man in brotherhood to his fellow man, every man's hand against his fellow man, confusion, secret plotting to destroy life, and destruction, misery and death on every hand as men follow the unrestrained bent of hereditary and cultivated tendency to evil. It stands as an object lesson to Christians to avoid the first step that opens the way for these divisive principles into the church.