Matthew 10:27 Commentary and Bible Study

Christ taught some things openly to the crowds (Matthew 13:34-35) but other things were said privately to the disciples (Mark 4:34; Luke 24:27). Not that he had some secret message to deliver to his disciples which was different to what he said publicly (John 18:20). What he explained to them in private was what he had already preached publicly for all to hear. The reason the crowds had not understood was not because they had heard a different message, nor because the message was given in some secret code, but because of their darkened understanding. The message itself was clear, ‘perspicacious’, but grace was so far from their thinking that they could not take it in. When the disciples asked to have the parables explained to them, they were told that they already had within them the light that would enable them to understand (Matthew 13:11,16). The crowds heard the same words, but they lacked spiritual understanding. An understanding of grace would have opened every parable to them. At times, it is true that the disciples were told not to make known what they were shown or what had been revealed to them by the Father in heaven (Matthew 17:9; 16:20), but that was not another message; it was Christ revealing himself to their souls in a deeper way, which he does to those who he loves. On several occasions it is also true that the Lord required those who were healed not to publish news about their healings (Matthew 8:4; 9:30; 12:16; Mark 1:44; 5:43; 7:36), but these were not things that were completely unknown, and the reason for this was to dampen down the people’s misguided preoccupation with healings, rather than with the gospel itself. However there is coming a time, he says here, when the message what has been taught in parables and given in veiled terms will be preached openly. Elsewhere he said the same (Mark 8:30; 9:9; Matthew 28:19). He spoke of a time when the disciples were to publish openly the things which he told them in private. That time would come after Calvary, after the resurrection and ascension, after the Spirit was given. Then the disciples would ‘be endued with power from on high’ (Luke 24:49). As Hendriksen says, ‘There was no danger on this very first trip they would talk about things that had not even been whispered into their ears. Though. as we know in the light of later revelation, Christ’s death on the cross had indeed been vaguely implied (9:15), this was not understood at the time when the words were uttered.’