Matthew 10:8 Commentary and Bible Study

To show that their power came from outside of them, that it came from God, the apostles were given the ability to do what no mere man can do. They were exalted by Christ above all the power of the enemy. The same miracles that he had done, they also did, but whereas they did them in the name of Christ, he did them in his own name. Although he always acted in conformity with the will of the Father and in cooperation with the Spirit, his authority did not come from anyone else. He did not refer to another name when he healed, as if his authority was borrowed. He commanded the devils to go out and they recognised his irresistible power and were compelled against their will to obey. But now the apostles were given the same powers: mere men having supernatural power to heal, even to raise the dead and to cast out devils. Satan himself must bow to these disciples of the Lord. That is a prelude to the power that will be given to all the saints when Satan is finally judged and cast into the lake of fire. ‘The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly’ (Romans 16:20). What a humiliation for Lucifer: that weak and despised men and women are exalted above him, and he is subject to their justice and punishment.These powers given to the apostles (and later to the seventy) were then a sign that they were sent from God, that their message did not originate with them but that it came from heaven. That in itself did not give instant faith to everyone who witnessed the miracles; even in the presence of miracles there is no true faith without the work of the Holy Spirit, and he works were he pleases. But the miracles left the people without excuse, for, as Nicodemus said to the Lord Jesus, ‘no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him’ (John 3:2). The disciples made plain that it was not by their own power that people were healed: ‘Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk’ (Acts 3:6), and Paul cast out demons in the same way: ‘Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour’ (Acts 16:18). But the New Testament records that these signs were not given indiscriminately. They were given to the twelve and to the seventy, and to a few others closely connected with the apostles as recorded in Acts. How could it be otherwise when these were signs given to authenticate the message given through the speaker? As the apostles went out to the towns and villages of Galilee, what effect would these wonders have had if everyone could do them? Where would be the compelling impression that this was a message that came from heaven and did not originate with man? The miracles identified these men as sent by divine authority, approved and confirmed by God, and therefore to be listened to with the utmost attention. The church is ‘built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets’ (Ephesians 2:20), that is, on their teaching. They were distinguished from all other teachers. They were in agreement with each other, and their doctrine took precedence over that of all other teachers; indeed, if a teacher did not agree with them then he was to be rejected. The seventy too would have recognised the unique authority of the twelve.