马太福音 10:24-42

III. THE DUTY, THE STRUGGLE, AND THE ISSUE, Matthew 10:24-42.

The duty: The reasonableness, the safety, and the reward of confessing Christ, Matthew 10:24-33. The struggle: A division between the nearest connections, a stern necessity of preferring truth to human ties, Matthew 10:34-39. The issue: All that receive Christ in his apostles, and who benefit and further their mission in faith, shall join them in the reward, Matthew 10:40-42.

This, the closing part of the discourse, stands in close connection with the train of thought which it completes. The previous part has described their mission and duties as apostles; what follows describes rather the case of those to whom they preach, yet including also those who preach. If persecutions must be suffered, to suffer is reasonable, it is safe, it attains a reward.