The Twelve Apostles

(Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16)

1AND having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities.

2And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 3James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, 4Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

The Ministry of the Twelve

(Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6)

5These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. 6But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give. 9Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses: 10Nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff; for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11And into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till you go thence. 12And when you come into the house, salute it, saying: Peace be to this house. 13And if that house be worthy, your peace shall come upon it; but if it be not worthy, your peace shall return to you. 14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words: going forth out of that house or city shake off the dust from your feet. 15Amen I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Comfort in Persecution

(2 Timothy 1:6-12)

16Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves. 17But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles: 19But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. 20For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

21The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death. 22And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.

23And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the Son of man come.

24The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord. 25It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the goodman of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?

Fearing God Alone

(Luke 12:4-7)

26Therefore fear them not. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known. 27That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops. 28And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows.

Confessing Christ

(Luke 12:8-12)

32Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. 33But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

The Sword of the Gospel

(Luke 12:49-53)

34Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. 35For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And as a man's enemies shall be they of his own household.

Take up Your Cross

(Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27)

37He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it.

The Reward of Service

(2 Kings 4:8-17)

40He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. 41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet: and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall receive the reward of a just man. 42And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.