your purses, 10. Nor scrip for your journey, neither
two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the
workman is worthy of his meat. 11. And into whatsoever
city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is
worthy: and there abide till ye go thence. 12. And when
ye come into an house, salute it. 13. And if the house
be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be
not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14. And
whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words,
when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the
dust of your feet. 15. Verily I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in
the day of judgment, than for that city. 16. Behold, I
send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.'
--Matt. x. 5-16.

The letter of these instructions to the apostles has been abrogated
by Christ, both in reference to the scope of, and the equipment for,
their mission (Matt. xxviii. 19; Luke xxii. 36). The spirit of them
remains as the perpetual obligation of all Christian workers, and
every Christian should belong to that class. Some direct
evangelistic work ought to be done by every believer, and in doing
it he will find no better directory than this charge to the
apostles.

I. We have, first, the apostles' mission in its sphere and manner
(vs. 5-8). They are told where to go and what to do there. Mark that
the negative prohibition precedes the positive injunction, as if the
apostles were already so imbued with the spirit of universalism that