Smoodock's Blog

The KJV text says: “when Jesus had made an end of commanding (G1299)” the Twelve, but commanding (G1299) may be too strong a word. While the KJV is well supported by many other translations, there are exceptions that translate G1299 as instructing or teaching. The Greek word has the meaning of: appointing, commanding, giving, setting in order, ordaining.[1]I don’t believe the Apostles were commanded in the sense that their freedom of choice was denied. Rather it was in the sense that Paul later concluded about his own ministry: “necessity was laid upon” them (1Corinthians 9:16). While they were still free to go or not go, they were filled with a sense of purpose and a desire to prove what they learned from following Jesus. When they obeyed Jesus, going out as he said, such a commotion was created that Herod wondered what was going on in the land he ruled. Therefore, he wanted to see Jesus (Luke 9:7-9). Moreover, when John heard about these or similar things, he began having second thoughts about Jesus’ office as the Messiah (Matthew 11:2-3)! What’s going on?

It seems that as Jesus’ disciples went out, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, so did Jesus. We have no witness of what occurred, where Jesus went, because his witnesses, the Apostles were off doing the very same thing (Matthew 11:1). We have only the testimony that Jesus did so, and this combined effort of six teams of two each (Mark 6:7; cp. Luke 10:1) plus Jesus (alone?), journeying throughout Galilee, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God caught the attention of folks who didn’t witness what was said or done. In other words, the news of what Jesus and his disciples were doing reached the ears of Herod in his palace and John in his prison. The point is that it makes no difference in what circles we travel, whether one lives among the nobility who pooh-pooh the goings on of the lower classes, or if one lives in total obscurity, news of the Gospel will eventually reach everyone. Simply put, the Gospel represents a worldview that is other worldly, and it cannot be either dismissed or held back.

John was in prison at this time (cp. Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14), and, when he heard about what Jesus was doing, he was confused, but, unlike Herod, who thought he understood what was going on (Matthew 14:1-2), John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him to explain himself (Matthew 11:2-3)! It may surprise some, I know it surprised me, that John misunderstood Jesus’ ministry, which is probably why Jesus told him that they should not combine their ministries (Matthew 3:14-15), which is explained further in Jesus’ metaphors of the new cloth and the old garment and the new wine and old bottles (Matthew 9:16-17). The Old Covenant had value, but to try to unite its principles with those of the New Covenant would destroy both. John’s ministry had value, but he was part of the Old Covenant (Matthew 11:13; Luke 16:16), to combine John’s ministry/worldview with Jesus’ ministry/worldview would have been destructive to either one or both ministries. Jesus’ reply to John’s disciples is really eye-opening, at least it is for me. Jesus didn’t rebuke John, as though he were an idiot who didn’t trust the sign God gave him that showed Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah (John 1:33). Instead, Jesus took John’s request for clarity very seriously. He caused John’s disciples to remain with him for at least the day and witness for themselves what Jesus said and did. Then, he told them to return to John and tell him what they saw and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised (Matthew 11:4-5; cp. Isaiah 35:4-6). In other words (and paraphrasing), “John, you may not be able to understand what I’m saying and doing, but those things, which you were told that should occur at the coming of the Messiah, are happening. Fix your eyes on these things. (Matthew 11:4-5), and don’t be too concerned over the things you don’t understand” (Matthew 11:6). And, this was enough for John.       

[1] Both “Strongs Greek Dictionary” and “Thayer’s Greek Definitions” support these renderings of the Greek to English.