compiled and written 6 May 2023

The leaders in the closed, high-demand group I grew up in worked in pairs and did not own homes. Their method of ministry was sometimes said to be "just like Jesus sent his disciples" in Matthew 10. Some members expressed this as a main reason they chose to join the group. There are significant differences between Matthew 10 and my experience as a group leader. This post explores those differences. If you can answer "Yes," to every single one of the questions asked in this post, you may honestly claim that your ministers "go out just like the apostles." If you answer, "No," to even one of them, you cannot make that claim in honesty.

Matthew 10:1-11:1
(1) And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Do your ministers all cast out unclean spirits?
Do they all heal sickness and disease?

(2) Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; (3) Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; (4) Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Are all of your ministers men?

(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Do your ministers avoid non-Jews and Samaritans?

(6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Do your ministers only preach in Israel?

(7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (8) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Do your ministers heal the sick? Do they cleanse lepers? Do they raise the dead? Do they cast out devils? Do they do all that for free?

(9)Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,(10) Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
Do your ministers go on their journeys without money?
Do they avoid carrying money bags or food bags with them? (that's what a scrip is)
Do they go on short enough journeys that they only take one coat, and don't need shoes or staves?
Do they trust they will be given food when they need it?

(11)And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
Do your ministers go to a city in Israel, and ask around to see who would be suitable to stay with, then stay with them as long as it takes them to do everything Jesus told them to do in verses 5-7?

(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.
Do your ministers leave a house or a city once their message is not received by its people?

(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. (17) But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Have your ministers been brought before the local civil and religious authorities because they were doing what Jesus told them to do in verses 5-7?
Have they been whipped for doing what Jesus told them to do in verses 5-7?

(18) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. (19) But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Have your ministers all been brought before governors and kings to give testimony?
If so, did they avoid planning what they were going to say in advance?

(20) For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (21) And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. (22) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Have your ministers been hated by all men?

(23) But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Have your ministers fled from one city in Israel to another because they were persecuted because they were doing what Jesus told them to do in verses 5-7?
Were they still working when Jesus came behind them to the cities they had just preached in?

(24) The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. (25) It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? (26) Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. (27) What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Do your ministers preach from the housetops?

(28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (29) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. (30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (32) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (34) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (35) For I am come 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. (36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. (37) He 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. (38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. (39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (40) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. (41) He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. (42) And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. (11:1) And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
Did Jesus later teach and preach in those cities your ministers preached in after your ministers left?

Luke 10:1-19
(1) After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Is Jesus coming into every city and place after your ministers leave it?

(2) Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. (3) Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. (4) Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
Do your ministers carry zero bags for money or food and zero shoes?
Do they refuse to stop and talk to anybody on the way to a city where they're going to preach?

(5) And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. (6) And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. (7) And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
Do your ministers stay in one house, eating & drinking whatever the owners give them?

(8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: (9) And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Do your ministers eat whatever they're given in the cities they go to?
Do they heal everyone who is sick in those cities?
Do they preach that the kingdom of God has come close to them?

(10) But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, (11) Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. (12) But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. (13) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (14) But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. (15) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. (16) He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Do your ministers go into the city streets if they are rejected and say what Jesus told the seventy to say?

(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. (18) And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. (19) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Do your ministers rejoice because they have power to deliver people from devils through Jesus' name?
Do they walk on snakes and scorpions in their journeys and NEVER get stung?
Do they have power over ALL the power of the enemy?
Do they NEVER get hurt?

Matthew 28:18-20
(18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Do your ministers go throughout all the world?
Do they teach all nations?
Do they baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?
Do they teach them to observe EVERYTHING Jesus commanded them, INCLUDING His Old Testament commandments that are still in effect?

I know not every member makes this claim. I know not every member believes this. But without this concept the group would probably never have been founded. Light needs to be brought to this lie.