Verse 18 says, “And you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.” No doubt this refers to the Gentiles. Thus, the Lord indicated that God’s kingdom would be opposed not only by the Jewish religious world but also by the Gentile secular world. Eventually, the apostles were brought before the Roman governors and kings. They were persecuted, and they became a testimony. This reveals that both the religious world and the political world are the same in opposing the kingdom of the heavens, for both are under the usurping hand of God’s enemy. The intention of the heavenly King is to establish His kingdom on earth within the territory of religion and politics. This will certainly arouse opposition and persecution.
In verses 19 and 20 the Lord said, “But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given to you in that hour what you shall speak; for you are not the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the One speaking in you.” The apostles have not only the authority of the heavenly King (v. 1), but also the Spirit of their heavenly Father. The King’s authority deals with the unclean spirits and diseases; the Father’s Spirit deals with the opposers’ persecution. The Lord was charging His sent ones not to speak from themselves whenever they met persecution. He seemed to be saying, “Don’t be anxious, and don’t talk from yourselves. The Spirit of your Father is with you.” As long as we have the Spirit of the Lord, we have the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord here is the Spirit for speaking. We should learn to face persecution not in ourselves, but learn to turn to our spirit and trust the indwelling Spirit. We must believe that the Father’s Spirit is with us and that He will deal with the opposers and persecutors. This is not an easy thing to learn. We must face opposition and confront attack, not in ourselves, but by turning to our spirit where the Spirit of God dwells. We must trust in Him, let Him lead us, and let Him do the speaking.
The Lord also told His sent ones that they would be hated by their relatives. Verse 21 says, “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and father his child, and children will rise up against parents and put them to death.” To be the heavenly King’s apostles for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, the sent ones must suffer the breaking of the closest human ties.
In verse 22 the Lord continued, “And you will be hated by all because of My name; but he who endures to the end, he shall be saved.” To be saved here does not mean to be saved from hell. It may include being saved from those who hate, but eventually it means to be saved into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, a reward to the overcoming believers. It is to be saved from dispensational punishment during the millennium. This differs from eternal salvation as revealed in Ephesians 2:8.
Verse 23 says, “And when they persecute you in this city, flee into another; for truly I say to you, you shall by no means complete the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.” This word was not fulfilled by the twelve apostles’ preaching before Christ’s crucifixion. It will not be fulfilled until the great tribulation (24:21). What is predicted in verses 17 through 23 is very similar to 24:9-13. Here the heavenly King sent the apostles to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews. After His resurrection, He sent His apostles to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. After the fullness of the salvation of the Gentiles, He will send His apostles to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews again. At that time this word will be fulfilled, and He will come.
In verse 24 the King said to His sent ones, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his lord.” According to the context, the word here means that in suffering persecution His apostles cannot be above Him, because His persecution was to the uttermost.
Verse 25 says, “It is sufficient that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household!” Beelzebub means “the lord of the flies,” the name of the god of the Ekronites (2 Kings 1:2). It was changed in contempt by the Jews to Baalzebel, which means lord of the dunghill, and used for the ruler of the demons (12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18-19). The Pharisees, the leading ones of the Jewish religion, reviled the heavenly King by saying that He cast out demons by the ruler of demons (9:34). This most blasphemous name expressed their strongest contempt and rejection.