Matthew 10:18 kjv
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:18 nkjv
You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:18 niv
On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:18 esv
and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:18 nlt
You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.
Matthew 10 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 13:9 | But watch out for yourselves... for My sake you will stand before governors... | Disciples will stand before rulers for Jesus' name. |
| Lk 21:12-13 | They will seize you and persecute you, delivering you to synagogues and prisons... It will lead to your testifying. | Persecution serves as an opportunity for testimony. |
| Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses... to the end of the earth. | Disciples are empowered to be witnesses globally. |
| Acts 4:5-7 | On the next day, their rulers and elders... brought them before them. | Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin. |
| Acts 4:20 | For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. | Boldness to witness despite opposition. |
| Acts 9:15 | But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings..." | Paul's mission specifically included witnessing to kings and Gentiles. |
| Acts 23:1 | Then Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brothers, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day." | Paul testifying before the Sanhedrin. |
| Acts 24:24-25 | But some days later when Felix arrived with Drusilla... Paul discussed righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. | Paul witnessing before Felix, a Roman governor. |
| Acts 25:6-12 | After he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. | Paul's appeal and being brought before Festus. |
| Acts 26:1-2 | Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense. | Paul's extensive testimony before King Agrippa. |
| Lk 12:11-12 | When they bring you before the synagogues and the authorities and the rulers, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense... For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. | Divine enablement to speak in moments of persecution. |
| Mt 10:19-20 | But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say... for it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. | The Holy Spirit enables supernatural witness. |
| Phil 1:12-14 | Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorium guard and to everyone else. | Paul's imprisonment advances the gospel, even in Caesar's household. |
| Col 1:24 | Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. | Believers participate in Christ's sufferings for the sake of the church. |
| Jn 15:20 | If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. | Persecution of disciples follows that of Jesus. |
| 2 Tim 3:12 | Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. | Universal truth of persecution for the godly. |
| Mk 13:10 | The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. | The gospel's global reach, often aided by opposition. |
| Lk 24:47 | and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. | Mission to all nations, starting locally. |
| Rom 1:5 | through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake. | Apostolic mission to Gentiles for Christ's name. |
| 1 Pet 4:14 | If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. | Blessedness in suffering for Christ. |
| Rev 1:9 | I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. | John exiled for his testimony. |
| Rev 20:4 | And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God... | Martyrs who suffered for Christ's testimony. |
Matthew 10 verses
Matthew 10 18 Meaning
This verse states that Jesus' disciples will be brought before governing authorities and royalty due to their allegiance to Him. This enforced appearance is not primarily for judgment against them, but is intended by divine providence to serve as a testimony or public proclamation of the Gospel to these very rulers and to the Gentile nations beyond Israel. It reveals that persecution will become an unexpected platform for widespread evangelism.
Matthew 10 18 Context
Matthew chapter 10 records Jesus' charge to His twelve disciples before sending them out on their first limited mission to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 10:6). While giving them authority and specific instructions for their immediate task (healing, casting out demons, preaching the Kingdom), Jesus simultaneously issues sobering prophecies regarding the widespread persecution they will face in their ongoing and future ministry (Mt 10:16-25). Verse 18 is a part of this prophetic warning, extending the scope of opposition beyond local Jewish synagogues and councils (mentioned in Mt 10:17) to high-ranking Roman provincial governors and client kings, demonstrating that the resistance to the Gospel would escalate to the highest levels of political power. Historically, this prophecy accurately predicted the trials faced by early apostles like Peter, Paul, and later, the persecution of believers throughout the Roman Empire, revealing God's overarching purpose in using such trials to advance His Kingdom to the Gentiles.
Matthew 10 18 Word analysis
- And you will be brought: Greek:
καὶ ἀχθήσεσθε(kai achthēsesthe).Achthēsestheis a future passive indicative, meaning "you will be led" or "you will be carried" or "you will be brought." The passive voice implies that external forces (those persecuting them) will initiate this action, not the disciples themselves seeking these audiences. It speaks of arrest and compulsion. - before governors: Greek:
ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας(epi hēgemonas).Hēgemonasrefers to Roman provincial governors or prefects, like Pontius Pilate or Felix. These were high-ranking political authorities appointed by the Roman emperor, holding significant judicial power in their respective provinces. Appearing before them signified a trial of legal, often capital, importance. - and kings: Greek:
καὶ βασιλεῖς(kai basileis).Basileisdenotes monarchs or rulers. In the context of Roman Palestine, these would have been client kings or tetrarchs, such as the various Herods (e.g., Herod Antipas before whom Jesus appeared, or Agrippa I and II before whom Paul stood). It signifies that the message of Christ would confront even the highest traditional power structures. - for my sake: Greek:
ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ(heneken emou). This phrase clarifies the motivation behind the persecution: it is entirely because of their relationship with Jesus Christ, His name, and His message. Their allegiance to Christ is the sole "crime" for which they are arrested and brought to trial. It highlights the deeply spiritual and ideological nature of the conflict. - as a testimony: Greek:
εἰς μαρτύριον(eis martyrion).Martyrionmeans a "witness," "evidence," or "testimony." This is a crucial purpose clause. The forced appearance is not primarily about the conviction or condemnation of the disciples, but about creating an opportunity for the Gospel to be proclaimed publicly to those in power, who otherwise might never hear it. The very suffering serves as the evidence and platform for the message. - to them: Greek:
αὐτοῖς(autois). This refers specifically back to "governors and kings." The immediate audience of the testimony is these powerful rulers. The witness challenges their authority, demands their attention, and offers them a chance to hear and respond to Christ's claims. - and the Gentiles: Greek:
καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν(kai tois ethnesin).Ethnesin(plural ofethnos) means "nations" or "Gentiles." This signifies the expansion of the Gospel beyond the Jewish people. Their trials before Roman officials often took place in public forums or drew wider attention, allowing the message to reach a broader, non-Jewish audience. This foreshadows the worldwide mission of the Church.
Words-group analysis
- "And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake": This phrase underlines the divine passive—God allows or ordains these encounters. The focus is on the external agency of their being led, and the singular cause: Jesus Christ. It elevates the persecution from mere random misfortune to purposeful divine action designed for a higher spiritual aim.
- "as a testimony to them and the Gentiles": This part specifies the divine purpose of the persecution. The suffering of the disciples is not an obstacle to the Gospel but a strategic means for its advancement. Their very trials provide a platform to bear witness, challenging human authority with divine truth and extending the reach of salvation beyond established ethnic or political boundaries. This implies a powerful, counter-intuitive working of God, where opposition becomes opportunity.
Matthew 10 18 Bonus section
The prediction in Matthew 10:18 establishes a continuity between the persecution faced by Jesus Himself (who stood before Pilate and Herod) and the experiences of His followers. It illustrates the concept of "suffering with Christ" (Rom 8:17), where believers share in His path of affliction, yet find that their trials contribute directly to the Father's ultimate redemptive plan. The emphasis on "the Gentiles" expands the missiological scope significantly within Matthew's Gospel, moving beyond the initial "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 10:6). This demonstrates Jesus' foreknowledge and the ultimate, universal intent of the Gospel, making the spread of the Good News inseparable from the reality of tribulation for His name's sake.
Matthew 10 18 Commentary
Matthew 10:18 serves as a pivotal prophecy in Jesus' instructions to His disciples, transcending their immediate local mission to encompass the expansive, challenging global outreach of the early church and beyond. It highlights that following Christ inevitably involves confronting hostile worldly powers. Jesus reveals that what appears to be judgment against His followers is, in fact, God's providential means to provide a unique platform for His truth. The disciples' forced appearances before secular rulers, far from being failures, become moments of divine revelation, enabling the Gospel message to penetrate the highest echelons of authority and, crucially, to extend to the broader Gentile world. This foreshadows the narrative in the Book of Acts, where apostles like Paul stand before governors Felix and Festus, and even King Agrippa, seizing these very occasions to bear powerful witness to the Risen Christ. The verse underscores the paradoxical nature of God's Kingdom advancement: opposition is transformed into opportunity, and the suffering of believers becomes a compelling, undeniable testimony to the transformative power of Jesus Christ.
Examples:
- Paul before Roman authorities: Paul's imprisonments and trials before governors Felix and Festus, and King Agrippa, as recorded in Acts, perfectly fulfill this prophecy, allowing him to witness to rulers.
- Early Church Martyrs: Many early Christian martyrs, through their unwavering testimony even unto death before Roman tribunals, powerfully bore witness to Christ and often led to conversions among onlookers and even jailers.