7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. (Mark 6:7-13 KJV)
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
Here is the commission given to the twelve apostles to preach and work miracles; it is the same as in Matthew 10. Mark does not name them here, as Matthew does, because he had already listed them when they were first called (Mark 3:16-19). Until now, they had been with Christ, learning from Him and witnessing His miracles. Now He chose to make use of them. They had received in order to give and learned in order to teach. So He began to send them out. They were not to remain in the academy forever but go into the world to do good with what they had learned. Though they were not yet fully trained, they were to begin using what they had and continue growing as they went.
Christ sent them out two by two (Mark 6:7), so that every word would be confirmed by two witnesses. They would be companions among strangers, encouraging and helping one another. Each could support the other, and together they would be stronger. Every soldier has a partner, and it’s a wise principle that two are better than one. Christ was teaching His ministers to work together and support one another.
He gave them power over unclean spirits. They were sent to confront the devil’s kingdom and were empowered to cast out demons from the possessed as a sign of the gospel’s power. According to Dr. Lightfoot, they performed healings and exorcisms by the Spirit, but preached only what they had learned from Christ.
He commanded them not to take food or money with them, so they would appear as poor men, detached from worldly concerns, and more effectively call people to focus on eternal things (Mark 6:8-9). Later, when He told them to take a purse and bag (Luke 22:36), it wasn’t because He cared less for them, but because the times were getting harder. In Matthew and Luke they are forbidden to carry staffs for fighting, but in Mark they are allowed to carry only a walking stick, like those used by travelers. They were not to wear shoes, only sandals—simple footwear—and were to take only one coat. Their journey would be short, and those they ministered to would provide what they needed.
He told them that whatever house they entered in a city, they should stay there until they left that place (Mark 6:10). This was to show respect to their first hosts and to avoid seeking better accommodations, which might seem ungrateful.
He pronounced a serious warning against those who rejected their message (Mark 6:11). “Whoever will not receive you or listen to you, leave that place and shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.” That act symbolized that the opportunity of salvation had been offered and refused, and they were now accountable. Just like the dust in Egypt turned into a plague (Exodus 9:9), so their rejection would bring judgment. Their punishment on the day of judgment would be worse than Sodom’s, because while Sodom rejected angels, these people rejected the gospel of Christ.
The apostles obeyed Christ’s commission. Even though they were aware of their limitations and had no hope of material gain, they went out in faith, like Abraham, not knowing where they would go.
They preached that people should repent (Mark 6:12)—that is, change their minds and reform their lives because the kingdom of the Messiah was near. The goal of gospel preaching is to lead people to repentance, a new heart, and a new life. They didn’t distract their listeners with abstract theories but called them to turn from sin and return to God.
They also worked miracles. The power Christ gave them over unclean spirits was real, and they used it—they cast out many demons (Mark 6:13) and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Some believe the oil had medicinal value, as was customary among Jews, but it is more likely that it was used as a sign of miraculous healing by Christ’s direction, even though not explicitly mentioned. This practice was later adopted by church elders who had the gift of healing (James 5:14). Since that extraordinary power has ceased, the use of anointing oil in that context has also ceased.