Can some one tell me what Matthew 10:23 means?

Answer 1

Matthew 10:23 (NIV)
When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
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In this verse Jesus tells his disciples to LEAVE the cities when they are faced with persecution. This is still a message for us today. We are to leave the cities we are evangelizing if we face heavy persecution. We (and they) are not to SEEK MARTYRDOM. We may face death when preaching Jesus, but we are not to seek death out to preach Jesus.

The disciples were faced with the choice of running from or staying to face the persecution head on. If Jesus did not tell them to leave, then his disciples would have STAYED in these heavily persecuted areas and have faced death. Some would have fled the persecution and it would have cause problems in the early church. Those that had fled would have been "not worth to carry their cross", I'm sure.

Jesus was also telling them that they would face persecution. Some of their own family members would "turn them in"..

The main point of Matthew 10:23 , that I think you are looking for is this..

.Matthew 10:23b (NIV)
I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
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We will still be WITNESSING to ISRAEL when the SON OF MAN APPEARS. Israel will not be a "Saved Nation" as some believe. Yes, some will become believers...but we will still be witnessing to Israel and it's cities when Jesus appears.


Some say that the "YOU" Jesus was speaking to were only his disciples. That the "YOU" was very specific...meaning only the disciples that were right there in his presence.

I don't believe that...although some of the message was specifically to them only...but I do believe the YOU Jesus was speaking about was also a future YOU...meaning all Christians.

The reason for that is the following comment Jesus makes..

Matthew 10:28-32 (NIV)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. [30] And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
[32] "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.



I believe there is a point where Jesus is speaking directly to them but then he speaks about those Christians to come in the future.

The dividing line of "Who exactly is Jesus speaking to?" is where people differ.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Some of the answers you've received are pretty close, here's what I came up with. To really understand you need to study the references that come with these verses.

Matt. 10:23 part A... "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have..."

ans.: Acts 8:1 "Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles."

Matt. 10:23 part B..."gone through the cities of Israel..."

ans.: Mark 13:10 " and the gospel must first be preached to ALL the nations."

Matt. 10:23 part C..."before the Son of Man comes."

ans.: Matt. 16:28 "Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
This verse anticipates the Transfiguration in ch. 17.

So basically you really need to get into the Bible and study it futher, but I hope this has helped.

Answer 3

"you will not finish before the Son of man comes" Its not about the end of the world or the final coming of Christ.
Think of these words of Jesus as they were heard by the early Christians 10 -30 years after his death and resurrection.Thats when the gospel of Matthew was written. They have received the Holy Spirit and the church is growing rapidly. In that context it is a reminder that the early Christians will be persecuted when they spread the goodnews. In other words, the message is courage. Remember that Jesus was rejected and killed and his followers can expect the same.

Answer 4

Matt. 10:23 When they persecute you in one town [that is, pursue you in a manner that would injure you and cause you to suffer because of your belief], flee to another town; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before [a]the Son of Man comes.

(Amplified Version from www.biblegateway.com)

Footnotes:

Matthew 10:23 Believed by many to mean the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Other commentators observe that the saying seems to teach that the Gospel will continue to be preached to the Jews until Christ's second coming.

I could be wrong, but I think Jesus is instructing His disciples that they would not be able to fully convert Israelites and Jewish people until His second coming when God has promised to deal with the Jews, His "chosen people." I think He'd rather us try to convert those who haven't so structurally and historically forcefully rejected Him and His teaching.
That's my thinking. Peace.

Answer 5

footnote in the NAB:

Since the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age had not taken place when this gospel was written much less during the mission of the Twelve during Jesus' ministry, Matthew cannot have meant the coming to refer to the parousia. It is difficult to know what he understood it to be: perhaps the 'proleptic parousia' of Mt28:16-20, or the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, viewed as a coming of Jesus in judgement on unbelieving Israel.

hope that helps a bit.

Answer 6

Not a good day for Jews.

Ref. Matt 23:34 Matt 16:27

Answer 7

Mat 10:23 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.

For spreading the gospel go elsewhere.

Answer 8

"When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

Jesus was speaking to his disciples, explaining that before they finished preaching in all the cities of Israel, he would be back again. Well, obviously, he gave a false prophecy, because that never happened; the disciples died without Jesus returning. Christians now insist that Jesus didn't REALLY mean what he said or say what he meant, and that he is going to return sometime in the future--or perhaps any second now, they have no idea. They almost never truly believe Jesus' words.

Answer 9

Christ is sending out his disciples to preach to the Jews that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Verse 23 could be a reference to Christ's resurrection or to his second coming which we are all waiting for. He did give his instructions to the 12, but many of the directives he gave them he intended to extend to all disciples from the 12 until our day -- Matthew 28:18-20 is one example. But "Son of Man" is a definite reference to himself. He is saying that they are to be taking this message to the Jews and they won't run out of Jews to take it to, even if they go from city to city due to persecution, before He comes. It also sounds as if they should expect to be interrupted in their work, that it won't be completed, but they should be trying to reach them all. The disciples were not allowed to go to the Gentiles until after Christ's resurrection, so it could be a reference that they should be concentrating on getting the message out to the Jews before this. However, Paul the apostle when he was evangelizing always went first to the Jews in whatever city he came to and preached to them, and if rejected then turned to the Gentiles. At one point in his ministry he has been rejected by the Jews so much he turns completely to evangelizing the Gentiles. I do think that Christ gave this instruction originally to the 12 but with the intent that future disciples would also be following it, and that we all have an obligation to be evangelizing the lost sheep of Israel until his second coming -- why else would God deem it important enough to be included in scripture for us to be reading today? We are told that ALL scripture is profitable for us.

Answer 10

its a reference to the bible...book of matthew chapter 10 verse 23