The “Limited Commission” which Jesus gave to the twelve apostles is recorded by divine inspiration in Matthew 10, Mark 6, and Luke 9. However, only in Luke do we find where He appointed seventy others to whom He also gave a similar commission. Luke tells us in Chapter 10: After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves….
It is of great importance to note that this commission is for those seventy in the first century. It is not a commission for us today. The Lord sent this number out, two by two, to prepare the cities He was about to visit. They were to heal the sick and proclaim that the Kingdom of God was near.
There are those who accept this portion of scripture as applicable to Christians today, claiming the power to heal the sick and erroneously referring to the Kingdom of God being near as the second coming of Christ. However, these same people also seem to pick and choose the portion of the text that is favorable to them. If they claim this is applicable to them today, why do they only choose the things they want? They choose the preaching, they also choose the healing by miracles. However, I suspect they are carrying money and provisions, where the Lord told the seventy not to take money and to go as they were (Luke 9:4).
No one today can assume the right to look at this scripture and claim to possess miraculous powers of healing. The ones to whom the powers were given here are all dead. We cannot take things not meant for us. However, we can apply today that the harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few.
For the elders, Tony Williams