Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’
Parallel translations
- WEB Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute,
- KJV Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
- NKJV Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’
- NASB For this reason also, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute,
- NLT This is what God in his wisdom said about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus, speaking as the very 'wisdom of God,' declares that He sends prophets and apostles, some of whom that generation will kill and persecute.
Overview
Concluding His woes against the Pharisees and lawyers, Jesus identifies the divine pattern: God graciously sends messengers, and a rebellious people repeatedly rejects them. By attributing this saying to 'the wisdom of God,' Jesus speaks with divine authority over salvation history. His pairing of 'prophets and apostles' anticipates the rejection He and His own messengers will suffer, foreshadowing the cross.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- 1 Cor 1:30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- Col 2:3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
- Eph 4:11And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
- 1 Cor 1:24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
- Luke 24:47and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Acts 8:3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- Matt 23:34–36Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.
- Acts 9:1–2Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
- Prov 1:2–6for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
- Matt 22:6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
- Prov 9:1–3Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.
- Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
- Acts 22:20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
- Acts 7:57At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
- John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
- 2 Cor 11:24–25Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
- Luke 21:16–17You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
- Acts 12:1–2About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.
- Prov 8:1–12Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?
- Acts 22:4–5I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
- Acts 26:10–11And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 11:49 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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