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The Captain general of our salvation, Christ Jesus, having called, commissioned, and sent forth his twelve apostles, as great commanders to subdue his native kingom of Israel to himself, at the sixth chapter of this Gospel; Luk_6:12-16 in this chapter he sends after them a band of seventy auxiliary forces, to aid and assist them: After these things the Lord appointed other seventy disciples, and sent them two and two before his face.
Where note, 1. The person commissioning and sending them forth: Christ himself.
Thence learn, that none ought to take upon them the office of preaching, or other ministerial functions in the church, until thereunto called by Christ himself. The twelve apostles and seventy disciples, had an immediate mission from Christ himself; all his ministers are now called mediately, and receive their authority from Christ by the hands of the governors of his church.
Note, 2. The manner of their sending: two and two in a company, partly to make their message of more authority, partly to testify their mutual consent in the doctrine they taught, and partly to comfort and encourage, to help and strengthen, to assist and support each other.
In imitation of this example, the Jesuits sent forth their emissaries by pairs.
Learn hence, that the ministers of the gospel do stand in great need of the mutual help and comfort, of the united assistance and encouragement of each other, in the weighty duties of their calling and function.
Our Saviour in the next verse compares his ministers to harvest laborers, who are to help and assist one another, the strong endeavoring to strengthen the hands of the weak.
But, Lord, what tears are sufficient to bewail the want of love and unity, yea, the prevalency of that envy and malignity, which is found too often among the ministers of the gospel; so that instead of going forth two by two, happy is he that is alone in a place.
Well might Melancthon bless God, when he lay dying, that he was going to a place where he should be freed from the implacable hatred of divines; this is, and ought to be, for a lamentation.