Matthew 10:38

THE MESSAGE

"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

King James Version (1611)
And he that taketh not his crosse, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

King James Version
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

English Standard Version
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

New American Standard Bible
"And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

New Century Version
Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Amplified Bible
"And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee that taketh not his crosse, and followeth after me, is not worthie of me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Berean Standard Bible
and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

Contemporary English Version
And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples.

Complete Jewish Bible
And anyone who does not take up his execution-stake and follow me is not worthy of me.

Darby Translation
And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Easy-to-Read Version
Those who will not accept the cross that is given to them when they follow me are not worthy of me.

George Lamsa Translation
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Good News Translation
Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples.

Lexham English Bible
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Literal Translation
And who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

American Standard Version
And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Bible in Basic English
And he who does not take his cross and come after me is not good enough for me.

Hebrew Names Version
He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me.

International Standard Version
The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me.Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And every one who taketh not his cross and cometh after me, is not worthy of me.

Murdock Translation
and he that doth not bear his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he that taketh not his crosse, & foloweth me, is not worthy of me.

English Revised Version
And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

World English Bible
He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Weymouth's New Testament
and any one who does not take up his cross and follow where I lead is not worthy of me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he that takith not his croos, and sueth me, is not worthi to me.

Update Bible Version
And he that does not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.

New English Translation
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

New King James Version
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

New Living Translation
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

New Life Bible
He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me.

New Revised Standard
and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not, worthy, of me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.

Revised Standard Version
and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he yt taketh not his crosse and foloweth me ys not mete for me.

Young's Literal Translation
and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he yt taketh not his crosse and foloweth me, is not mete for me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and he that does not take his cross, and so follow after me, is unworthy of me.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Anyone who isn't willin' to take up his own cross and ride with me isn't worthy of me.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ "Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. ¹⁷"Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words. ²¹"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. ²⁴"A student doesn't get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn't make more money than his boss. Be content—pleased, even—when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, ‘Dungface,' what can the workers expect? ²⁶"Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don't hesitate to go public now. ²⁸ "Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands. ²⁹"What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries. ³²"Stand up for me against world opinion and I'll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I'll cover for you? ³⁴"Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me. ³⁸"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 16:24, Matthew 27:32, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23, Luke 9:24, Luke 14:27, John 19:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:12 - now Proverbs 23:26 - give Haggai 1:9 - Because Matthew 19:29 - or brethren Matthew 22:8 - but Matthew 25:42 - General Luke 7:4 - worthy Luke 9:61 - but John 21:19 - Follow Acts 14:22 - we 2 Corinthians 5:14 - the love Hebrews 12:1 - let us lay 1 Peter 2:21 - even

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he that taketh not his cross,.... By the "cross", which was a Roman punishment, whereby malefactors were put to death, are meant all sorts of afflictions, reproaches, persecutions, and death itself; and particularly the ill will, hatred, and persecution, of near relations and friends, which must be expected by such, who bear a faithful testimony for Christ. Every minister of Christ, or professor of his name, has "his" own cross, his own particular afflictions, appointed by God, and laid on him by Christ, and which he should cheerfully take up, and patiently bear, for his sake. The allusion is to the custom of persons sentenced to be crucified, to carry their own cross, as Christ did his, and Simon the Cyrenian for him; and which our Lord here may have a respect unto, as well knowing what death he was to die, and that some of his disciples also would die the same death: wherefore Christ says,

and followeth after me; led on by his example, to preach or profess the Gospel, submit to the ordinances of it, and cheerfully suffer for the sake of it, when called to it. If a man, who would be thought to be a disciple of Christ, is not willing to do all this, but, in order to avoid it, complies with his friends, conforms to the world, and turns his back on Christ; of such an one he may well say, he

is not worthy of me; it is not convenient that he should stand among his disciples and followers.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he that taketh not his cross ... - When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. See notes at Matthew 27:31. The cross was usually composed of two rough beams of wood, united in the form of this figure of a cross It was an instrument of death. See the notes at Matthew 27:31-32. To carry it was burdensome, was disgraceful, was trying to the feelings, was an addition to the punishment. So “to carry the cross” is a figurative expression, denoting that we must endure whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ. It consists simply in doing our duty, let the people of the world think of it or speak of it as they may. It does not consist in making trouble for ourselves, or doing things merely “to be opposed;” it is doing just what is required of us in the Scriptures, let it produce whatever shame, disgrace, or pain it may. This every follower of Jesus is required to do.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. He that taketh not his cross — i.e. He who is not ready, after my example, to suffer death in the cause of my religion, is not worthy of me, does not deserve to be called my disciple.

This alludes to the custom of causing the criminal to bear his own cross to the place of execution; so Plutarch, ΕκαϚος των κακουργων εκφερει τον αυτου Ϛαυρον. Each of the malefactors carries on his own cross. John 19:17.