Luke 9:6 · Bible study
Luke 9:6 Commentary: Preaching and Healing as the Gospel Mission
Greek · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Luke emphasizes both preaching and healing in the apostles' mission, and what this reveals about the kingdom of God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The apostles carried out Jesus's commission by preaching the gospel and healing everywhere they went.
- Key words: Euangelizomai (to evangelize, announce good news); therapeuō (to serve, heal); kata (distributive “village by village”).
- Main debate: Whether Luke intentionally downplays exorcism compared to Matthew and Mark (Cambridge notes exorcisms are more prominent in those Gospels).
- Theological theme: The kingdom of God comes in both word and deed; the church's mission is holistic.
- Best use: A model for parish visitation, short-term missions, and integrating evangelism with social compassion.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They departed and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News and healing everywhere.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And going forth they were going through the several villages, proclaiming good news, and healing everywhere.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And going forth they passed through the villages, announcing the glad tidings and healing everywhere.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And going out, they went about through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing every where.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y saliendo, rodeaban por todas las aldeas, anunciando el evangelio, y sanando por todas partes.
Então eles partiram, e percorreram todas as aldeias, anunciando o Evangelho, e curando em todos os lugares.
Ils partirent, et ils allèrent de village en village, annonçant la bonne nouvelle et opérant partout des guérisons.
Und sie gingen hinaus und durchzogen die Märkte, predigten das Evangelium und machten gesund an allen Enden.
En zij, uitgaande, doorgingen al de vlekken, verkondigende het Evangelie, en genezende de zieken overal.
Ed essi, partitisi, andavano attorno di villaggio in villaggio, evangelizzando e facendo guarigioni per ogni dove.
Wyszedłszy tedy, obchodzili wszystkie miasteczka, opowiadając Ewangieliję, a wszędzie chore uzdrawiając.
Они пошли и проходили по селениям, благовествуя и исцеляя повсюду.
門徒就 出去，走 遍 各鄉 宣傳福音， 到處 治病。
And they went away, journeying through all the towns, preaching the good news and making people free from diseases in all places.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 9:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse reports the obedient execution of Jesus's commission in Luke 9:2. The missionaries preached (using the verb euangelizomai, 'to evangelize') and healed, fulfilling both aspects of their mandate. Vincent's Word Studies notes the distributive preposition kata in 'through the villages,' suggesting systematic coverage, village by village. The Cambridge Bible points out that Luke uses 'evangelizing' here rather than 'heralding' (as in v.2), subtly emphasizing the content as good news for the hearers. The healing element distinguishes Luke's account; Matthew and Mark give more prominence to exorcisms. The disciples did not pick and choose tasks, they reproduced Jesus's own pattern of word and deed, demonstrating that the kingdom comes with both announcement and compassion.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The disciples faithfully executed Jesus’s command to preach the kingdom and heal the sick, confirming that the gospel addresses both spiritual and physical needs.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Mission content | All traditions agree the disciples were to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. | Some traditions emphasize healing as a sign of the apostolic age; others see it as a continuing pattern for the church. |
| Healing vs exorcism | Luke includes both (demons are mentioned in v.1). | Matthew and Mark highlight exorcisms explicitly; Luke's account focuses on healing. Cambridge Bible notes this difference. |
| Village by village | The distributive preposition indicates systematic coverage. | No significant debate; some interpret geographically, others as a pattern for church planting. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke places this mission after a prolonged season of Jesus's own preaching and healing in Galilee. The Twelve had been with him, learning and observing; now they receive delegated power and authority (v.1) and are sent out as his representatives. The villages (kōmai) were rural settlements often without synagogues or formal religious instruction, places the religious establishment rarely reached. Jesus instructs them to travel light (v.3) and accept hospitality (v.4), trusting local provision and the hearers' response.
The verbal forms in the Greek add colour. The imperfect diērchonto ('they were passing through') suggests repeated, ongoing movement, and the present participles euangelizomenoi and therapeuontes indicate that preaching and healing coincided with their travel. Vincent's note on kata tas kōmas ('village by village') reinforces the thoroughness: no hamlet was skipped.
Culturally, the combination of authoritative teaching and visible healings served as divine credentials (compare Exodus 4:1-9). The mission's public impact soon reaches Herod Antipas (v.7-9), showing that the kingdom's advance was not hidden. Jesus was expanding his reach through ordinary men, and the pattern they established, proclamation paired with compassion, became the template for the church's mission.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The reading is consistent across major manuscripts.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this verse has been read as the apostolic pattern: proclaiming the gospel while meeting physical needs. Fathers like Irenaeus and Chrysostom saw the apostles extending Christ’s own ministry. During the Reformation, emphasis fell on preaching as the primary means of grace, though healings were spiritualized. In the modern missionary movement, especially since William Carey, this verse was invoked to justify schools and hospitals alongside evangelism. Today it is widely cited to support holistic mission, where proclamation and social action are inseparable.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Departure in Obedience: The apostles left from where Jesus was, carrying no provision but his authority. Their going was an act of faith.
- Preaching as Explaining the Kingdom: They announced the good news, the reign of God had drawn near. The word euangelizomai frames the message as joy-bringing, not merely warning.
- Healing as Demonstrating the Kingdom: Physical restoration confirmed the reality of what was preached. The kingdom touches bodies, not just souls.
Five-point outline
- The Sender: Jesus gave power and authority (v.1). The mission flows from him.
- The Sent: The Twelve, now apostles, act as Christ's delegates.
- The Method: Systematic coverage, village by village (Vincent). No place too small or remote.
- The Message: The kingdom of God preached as good news.
- The Sign: Healing everywhere, confirming the message and meeting felt needs.
Illustration hooks
- Rural medical clinic: A mobile health unit visits isolated villages, treating infections and sharing health education. The medicine opens doors; the teaching brings lasting change.
- Door-to-door visiting: Church members pair prayer with practical help, mowing a lawn, delivering a meal. The deed makes the word credible.
- Short-term mission team: A group leaves comfort behind, enters a community, and serves both by teaching children and repairing houses.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does my church care more about preaching or about helping people? Do we have to choose?
- Jesus gave the disciples power to heal. Why doesn’t that happen in the same way today?
- How can I be part of this mission when I’m not an apostle or a pastor?
Leading a Discussion
This verse records the Twelve putting Jesus's commission into practice. They did not wait for ideal conditions; they went. In a world that often separates spiritual from physical needs, the apostles modelled a mission that addresses both. Use the questions below to help your group explore what this means for your own witness.
Discussion questions
- Read Luke 9:1-6. What did Jesus give the disciples before sending them? Why was that important?
- Notice the verbs in verse 6: departed, went, preaching, healing. What does the order and overlap tell you about the mission?
- In verse 2 Jesus tells them to preach and heal; verse 6 shows them doing both. Why might Luke emphasize this consistency?
- The Greek word for 'preaching' here is euangelizomai (evangelizing) rather than the 'heralding' of verse 2. How does the label 'good news' shape the attitude of the messenger?
- Jesus sent them to villages (kōmai), small, often overlooked places. What does that tell you about the heart of gospel outreach?
- Healing accompanied the preaching. In what ways can your group or church combine spoken witness with practical acts of care?
- The disciples travelled with nothing extra (v.3). How does dependence on God and others open space for the Spirit to work?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Mark 6:12 | They went out and preached that people should repent. |
| Mark 6:13 | They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick and healed them. |
| Mark 16:20 | They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. |
| Luke 9:1 | He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. |
| Luke 9:2 | He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick. |
| Acts 4:30 | while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.” |
| Acts 5:15 | They even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might overshadow some of them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
See the notes at Mat 10:1-14 . See the notes at Mat 10:1-14 .
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that the apostles carried out Christ's commission with thorough obedience, going into every town without exception. Their preaching of the Gospel was accompanied by healing everywhere, showing that divine power confirmed the Word wherever it was proclaimed.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that the apostles themselves did the departing and traveling, not Jesus. He notes they went through both towns and cities across the whole land of Israel, and he identifies "preaching the Gospel" as the specific content of the kingdom of God mentioned in Luke. Their healing covered every kind of physical disease wherever they went.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the Twelve were sent not as beginners on a practice mission, but as reapers where Jesus had already sown. This journey was a final attempt to reach the impenitent cities of Galilee, using disciples to continue the work He had begun
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights that Christ sent the twelve disciples because he could only be in one place at a time. They were now sufficiently instructed to teach others, so he dispersed them to spread the gospel more widely and prepare people for the coming kingdom.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek phrase here uses a distributive preposition, meaning the action happened village by village rather than simply throughout the region. The Revised Version correctly captures this sense by translating it as "villages" instead of the more general "towns."