Matthew 10:38 · Bible study
Matthew 10:38 Commentary: Take Up Your Cross
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus calls disciples to take up their cross. Does this mean literal martyrdom or daily self-denial? A study of Matthew 10:38 in its first-century setting.
Research Summary
- Meaning: To be a disciple means willingly embracing whatever suffering, even death, comes from following Jesus.
- Key words: λαμβάνει (takes, present continuous), σταυρός (cross, instrument of execution), ἄξιος (worthy, of corresponding value).
- Main debate: Is taking up the cross only about literal martyrdom, or does it include all hardships endured for Christ?
- Theological theme: The cost of discipleship; the necessary union of suffering and glory in the life of the believer.
- Best use: Preaching and teaching on commitment, perseverance in persecution, and the nature of true discipleship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el que no toma su cruz, y sigue en pos de mí, no es digno de mí.
E quem não toma sua cruz e segue após mim não é digno de mim.
celui qui ne prend pas sa croix, et ne me suit pas, n’ est pas digne de moi.
Und wer nicht sein Kreuz auf sich nimmt und folgt mir nach, der ist mein nicht wert.
En die zijn kruis niet op zich neemt, en Mij navolgt, is Mijns niet waardig.
e chi non prende la sua croce e non vien dietro a me, non è degno di me.
A kto nie bierze krzyża swego, i nie idzie za mną, nie jest mię godzien.
и кто не берет креста своего и следует за Мною, тот не достоин Меня.
不 背著 他的 十字架 跟從 我的， 也不 配 作我的門徒。
And he who does not take his cross and come after me is not good enough for me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 10:38
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from the Wesleyan, Reformed, and Anglican traditions agree on the central point: taking up the cross means a readiness to suffer, even to die, for Christ. Clarke notes that the phrase alludes to Roman criminals forced to carry their own cross to execution, so the disciple must be ready to “suffer death in the cause of my religion.” Barnes extends the meaning to “whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ.” Calvin ties the cross to enduring “many afflictions,” connecting it to the family divisions in the surrounding verses. Gill emphasizes the personal nature of each cross: “Every minister of Christ, or professor of his name, has ‘his’ own cross, his own particular afflictions, appointed by God.” JFB insists the primary sense is “a preparedness to go forth even to crucifixion,” a saying remarkable since Jesus had not yet revealed he would die that death.
Vincent adds a lexical nuance: the present tense of λαμβάνει (“takes”) and ἀκολουθεῖ (“follows”) indicates continuous, ongoing action, this is a living posture, not a single heroic act. The possessive pronoun “his” (αὐτοῦ) underscores that the cross is not generic; each disciple has a specific burden suited to his or her calling. All agree that “not worthy of me” (οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος) is a stark condition: without this readiness, one cannot claim authentic discipleship.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal martyrdom (narrow view): The original Roman context of crucifixion; Jesus’ own path to Golgotha (John 19:17); cross being an instrument of death, not a general burden.
- General hardship for Christ (broad view): The present tense of ‘takes’ suggests ongoing action; the cross includes family division and social disgrace (vv. 35-37); the principle is applied to all disciples in all ages.
- Personal, specific trials (composite view): ‘His cross’ implies each disciple has a unique burden; some face death, others face rejection or shame; the common element is readiness to suffer for Christ’s sake.
What is clear: The verse demands that every follower of Jesus be prepared to suffer and lose what is dear—even life itself—for the sake of Christ and the gospel. This is not optional for genuine discipleship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Literal martyrdom vs. general hardship | All Christians understand that following Jesus requires sacrifice and a willingness to suffer for his sake. | Some traditions (e.g., early Anabaptist, certain missionary contexts) stress a literal readiness to be killed, pointing to the Roman cross as an execution device. Others (broadly Protestant, Catholic moral teaching) extend the metaphor to all forms of self-denial, including enduring family opposition, social shame, and daily bearing of burdens for Christ. |
| The meaning of ‘worthy’(ἄξιος) | The term indicates fitness or congruity, a life that matches the value and demands of Christ’s call. | Some interpret ‘not worthy’as exclusion from salvation (if one denies Christ under pressure), while others see it as loss of reward or status in the kingdom (e.g., positions of honor). Neither view denies that salvation is by grace; the debate is about the practical outcome of unfaithfulness. |
| Does the cross include self-chosen suffering? | The cross is never self-imposed asceticism or seeking trouble unnecessarily. | Barnes notes that cross-bearing is simply ‘doing our duty, let the people of the world think of it or speak of it as they may, not making trouble for ourselves merely to be opposed. Some traditions emphasize passive endurance of persecution, while others (e.g., certain missional movements) see taking the cross as actively pursuing risky obedience that invites opposition. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The image of a man carrying his own cross would have been deeply familiar to Jesus’ hearers. In the Roman world, crucifixion was reserved for slaves, rebels, and the worst criminals. The condemned was forced to carry the horizontal beam (the patibulum) through the streets to the place of execution, a public spectacle of humiliation and pain. Cambridge Bible notes that “by the Roman custom criminals were compelled to bear the cross to the place of execution,” and that Galileans “would know too well what was meant by ‘taking the cross.’ Many hundreds had paid that forfeiture for rebellion that had not prospered under Judas the Gaulonite and others.” Cross-bearing, then, was not a vague metaphor but a concrete picture of a death march.
Jesus speaks this way before his own crucifixion has occurred. Vincent remarks that this was “one of those sayings described in John 12:16, which the disciples understood not at the first, but the meaning of which was revealed in the light of later events.” The surrounding context (Matthew 10:34-39) shows that following Jesus would divide families and invite persecution. The cross is not a general symbol oflife’s burdens; it is the specific price of allegiance to Christ in a hostile world. Barnes explains that “to carry it was burdensome, was disgraceful, was trying to the feelings, was an addition to the punishment.” Yet Jesus calls disciples to take it up, voluntarily, not as victims but as willing followers.
Culturally, this demand cut against every Jewish expectation of a triumphant Messiah. Crucifixion was the ultimate shame (Deuteronomy 21:23). By using this image, Jesus signaled that his kingdom would advance not through conquest but through suffering love. The disciple’s cross is not a tool of self-torture but the consequence of faithful witness in a world that rejects its King.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 10:38. The Greek text is stable across the major manuscripts. The only variation in the English translations is minor: some render λαμβάνει as “take” while others use “take up” or “receive.” The verb itself can mean ‘to take in order to carry away’ (Thayer), which fits the context of bearing one’s cross. No manuscript evidence alters the meaning of the verse.
Reception History
From the early church onward, Matthew 10:38 has been foundational for understanding discipleship. The early martyrs, such as Polycarp, saw this verse as a call to literal death for Christ. In the medieval period, monastic communities interpreted it as the daily renunciation of worldly attachments. The Protestant Reformers, especially Calvin and the Puritans, stressed that the cross includes all spiritual trials, from persecution to inward mortification of sin. Modern evangelical mission movements have revived the martyrdom reading in contexts of severe persecution. Across traditions, the verse has been sung in hymns of commitment, such as “Take Up Thy Cross” by Charles W. Everest (1824). In every era, believers return to this stark saying to measure the depth of their allegiance to Jesus.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The cross is personal and costly. Jesus says “his cross,” not “the cross.” Each follower’s path of suffering is unique. The cross means readiness to lose family, reputation, and life for Christ’s sake (vv. 35-37).
- Taking up the cross is active, not passive. The present tense of “takes” indicates a continuous choice. Disciples daily embrace the shame and pain of following a crucified Lord. No one drifts into this; it requires deliberate intention.
- The cross leads to real worth. “Is not worthy of me” is the negative flip side of a positive promise: the one who does take up the cross will find life (v. 39). Worthiness is not earning salvation but living in a way that matches the gospel’s claim on our lives.
Five-point outline
- The original meaning: a death march. First-century hearers knew the cross as a tool of execution. Jesus borrows a brutal Roman image to define discipleship.
- The cross is voluntary, not forced. Unlike Simon of Cyrene who was compelled, disciples willingly “take up” their cross out of love for Christ.
- The cross is attached to following. “Follow after me” shows the cross is not self-inflicted asceticism but the natural result of walking in Jesus’ steps.
- The cross is specific to each disciple. The possessive “his” indicates that my cross is not your cross. What I must endure for Christ may differ from what you face.
- The cross ends in glory. Like Jesus’ own journey through the cross to resurrection, the disciple’s path of suffering leads to eternal life (v. 39).
Illustration hooks
- The employee who loses a job for refusing to compromise on Sunday worship or ethical standards. That daily tension is “taking up the cross” in the workplace.
- The believer in a mixed-faith family who faces quiet hostility from parents or siblings for attending church or raising children in the faith. The cross can be the loneliness and division Jesus described in vv. 35-36.
- The public witness that invites mockery. Standing for biblical truth on sexuality or justice brings shame. Carrying that shame gracefully, without retaliation, is cross-bearing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does this mean I have to be willing to be killed for Jesus? How does that apply in our safe context?”
- “What about the crosses I didn’t choose, chronic illness, difficult relationships, financial strain? Are those ‘my cross’ too?”
- “How do I know if I’m really taking up my cross, or just making life harder for myself by being stubborn?”
Leading a Discussion
Matthew 10:38 stands at a turning point in Jesus’ instructions to his disciples. After warning them of persecution and division in families, he delivers a stark condition for discipleship. In a world that often prefers comfort and safety, this verse challenges us to examine what we are really willing to lose for Christ.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the phrase “take his cross” mean in its original Roman context? How does knowing the practice of forcing criminals to carry their cross change how you read this verse?
- Interpretation: Why does Jesus say “his cross” (personal) rather than “the cross”? What does that possessive tell us about the nature of suffering for Christ?
- Interpretation: Read vv. 37-39. How do the verses before and after help explain what the cross involves? What specific costs does Jesus name?
- Application: In seasons where we face no immediate persecution, how can a believer actively “take up the cross” every day? Is that the same kind of cross Jesus meant here?
- Application: Some Christians have died as martyrs; others live with constant rejection from family. Can both be described as “taking up the cross”? Why or why not?
- Application: What is one area of your life where fear of shame or loss has held you back from fully following Jesus? What would it look like to take up that cross this week?
- Reflection: Verse 39 says the one who loses his life will find it. How does the promise of finding life take the sting out of picking up the cross?
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)
| Matthew 16:24 | Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. |
| Matthew 27:32 | As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross. |
| Mark 8:34 | He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. |
| Mark 10:21 | Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.” |
| Luke 9:23 | He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. |
| Luke 9:24 | For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it. |
| Luke 14:27 | Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross and come after me, can’t be my disciple. |
| John 19:17 | He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”, |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that taking up one's cross means being willing to suffer death for Christ's sake, just as Jesus did. He points to the Roman practice where condemned criminals carried their own cross to execution, making the image a literal, costly commitment to discipleship.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes grounds the phrase in the Roman practice where condemned criminals carried their own cross to execution. He explains that taking up the cross means bearing whatever is burdensome, shameful, or painful in following Christ, simply doing what Scripture requires regardless of the world's judgment.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that taking up the cross is the nonnegotiable mark of a disciple, but he also gives the peculiar comfort that this suffering makes us companions of Christ himself. For those outside Christ, the same afflictions bring only a cursed and hopeless end.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This is Jesus' first mention of the cross, and his hearers would have understood it in grimly literal terms. By Roman custom, condemned criminals carried their own cross to execution, and Galileans had seen hundreds of rebels suffer that fate.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And hee that taketh not his crosse, and followeth after me, is not worthie of me.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that every believer has their own particular cross, assigned by God and laid on them personally by Christ. The call is not just to suffer but to take it up cheerfully, following Christ's own example of carrying his cross to crucifixion. Refusing this marks one as unworthy of him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists the phrase "take up one's cross" originally meant readiness to die by crucifixion, not just endure general hardship. This literal meaning is striking because Jesus had not yet revealed His own death, and crucifixion was a Roman penalty unfamiliar to Jewish practice.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees Christ's servants sent into a hostile world, yet he stresses they are not meant to be defenseless victims. The key is a rare combination: the wisdom to navigate danger without losing innocence, and the confidence that even when evil strikes, God's providential care and the Spirit's help are certain.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the phrase "his cross," noting that crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment, so Jesus used the term prophetically of his own death. He stresses that each disciple carries a cross shaped for them alone, not a generic burden. The image borrows from the Roman practice of criminals bearing their own instrument of execution.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley defines taking up one's cross as accepting any hardship that cannot be avoided without either committing a sin or neglecting a duty. For him, the cross is not general suffering but specifically the kind of pain that only escape through wrongdoing would remove.