The passage
      v6b. Following his rejection in Nazareth, Jesus moves throughout Galilee, village to village, on a teaching mission. This is the third time Mark mentions such a mission. Jesus now expands this ministry.
      v7. In calling and training his disciples, Jesus has prepared for the day when he will commission them as his representatives ("the sent one is as the man who commissions him", Jewish law). He sent them to proclaim the coming kingdom, both in word and sign. The authority to expel demons is a sign of the greatest significance.
      v8-9. Jesus' instructions for the mission are interpreted in various ways. It is often suggested that the requirements sought to teach the disciples dependence on God. Yet, it is more likely that they were cultural behaviour-codes for wondering teachers/prophets. The disciples went "two by two" (v7) because truth is established "by the mouth of two witnesses", Deut.17:6. Their dress defined their business. They were messengers from God.
      v10-11. A village may either accept or reject the prophet and his message. Those who accept, following custom, offer hospitality. Those who reject, face the sign of judgement. A Jew leaving Gentile territory would normally dust themselves off, dissociating themselves from the judgement hanging over that land. What we have here is a piece of pointed street theatre.
      v12-13. Mark summarizes the mission in terms of a proclamation by word and sign. The disciples proclaimed the coming kingdom in the message of the gospel, and they proclaimed it in the messianic signs of exorcism and healing. Mark summarizes their message as a call for repentance. In the face of the coming kingdom, and thus the day of judgement, we can only but turn toward ("repent") the living God and seek his mercy. The reference to the use of oil in healing is interesting. Although part of ancient medical treatment, it was probably only used by the disciple as a theatrical prop. It was the messiah's power in healing that proclaimed the kingdom's coming.

An evangelistic model
      A congregation was recently told by their minister that they could choose only two possible paths in the Christian life, either became an evangelist, or work to finance evangelism. Evangelism is always a hot topic in Christian circles. It is often presented as if it is an essential element of the Christian walk, the first obligation above all others. It would seem that without dedication toward the task of evangelism, God's kingdom will founder, and the day of Christ's return will be delayed.
      From the literal application of Jesus' instructions to his disciples by such groups as the Cooneyites, to the slick outreach systems of Church Growth, we are left with the impression that evangelism is a necessary technique for the growth of Christ's church. Yet, the truth is that Christ gathers and builds his church and we are but commissioned to participate in this work. Our passage gives us some hints as to the strategies we may use to this end.

1. The means
      Jesus takes the accepted medium of communication for his day and uses it as a vehicle for mass communication. His methodology is both traditional and theatrical. The disciples' garb gathers the crowd and their antics drive home the message ("shake the dust off..."). Our access to the mass media gives the Christian church opportunities for communicating the gospel that have never existed before. Yet sadly, the church is so caught up in technique person-to-person selling systems and pseudo church evangelistic meeting technology, that we fail to focus our efforts on the electronic media.

2. The message
      Both Jesus and his disciples proclaimed the news of God's dawning kingdom in word and sign, calling on all to "repent". The gospel is a simple message announcing that Jesus freely offers us life eternal. Because he lives, we can live also. All we have to do is face the living God and ask, but we must ask. As for proclaiming the gospel in signs, Jesus indicated that the sign to the Gentile world can be found in the love of the brotherhood, "love one another", cf Jn.17:20-23. The sense of the word "love" is best illustrated in words like "acceptance" or "forgiveness". The dawning kingdom is visibly displayed in the capacity of God's people to welcome and incorporate into the Christian fellowship, even the most unlovely person.
      Sadly, the gospel today is often presented as a series of theological lectures, and as for the gospel in sign, the rise of neo-puritanism displays anything but the acceptance of the "unwashed".

v8
      parhggeilen (paraggellw) aor. "[these were his] instructions" - [and] he commanded, instructed, gave order [to them].
      iJna + subj. "-" - that. Epexegetic, explaining the content of the instructions.
      airwsin (airw) pres. subj. "take [nothing]" - they should lift up, take away [nothing]. Jesus' instruction is emphasized by using the present tense of the subjunctive verb.
      ei mh rJabdon (oV) "except a staff" - except a walking stick. It is interesting that Mark allows this exception.
      phran (a) "[no] bag" - Probably "no haversack", NJB, although "no begging bag" is possible. The disciples must rely on the hospitality of the villages they visit.
      mh eiV thn zwnhn calkon "no money in your belt" - no copper in the girdle. The girdle can serve as a form of money belt. "No money in their pockets", Phillips.

v9
      upodedemenouV (uJpodeomai) perf. mid. part. "wear [sandals]" - having had tied on. "Its alright to wear sandals", CEV.
      endushsqe (enduw) aor. subj. " - using "wear" - [do not] put on, wear, be clothed in [two shirts]. The prohibition is that they do not put one "tunic" over another. This is a rather strange instruction, although it may serve to limit luxurious dress. Clearly the instructions concern the present mission, and are more related to culture than poverty. Note Manson's observation that similar instructions were in vogue regarding attendance at the Temple.

v10
      kai elegen autoiV "-" - and he said to them. Some suggest that the editorial note "and he said to them" indicates that the instruction comes from another source, others that it simply serves to refocus the reader on the source of the words, namely, Jesus.
      menete (menw) imp. "stay" - remain, abide, continue. Cranfield suggests that the instruction serves to stop a disciple becoming "upwardly mobile" if better accommodation is offered.
      eJwV an + subj. "Until [you leave]" - Forming an adverbial temporal clause. The construction indicates future or habitual action.
      ekeiqen adv. "that town" - from there. Refers to a locality; "that place", Barclay.

v11
      an "if" - Introducing a conditional clause, third class.
      topoV "place" - Possibly here a "household". The point is, there will be some villages where all the households will reject the messengers.
      dexhtai (decomai) aor. subj. "will [not] welcome" - welcome, receive. "Wherever they will not receive or listen to you", Weymouth.
      ektinaxate (ektinassw) aor. imp. "shake [the dust] off" - shake, shake off. Alluding to the practice of pious Jews who carefully remove the dust of a heathen land before reentering Jewish territory. A gesture of disassociation. "Shake the last speck of dust from your feet as you would do if you were leaving a heathen town", Barclay.
      eiV marturion autoiV "as a testimony against them" - to/for a testimony, witness to them. A witness to/against the people of that place, either to the people themselves, or to God. If a sign to the people, the gesture may serve to prompt a change of mind, but it seems more likely a gesture "against", in the sense of a sign of judgment. Rejecting the messenger and their message is dangerous. "Shake off the very dust from the soles of your feet as a warning to them", Williams.

v12
      ekhruxan (khrussw) aor. "preached" - they preached, proclaimed. The disciples' preaching role was not mentioned in the initial charge, v7. It is obvious that proclamation is central to the mission. They preached the gospel (message) of the coming kingdom.
      iJna + subj. "that" - that. Here forming an epexegetic clause explaining the content of the preaching.
      metanowsin (metanoew) subj. "people should repent" - they should repent, change their mind, turn about. Mark reminds us of the expected response to the message which he has already summarized in 1:15. Repentance involves an acceptance of the dawning kingdom in Christ by turning toward the living God in Christ for mercy and forgiveness. Note, repentance is not a feeling of sorrow for past actions. "Turn to God", CEV.