These disciples were to be heralds of the truth, to prepare the way for the coming of their Master. The message they had to bear was the word of eternal life, and the destiny of men depended upon their reception or rejection of it. To impress the people with its solemnity, Jesus bade His disciples, "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city."

Disse disciple skulle være sandhedens forkyndere og berede vejen for deres Mesters komme. Det budskab, de havde at bringe, var det evige livs ord, og menneskers skæbne var afhængig af, om de tog imod det eller forkastede det. For at få folket til at fatte, hvor højtideligt det var, bød Jesus sine disciple: "Hvis man ikke tager imod jer og ikke hører jeres ord, så gå ud af det hus eller den by og ryst støvet af jeres fødder. Sandelig siger jeg eder: det skal gå Sodomas og Gomorras land tåleligere på dommens dag end den by." Matt. 10,14-15.