Luke 10:20 Meaning and Explanation
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus redirects their joy: not that spirits submit to them, but that their names are written in heaven.
What Does Luke 10:20 Mean?
Fresh from the thrill of victorious ministry, the seventy are gently corrected. Power over devils is real but perilous ground for joy — success intoxicates. Jesus moves their gladness from what they did to what God has done: their names stand enrolled in heaven.
Cities kept registers of their citizens; heaven, Jesus says, keeps one too. To rejoice in results is to ride a wave that rises and falls; to rejoice in belonging to God is to stand on rock. The deepest gladness of the servant is not usefulness but belonging — being known, named, and kept. Ministry flows from that security and can never replace it.
Luke 10:20 in the Original Language
engrapho (ἐγγράφω), 'written' -- inscribed, enrolled as a citizen in the city register.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 10:20
What does Luke 10:20 mean?
Jesus redirects their joy: not that spirits submit to them, but that their names are written in heaven.