Twelve Apostles
Introduction: Jesus had many disciples during three years of public ministry, but he only appointed twelve men together as apostles; and he did not appoint those twelve until after he had prayed to the Father through the night. The chosen apostles were working class men; and the well educated religious leaders considered Jesus to be a blasphemer because he said he was the Son of God. The apostles faithfully followed Jesus until the night they fled from the mob that took Jesus to be crucified. After the last time the resurrected Christ appeared to the eleven apostles, they selected Mathias to take the place of Judas Iscariot, the traitor who hanged himself. Some of the apostles had very little mention in Scripture after Stephen, one of the seven “deacons,” was murdered. Harsh persecution of the church resulted in many believers being dispersed from Judaea, but the Lord continued to expand His Kingdom of light and life through many dedicated believers.
NOTE: Scripture passages are from the 1769 King James Bible.
A — Two Men Believed Jesus to Be the Christ and Brought Someone Else to Him
John 1 “40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. 43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”
Comments: Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, and Jesus invited him to join him when he was following. Andrew then brought his brother Simon Peter, and Jesus said to Simon, you will be called Cephas (both Cephas and Peter mean a stone). The next day Jesus went into Galilee, and found Philip, and said “follow me.” Philip found Nathanael, and told him they had found the one spoken of by Moses and the prophets: Jesus of Nazareth. When Jesus described where Nathanael had been, Nathanael was so amazed that he declared Jesus to be Rabbi, the Son of God, and the King of Israel. The name Nathanael is not among any of the lists of the twelve apostles in Matthew, Mark, or Luke, but he will be named later in this study. It is very possible that Bartholomew was a surname for Nathanael.
B — Four Fishermen and a Tax Collector Were Called by Jesus to Follow Him
Matthew 4 “18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”
Matthew 9 “9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”
Comments: Matthew chapter 4 records the first call by Jesus of four fishermen to follow him, but they were not yet appointed by him as members of his twelve apostles. Mark 1:16–20 is the parallel passage about this call to two different pairs of brothers whose trade was common fishermen. Then Matthew chapter 9 gives the account written by the publican Matthew about his own call to follow Jesus. Mark 2:14 identifies him as “Levi the son of Alphaeus,” and Luke 5:27 confirms this as “Levi” — so Matthew and Levi are clearly the same man.
C — The Names of the Twelve Apostles Chosen by Jesus
Matthew 10 “2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”
Luke 6 “12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.”
Comments: The appointment of twelve apostles is listed in the gospels: in Matthew chapter 10, in Mark chapter 3, and in Luke chapter 6. The gospel written by the apostle John differs from the other three which are sometimes called the “synoptic” gospels. John does not give the specific account when Jesus appointed the twelve apostles, and there is some variation in the listing from the other three gospels. Eleven men have clearly identified names in the list of apostles. The name that is most differently listed: Matthew’s gospel gives us Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Mark has the name Thaddaeus; and in Luke’s gospel Judas the brother of James is the name given. Luke indicates that the selection of the apostles was not intended to have one representative by ancestry from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
D — Peter, James, and John Were Twice Set Apart with Jesus
Luke 8 “51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway.”
Luke 9 “28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Comments: The record that Jesus restored life to the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue is in all three synoptic gospels; and Peter, James, and John were the only others to witness this besides her father and mother. Jesus told the parents not to tell anyone what was done. Jesus took only Peter, James, and John with him up on the mount of transfiguration, and they saw a striking change in the appearance of Jesus as he talked with Moses and Elias. As a cloud covered them, the voice from within declared Jesus to be the beloved son, and instructed them to “hear him.” Mark gave the additional information that Peter, James, and John did not understand when Jesus spoke of rising from the dead. This was another case indicating that the full identity and work of the Christ could only be revealed by the Holy Spirit.
E — Jesus Sent out Men in Pairs to Spread the Gospel with Special Powers
Luke 9 “1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.”
Luke 10 “1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
Comments: Jesus sent out his twelve chosen disciples with power over demons, and miracles of healing, as they shared the gospel. The very next chapter in Luke tells of Jesus sending out seventy men with similar power, and that is found only in the gospel of Luke. The stated purpose for the seventy was to prepare in advance the places where Jesus would be visiting; and after they returned and expressed with joy their success to Jesus, there is no other mention of those men. But Jesus told those men that the best reason for them to rejoice was that their names are written in heaven.
F — The Apostles Did Not Understand When Jesus Spoke of His Resurrection
John 6 “67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16 “16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me.”
Comments: When Jesus spoke figuratively about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, many disciples no longer followed him, so Jesus asked if the twelve would also leave. Peter said there was no one else who had the words of eternal life, and they believed and were sure that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus then said though he had chosen them, one of them was a devil. He did not reveal to them that he was referring to Judas Iscariot. There was much speculation about Jesus being a resurrected prophet of the past, and the apostles knew about those opinions. Peter declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus told Peter he was blessed because the Father in heaven had revealed it to him. Then when Jesus told them what lay ahead for him in Jerusalem, Peter rebuked Jesus, and Jesus responded that Peter was not desiring the things of God, but rather the things of men.
G — The Eleven Apostles Deserted Jesus and Judas Iscariot Hanged Himself
Matthew 26 “47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 50 Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”
Matthew 27 “3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”
Comments: Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray him; and as he was being taken captive, he drew attention to the need for more than one detail of Scripture to be fulfilled. In that tumultuous night the eleven disciples were very confused, and finally fled as Jesus was taken away. These things would not be more clearly understood by his apostles until after the resurrection. Judas Iscariot knew his betrayal of Jesus was sinful, but the priests who had paid him were completely unfeeling to his confession of guilt. He did not seek forgiveness and mercy from the LORD God, but rather ended his own life.
H — Jesus Appeared to His Disciples After His Resurrection
John 20 “24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Acts 1 “3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
Comments: John the gospel writer made reference to “one of the twelve” which would be a general designation since the original chosen ones had been reduced to only eleven by the betrayal and suicide of Judas Iscariot. When Thomas immediately exclaimed “My Lord, and my God!” he was saying he believed that Jesus is equal with God the Father. Jesus told Thomas he had believed because he had seen him: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. The book of Acts opens with the record that the Lord had appeared over a period of forty days showing many infallible proofs of his resurrection. After they saw him ascend in a cloud to return to heaven at the mount called Olivet, they were told by two angels that Christ would come again in the same manner as they saw him leave.
I — The Eleven Apostles Chose a Replacement for Judas Iscariot
Acts 1 “15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas. 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. 23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen. 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”
Comments: In this passage from Acts, Peter was applying a prophetic passage from Psalms as he followed a pattern of many such passages being fulfilled when Christ appeared. Peter prayed that the Lord would guide the selection process by lot, between the two chosen candidates who had met the qualifications Peter had outlined. When the lot was cast, Mathias was numbered among the apostles.
J — Stephen Was Killed by Jews and Saul Began Vigorous Persecution of the Church
Acts 8 “1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.”
Acts 8 “14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”
Comments: Chapter 8 then describes that a great persecution developed and many were scattered, but the apostles remained in Jerusalem. The gospel was spread through that dispersion, but Saul became one of the vigorous opponents of the gospel as he believed it to be blasphemous against the God of the Jews. Philip took the gospel and it reached into hearts in Samaria. Peter and John were sent by the apostles at Jerusalem, and they returned after confirming true conversions.
K — Saul Was Converted by the Risen Lord
Acts 9 “17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles.”
Comments: After Saul was converted by the risen Lord as he was on his way to Damascus, he was just as vigorous in presenting Jesus as the Christ as he had been in persecuting believers. Then he became the target of Jews at Damascus who planned to kill him as a blasphemer, and he had to escape and go to Jerusalem. He was not trusted there until Barnabas became his advocate and he was again very outspoken about Christ Jesus. Saul became under the threat to be killed by Grecians at Jerusalem, and he had to be helped to flee to his home city of Tarsus.
L — Salvation Came to the Gentiles Also by Christ Jesus
Acts 11 “15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
Comments: Peter was strongly criticized when Jews at Jerusalem heard that he had eaten with Gentiles, but he gave details of his directions from the Lord in this matter at Joppa. When Peter had given his complete explanation, his critics had no more objections, and they glorified God for granting the Gentiles repentance unto life.
M — Saul and Barnabas Went to Jerusalem Before Herod Killed James
Acts 12 “1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.”
Acts 15 “22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren. 31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.”
Comments: Chapter twelve opens with the statement that at about that time Herod the king killed James, the brother of John, with the sword; and when he saw it pleased the Jews, he had Peter placed into prison. The church prayed fervently to God and Peter was miraculously brought out of the prison by an angel. He let those praying for him know he was free, then went to an undisclosed location for safety. In chapter 15 of Acts, Paul and Barnabas went from Antioch to Jerusalem to ask for a decision from the apostles and elders regarding the issue of circumcision of Gentiles. The leadership was in agreement and sent the message back to Antioch that Gentile believers need not be circumcised, and this was received as a joyful consolation. There is no further detail about any of the eleven apostles in Acts after chapter fifteen.
Reflections in Prayer
LORD, there are so many ways that you have worked through the centuries to draw men and women to a life that will never end when they believe you are the God of the living and not of the dead. Jesus, you allowed three of your apostles to see on the mount of transfiguration, Moses and Elias alive as you called them from your eternal Kingdom of God to briefly appear with you. I believe, Lord Jesus, that there were aspects of prophecy, as well as other spiritually designed factors that we may not comprehend, when you chose the twelve men you appointed as apostles. There were many things that could not be understood even by the twelve while they were with you as you taught and worked many miracles. Before your resurrection, the fallen nature of man was more of a contrary influence within them. The apostles did not have equal roles in the ways you chose to use them in ministry. Your love for Jew and Gentile alike became very evident as your Word was more widely spread. Thank you Lord Jesus for drawing me by your grace to have the promise of eternal life because you opened my heart to believe that you are the Son of God. Help me, Lord, to be strengthened to trust you in every difficult matter in the course of my life when I am confused or even disturbed by personal experiences or other things around me. May I show the joy of confident hope to others that you provide for those who place trust in your Word; and may I regularly gather with other believers for mutual encouragement and praise to our God. Amen.
Published 30 March 2019