Mark 3:14

Ordained. Gr. poied, literally, “to make,” that is, “to appoint.” Although it is true that Jesus actually “ordained” the Twelve upon this occasion (see DA 296), this meaning is not implicit in the Greek word poied.

Twelve. Important textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 146) for adding from Luke 6:13, “whom also he named apostles.” No specific reason is given to explain why twelve — no more and no less — were chosen. One immediately thinks, however, of the twelve sons of Jacob, founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Five of the men now summoned had been disciples of Jesus from the very beginning of His ministry some two years earlier; these were John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael, or Bartholomew (see John 1:40-49). The first three of this group, together with John’s brother James, had accepted the call by the sea a few months prior to this time (see on Luke 5:11). More recently, Matthew had been added to the group.

The appointment and ordination of the Twelve was an event of major significance in the mission of Jesus. John the Baptist had proclaimed the imminent establishment of “the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 3:2), and Jesus had repeated this message during the early part of His ministry (see Matt. 4:17), particularly on the First Galilean Tour, recently completed (MB 2, 3). The kingdom Christ established at His first advent was the kingdom of divine grace (see on Matt. 3:2; 5:2), whose King He was. His subjects were those who received Him and believed on His name (see John 1:12). Their hearts were His domain (see on Luke 17:21).

The appointment of the Twelve may well be regarded as the formal inauguration of the kingdom of grace that Christ had come to establish. The Sermon on the Mount, which followed immediately, may be viewed both as Christ’s inaugural address as King of the kingdom of grace, and as the constitution of the new kingdom. Soon after the delivery of this sermon Christ, with the Twelve, set out on the Second Galilean Tour, on which, by precept and example, He demonstrated the nature of the kingdom and the scope of its value to man.

Four lists of the Twelve are given, one each by Matthew (ch. 10:2-4) and Mark, and two by Luke, one in his Gospel (ch. 6:14-16) and one in the Acts (ch. 1:13). These are given below.

The most natural method of grouping the Twelve is to divide them into units of two. When Jesus sent them out on the Third Galilean Tour, He sent them out two by two (see Mark 6:7), brother with brother, and friend with friend (DA 350). The list of Matthew is probably based on this grouping, for after naming the two pairs of brothers, Peter and Andrew, and James and John, he lists the remainder of the Twelve in groups of two, each two joined by the word “and.” Thus Philip is coupled with Bartholomew (see John 1:45), Thomas with Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus) with Thaddaeus, and Simon (the Canaanite) with Judas Iscariot. Furthermore, Matthew’s list is given in connection with the sending out of the Twelve.

Another natural grouping appears when each of the four lists is divided into three groups of four each. Although the order of the Twelve varies slightly from list to list, yet the four members of each such group are constant in all four lists (except for the third group in Acts 1:13, where Judas Iscariot is missing).

From a human point of view the twelve men appointed and ordained upon this occasion were poor and illiterate, a band of simple Galilean provincials. The disdain with which the Jewish leaders looked upon Jesus’ followers in general led Him, probably a few weeks after this, to relate the parable of the Leaven (see Matt. 13:33; COL 95). The leaven of the transforming grace of God had already begun its work on the hearts of these twelve unpromising, ordinary men, and when they came forth from the period of their discipleship they were no longer uncouth, uncultured, or unlearned (see on Luke 5:11). Three of them became able writers. John was a profound scholar. So far as is known, none of the Twelve had graduated from the rabbinical schools; apparently none were members of the Jewish aristocracy. But as a result they were devoid of the inveterate prejudices that almost always blinded the scribes and the Pharisees to the claims of Jesus.

Be with him. That is, be His disciples, or learners in His school and assist Him in His work. It is apparent from v. 13 that there were other “disciples” whom He did not, at least upon this occasion, appoint and ordain to be “apostles” (see on v. 13). As “disciples” men came to Christ that they might learn of Him; He sent them forth, as “apostles,” to teach others. The word “apostle” is derived from the Gr. apostolos, which comes from the two words apo, “from,” and stello, “to dispatch,” or “to send.” An “apostle” is thus, literally, “one sent forth” (see on Matt. 10:2). The designation “apostles” henceforth distinguished the Twelve from “disciples” in general, not that the Twelve ceased to be disciples but that they became apostles as well.

In a somewhat wider sense Paul often referred to himself as an “apostle” (1 Cor. 4:9; Gal. 1:1; etc.; cf. Heb. 3:1). It is apparent that Paul based his claim to apostleship, however, on the fact that Christ had appeared to him (see 1 Cor. 15:8) and instructed him (see Gal. 1:11, 12). He nevertheless spoke of himself both as “the least of the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:9), and again as being “not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5). Elsewhere he reconciles these two seemingly exclusive thoughts (see 2 Cor. 12:11). In a still wider sense such men as Barnabas, Timothy, and Silas were also called apostles (see Acts 14:14; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2:6). Possibly the term was also applied to any delegate or messenger sent forth by any Christian church as its representative (2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25).

To preach. Here and in v. 15 the two major aspects of Christ’s personal ministry are given as objectives of the ministry of the Twelve also: preaching, for the cure of the soul; and healing, for the cure of the body. Jesus Himself devoted more time to ministering to the physical needs of humanity than to preaching, and the Twelve doubtless followed His example.