The Encourager
“The Twelve Apostles; by Heath Rogers”
The Twelve Apostles
by Heath Rogers
Jesus had many disciples or followers. From these He chose twelve men to be His apostles (Luke 6:12-16). The word apostle is from the Greek word apostolos which means “to send.” Simply put, an apostle is one who is sent on a mission. He is like an ambassador in that he possesses the authority of the one who sent him.
The qualifications of an apostle of Jesus Christ are set forth in Acts 1:21-22. These men had to have seen the Lord during His ministry and had to be eyewitnesses of His resurrection. The 12 apostles had a specific task. They were to bear witness of the Lord’s resurrection and unlock the doors of His kingdom to all of mankind. No one alive today is qualified to be an apostle of Jesus.
Jesus called these men from their vocations and their families to follow Him (Matt. 4:18-22; 9:9). He spent 3 years of in-depth training preparing these men for their work.
These men got to know Jesus better than anyone else. They repeatedly heard His teachings and observed His personal example in all situations. Because of this, only the apostles could make incredible claims about knowing Jesus (1 John 1:1-2).
The apostles were students. They were privileged to have a front row seat to the greatest teacher the world has ever known. While others heard Jesus and went home, these men got to ask Him questions, and receive explanations and further instructions.
The 12 apostles were carefully chosen by the Lord (Luke 6:12-13). They had different personalities and many weaknesses. They were narrowminded and superstitious. They were full of Jewish prejudices, misconceptions, and animosities. They were slow learners. However, they all had one good thing in common – they were teachable.
Not only did these 12 men learn by watching Jesus, but they were also specifically trained and prepared to be sent on their Great Commission. Part of this preparation was their Limited Commission (Matt. 10:5-15). They were to preach the gospel and perform miracles, depending on support from those who appreciated their work.
Jesus also made time to be alone with the 12 to address them privately as they progressed with their training (Matt. 16:13-20). He asked them who men said He was (vv. 13-14). This led to the more important follow-up question, “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 15). Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).
This important truth confessed by Peter was revealed to the apostle by God through what they had observed while being with Jesus. The Lord’s church is built on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. The apostles would be given keys to the kingdom of heaven (the church). A key represents authority to open a
door. These men would be privileged to preach the gospel to the world, granting entrance into the Lord’s kingdom. They would also reveal the doctrines that govern the kingdom (church). After the church was established, Luke said the members “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42).
The 12 were not making up rules on their own. Through their preaching and apostolic oversight, they were implementing that which had already been decreed in heaven.
These men would later receive a baptismal measure of the Holy Spirit, which would empower them to do their work and fulfill their mission (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth, teach them all things, and bring to their remembrance all things Jesus had taught them (John 14:26; 16:13). However, this must not take away from the training the 12 received from Jesus while they were with Him. He had a special relationship with these men, and we benefit greatly from the work He did training them.
