Mark 3:13 And he goeth up into a mountain,; He then went up into the hill- country--NEB; And Jesus made his way up the hill--TCNT; and calleth unto him whom he would:; and calleth unto him whom he himself would--ASV; and called to him those whom he desired--RSV; and summoned those whom he wanted--Gspd; and they came unto him.; and they went unto him--ASV; and they went and joined him--NEB; These left their homes...--Rieu; And he goeth up into the mountain and calleth near whom /he\ pleased,--and they went away unto him; And he goeth up to the mountain, and doth call near whom he willed, and they went away to him; TRNTyeagerV85,6 - Kai anabainei eis to oros kai proskaleitai hous Athelen autos, kai apAlthon pros auton. kai (continuative conjunction). anabainei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of anabainw, historical). eis (preposition with the accusative of extent). to (acc.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with oros). oros (acc.sing.neut.of oros, extent). kai (adjunctive conjunction, joining verbs). proskaleitai (3d.per.sing.pres.ind.of proskaleomai, historical). hous (acc.pl.masc.of hos, direct objectof proskaleitai). Athelen (3d.per.sing.imp.act.ind.of thelw, progressive duration). autos (nom.sing.masc.of autos, subject of Athelen). kai (inferential conjunction). apAlthon (3d.per.pl.aor.act.ind.of aperchomai, constative). pros (preposition with the accusative of extent). auton (acc.sing.masc.of autos, extent). Translation: "And Jesus went up into the mountain and He called those whom He had always wanted; therefore they came to Him." COMMENT: The ascent into the mountain and the gathering of the disciples is recorded in Mt.5:1, q.v. eis to oros is a prepositional phrase used adverbially to define anabainei. hous Athelen indicates His sovereignty. Our Lord was choosing His apostles. All probably thought that they were coming without motivation other than their own. They came of their own free will but they were motivated by His sovereign call. So it is in salvation. kai...auton records their response to His call. The parallel passage in Lk.6:12 adds that He had been out upon the mountain side all night in prayer. Cf. comment. The imperfect tense in Athelen with its indication of continuous action in past time speaks of the eternal will of God, the Sovereign. How long had Jesus always wanted to call these specific men to be His apostles and not others? They were chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4). There was a great crowd of people at the foot of the mountain (Mk.3:7). Why did He call the twelve who are named and not twelve others? And why only twelve/ Why not twenty or one hundred? (Eph.1:11). It was not because the twelve apostles were better men than others (Rom.9:10-13). Indeed, they were not distinguished for their scholarship or public prominence (I Cor.1:25-29). One, in fact was later declared to be ho diabolos (Jn.6:70). Jesus had His reasons for choosing Judas (Jn.17:12). [Ed. Yeager scares me a little bit here with his theology and proof texts. Yeager has not searched all the mind of God nor asked all the questions.] T179 - The formula to horos means "the highlands." MARKitGNTwuest70 - "Calleth unto Him whom He would." "Calleth unto Him" is proskalew. The middle voice shows that our Lord in calling these individuals did it in His own interest. The were to be for Himself. The prefixed preposition pros, meaning "to" or "towards" gives us the idea "unto Him." The verb "would" is thelw, "whom He desired." The intensive pronoun is used with it. The idea is, "whom He himself desired." That is, He did not allow any to offer themselves. he did the choosing. "They came to Him." The verb is aperchomai which means "to go off from" someone or some place. The prefixed preposition implies separation. It was an invitation to leave the vast crowd and follow Him up the hill. It was addressed to a larger number than twelve, from whom He afterwards selected the Twelve. This selection, Luke tells us, was preceded by a night of prayer. This was a crisis in the ministry of our Lord. Translation: "And He goes up into the mountain and calls for Himself and to Himself those whom He Himself desired, and they went off to Him." NTC-MARKhendriksen122,3 - The transition is again very natural. With so many sick to be healed, so many demoniacs to be set free, so much preaching needed ..., it was natural that Jesus would authorize some of his followers to have a share in the work he himself was doing, his own power and sympathy operating also in them. Moreover, the hostility of the religious leaders had become so bitter ... that co-operation with them had become impossible: God's people must become separately organized. Also, from the start of Christ's earthly ministry death and (after resurrection) departure from this earth were staring him in the face. In fact, he had come for the very purpose of giving his life as a ransom for many .... He felt the need therefore of appointing witnesses by means of whom, through his own work in them, the militant church could be gathered and guided, after his own physical departure. So Jesus went up into "the mountain." Both in Mt (8:1) and in Lk (6:12,17) the description has so much local color, that a specific elevation--whether we today would call it a "mountain" or a "hill" is of no consequence--seems to be meant. Hence, the rendering "the mountain" would in this case seem to be better than "the hills." It is true, nevertheless, that neither here nor in Mt.5:1, where the expression occurs, are we told which mountain is indicated. To the people of that day it was probably well-known, so that they understood exactly what the Gospel writers meant by "the mountain." It seems to have been in the general vicinity of Capernaum. ... So very important did Jesus consider the appointment of The Twelve and the preaching of the sermon to be that on this mountain he spent the entire preceding night in prayer (Lk.6:12). Thereupon he called to himself those whom he wanted. His sovereign will prevails. They choose him only after he first had chosen them! In the night of his betrayal he was able to say to his disciples, "Y o u did not choose me, but I chose y o u and appointed y o u that y o u should go and bear fruit..." (Jn.15:16). See also I Jn.4:10,19. Result: they came to him, leaving behind whatever had to be left behind. In fact, several of them ... had already been closely associating with him, and even the rest must have been his followers, though in a more general sense (Lk.6:13). MARKj&d92,3,4 - B. THE SECOND PERIOD 3:13-7:23 1. Friends and Foes 3:13-35 a. The appointment of the twelve 3:13-19 COMMENT TIME--Midsummer, A.D. 28. PLACE--On a mount at no great distance from Capernaum. PARALLEL ACCOUNTS--Mt.10:1-4; Lk.6:12-16. OUTLINE--1. The place where He called the twelve, 13a. 2. The actual call of the twelve, 13b. 3. Their appointment, 14. 4. Sent with authority, 15. 5. The names, 16-19. ANALYSIS I. THE PLACE WHERE HE CALLED THE TWELVE, 13a. 1. Near Capernaum and the sea of Galilee. 2. A place of prayer--probably the mount from which we have the sermon on the mount. Cf.Mt.10:1-4; Lk.6:12-16. II. THE ACTUAL CALL OF THE TWELVE, 13b 1. From among the multitude. 2. Made by the power of Jesus' will. 3. They left all to follow Him. III. THEIR APPOINTMENT, v.14. 1. The word appoint sometimes translated "ordained." 2. That they might be with Him. 3. That He might send them out to preach. IV. SENT WITH AUTHORITY, v.15. 1. Over demons. 2. With His message. V. THE NAMES, 16-19. 1. The first four--Peter, James, John and Andrew. 2. The second four-- Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas. 3. The third four--James, Thaddaeus, Simon, Judas. EXPLANATORY NOTES It is evident that the bitter opposition and plots of the rulers must, in no long time, put an end to Jesus' earthly work. He can not hope to do more than start the work, to break the ground and commence scattering the seed. Jesus had summoned to his side a few of the Baptist's disciples (Jn.1:35-51). Later, by the seaside, he had attached four of these more distinctly to him, to travel with him. But there was yet to be formed a compact, organized body of disciples commissioned to teach his doctrines. But ere he did it, he withdrew into the mountain, doubtless the "Horns of Hattin," and there spent an entire night in prayer (Lk.6:12). When dawn came, he called out of the disciples about him twelve whom he ordained (1) to "be with him"--that is, especially and continuously with him; (2) to be sent forth to preach as his special apostles, and (3) to have power to exercise his authority over demons. These, Luke informs us, he named apostles. "Apostle" means "one sent," and is very close in meaning to our words "ambassador" and "missionary." It was a necessary condition of this apostleship that the apostles should have been with Jesus, and so be qualified to tell of his words and actions, particularly of the resurrection (Acts 1:8,21,22; I Cor.9:1; Acts 22:14,15). The apostles can therefore have no successors. MARKmcgarvey280 - "and calleth to him." -- Jesus went up into the mountain the previous night, as we learn from Lk. 6:12, and after remaining there all night in prayer, called to him whom he would in the morning. He probably made the call through one of them as a messenger to the others. TCGTC-MARKcranfield126 - eis to oros: to escape the crowds. to oros is vague; perhaps the hill country north of the lake is meant. [Ed. It may be vague to us but it probably was very specific to the first readers of this gospel.] Mark 3:14 And he ordained twelve,; And he appointed twelve--ASV; that they should be with him,; to be...--RSV; as his companions--NEB; to associate with him--Rieu; and that he might send them forth to preach,; whom he could send out...--Phi; whom he would send out to proclaim the Gospel--NEB; and he appointed twelve, whom also he name /Apostles\,--that they might be with him, and that he might be sending them forth to make proclamation, and he appointed twelve, that they may be with him, and that he may send them forth to preach, TRNTyeagerV86,7 - kai epoiAsen dwdeka, (hous kai apostolous wnomasen,) hina hwsin met' autou kai hina apostellA autous kArussein. kai (continuative conjunction). epoiAsen (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of poiew, constative). dwdeka (acc.pl.masc.indeclin., direct object of epoiAsen). hous (acc.pl.masc.of hos, relative pronoun, direct object of wnomasen). kai (adjunctive conjunction, joining verbs). apostolous (acc.pl.masc.of apostolos, predicate accusative, in agreement with hous). wnomasen (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of onomazw, constative). call - Acts 19:13; I Cor.5:11. name - Mk.3:14; Lk.6:13,14; Rom.15:20; Eph.1:21; 3:15; 5:3; II Tim.2:19. Meaning: From onoma. To give a name to something or somebody. To designate. To name. To assign a nickname to one already named - Lk.6:14; I Cor.5:11; to assign an official title to one who already has a name - Mk.3:14; Lk.6:13; to invoke the name of Christ in a confession of faith - Rom.15:20; II Tim.2:19; Eph.1:21; 3:15; to mention a subject in order to discuss it - I Cor.5:1; Eph.5:3. hina (sub-final conjunction introducing a purpose/result clause). hwsin (3d.per.pl.pres.subj.of eimi, purpose/result). met' (preposition with the genitive of accompaniment). autou (gen.sing.masc.of autos, accompaniment). kai (adjunctive conjunction, joining infinitives). hina (sub-final conjunction introducing a purpose/result clause). apostellA (3d.per.sing.pres.act.subj.of apostellw, purpose/result). autous (acc.pl.masc.of autos, direct object of apostellA). kArussein (pres.act.inf.of kArussw, complementary). Translation - "And He appointed twelve whom also He designated apostles, in order (and with the result) that they might accompany Him, and in order (and with the result) that He might send them forth to preach." COMMENT: Cf.#127 for the basic meaning of poiew. The word "ordain" has come to be associated with certain rituals, supposedly of religious significance and deemed utilitarian. No such rituals were practised when our Lord chose the disciples. Note that Jesus did the choosing (Jn.15:16). He simply picked them out from a larger group and announced that they should henceforth be called "apostles." "Call" here in the sense of name, not in the sense of summon, which is expressed by kalew. Jesus had two purposes in His action here and, since it is the sovereign God of the universe Who is acting, purpose is equal to result. Hence we have designated the two clauses as sub- final - both purpose and result. Jesus wanted these twelve men to accompany Him and He wanted to send them out in order to preach His gospel. Only men who have been with Jesus should be sent out to preach. Cf. Lk.6:13. Another purpose clause follows in vs.15. The relative clause hous kai apostolous wnomasen "...may be regarded as an interpolation from Luke (6:13), the Committee was of the opinion that the external evidence is too strong in their favor to warrant their ejection from the text. In order to reflect the balance of probabilities, the words were retained but enclosed with square brackets." (Metzger, A Testual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 80). R1088 - The simple infinitive here expresses the notion of purpose ("to proclaim continually [present infinitive]"-- T78). Cham163 - Relative Clauses. Types of Relative Clauses. Every relative clause is either 'definite' or indefinite.' 1. The definite relative clause describes a particular individual or group, like the English 'who': epoiAsen dwdeka hous kai apostolous wnomasen (here), 'He appointed twelve whom he also called apostles.' The relative clause describes the Twelve. Ear122 - Ordain. The Greek verb is simply poiew, which means "do" or "make." Vincent Taylor writes: "In kai epoiAsen dwdeka the verb means 'to appoint,' a meaning which is not classical, but which is used in the LXX...of appointing priests." He goes on to say: "This use of poiew should be classified as an example of 'translation Greek,' influenced by the LXX" (Mark). Probably "ordained" (KJV) is too strong; "appointed" (NASB, NIV) is better. MARKitGNTwuest70,1 - "He ordained." The verb is the simple word poiew "to make." That is, He made twelve, constituted them as a compact body. "That they should be with Him." The verb is present sumjunctive, thus durative in action. One purpose of our Lord in forming the Twelve was that they might constantly be with Him. This would be their preliminary training. "That He might send them forth." The verb is apostellw, to send off from one's self, furnished with credentials, with a commission to act as one's representative and accomplish a certain mission." The noun apostolos which comes from the verb, and from which we derive our word "apostle," was used for an envoy, an ambassador. Thus, the Twelve were to be His ambassadors. "To preach." The verb is kArussw. The word means "to make a public proclamation with such gravity, formality, and authority as must be heeded." That was to be the manner of their delivery as they gave out the proclamation of the gospel. Translation: "And He constituted twelve in order that they might constantly be with Him, and in order that He might send them forth as ambassadors with credentials, representing Him, to accomplish a certain task, that of making proclamation,..." MARKj&d94 - The number twelve was evidently with purpose, for they were to be tribal judges of the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk.22:30), and were, according to Paul, ministers to the twelve tribes, or the circumcision, rather than to Gentiles (Gal.2:7-9). The lists in the four gospels are different, but the first four names, the second four and the last four in each are the same in all groups. The first name in each four is the same, and the traitor, Judas Iscariot, is always last. This seems to signify that the apostles were so banded as groups of four, each with a leader. TCGTC-MARKcranfield127 - dwdeka. It seems likely that the number twelve was deliberately chosen with the tribes of Israel in mind. If it was, then it would seem to be evidence that Jesus thought of himself as beginning to gather together an obedient people of God (of which the Twleve were to be the nucleus) ... The purpose of Jesus (hina) according to this and the next verse was twofold. First, they were to be with him. They had to learn from him before they could be sent out by him -- to hear before they could speak for him (cf. 7:31- 37). As Taylor notes, it is not till 6:7 that they are actually sent out. Secondly, he would give them a mission-- a mission which itself was twofold: to preach and to have authority to cast out the demons. The two hina-clauses indicate not only the limited function of the Twelve during the ministry of Jesus, but also their permanent function in the Church. They are to be witnesses to him--at first hand. And in that both their being with him and their being sent out by him are necessarily involved. They must be with him, if they are to be his authoritative first-hand witnesses. So in Acts 1:21f. the person who is to take Judas' place must not only have been an eye-witness of the Resurrection but also have been with Jesus during his ministry. Their being with him then is not just for the sake of the mission during his ministry; it is much more for the sake of their mission after the Resurrection. In the course of the gospel we shall see the Twelve being with Jesus and Jesus concentrating more and more on their instruction. He appointed them also that the might send them out (see further the note on apostolos in 6:30 to preach. In that kArussein are included both the limited preaching of 6:7-13, 30 and also their post- Resurrection preaching which remains for us permanently in the NT Scriptures. EDOBWrichards59,60 - 1. The Greek word and its background. The Greek word that is most commonly translated "apostle" is apostolos. The verb apostellw and a compound of it, exapostellw, as well as a synonym, pempw, are sometimes used with the same meaning: to send one on a mission as an envoy. At first these Greek words described the sending of a delegation of several representatives. Later the focus shifted, to emphasize the idea that an apostolos was the the personal representative of the one sending him. Eventually apostolos came to be used in some Greek philosophical schools with a religious significance: the one sent spoke with divine authorization. The translators of the Hebrew OT into Greek used apostellw as the equivalent of a particular Hebrew verb that also expresses divine authorization to accomplish some well- defined and specific task. Apostolos is used in the Septuagint some seven hundred times in this sense to fix our attention on God as the one who goves his envoy authority. Apostellw was very seldom used in ordinary conversation in NT times. Those familiar with the Greek translation of the OT immediately identified the word with the OT concept of divinely authorized messengers sent by God and acting on His authority. The verb apostellw is used 131 times in the NT, while pempw (usually synonymous) is used 81 times. The noun apostolos is also found frequently (81 times); it is translated "apostle" and helps us understand the nature of the special individuals who played such an important, foundational role in the establishiment of the Christian church. 2. The apostles in the Gospels and Acts. The Gospels report that Jesus chose twelve men and designated them his apostles (Mt.10:2; Mk.3:14; Lk.6:13). These twelve were with Jesus through his years of earthly ministry and were witnesses to his resurrection. When Judas betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide, another was chosen to bring the number back to twelve. "It is necessary," Peter explained, "to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection" (Ac.1:21,22). Both the qualifications and the mission of the Twelve are identified here. They had to be followers of Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry through his ascension, and they had to witness the fact of Jesus' resurrection. In Acts we see the twelve apostles evangelizing (Ac.2), performing miracles (Ac.2:43; 5:12), teaching converts (Ac.2:42), and proposing a way for the church to create a structure needed to handle distribution to the needy so the apostles themselves could concentrate on prayer and the ministry of the Word (Ac.6:1-4). The apostles served not as rulers but as wise guides. They were not directors but were participants with the whole church in seeking God's guidance in the significant decisions affecting the believing community (Ac.11:1-18; 15:1-35). The role and identity of the Twelve was never transformed into institutional roles or offices. The Twelve remain a group of a dozen unique individuals, and Revelation tells us the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem will have engraved on them "the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev.21:14). 3. The apostle Paul. While the Gospels and Acts focus on the Twelve, the Epistles introduce Paul as a thirteenth apostle. Paul too had seen the risen Jesus and thus could be a witness to his resurrection (Ac.9:1-6; I Cor.15:3-7). Although not one of Jesus' original followers, Paul, like them received his commission directly from Jesus (Ac.26:15- 18). Paul's commission was as a "herald and an apostle...and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles" (I Tim.2:7). These functions parallel the ministry of the Twelve as described in Acts, but with the Greek world rather than the Jewish people as Paul's particular constituency (Gal.2:8). In a number of NT passages, Paul explains and defends his unique position as an apostle--one who by virtue of his calling spoke with God's own authority (I Cor.9; II Cor.11- 13; Gal.2). Peter clearly recognized the validity of Paul's claim: he classified Paul's letters with the "other Scriptures" (II Pet.3:14-16). In some significant sense, Paul ranks with the Twelve, and his apostleship is as unique as their own. 4. Other uses of "apostle" in the NT. The term "apostle" is applied to the Twelve and to Paul in a distinctive way. The calling of these individuals to witness to the Resurrection and their commissioning by Christ himself make it plain that no institutional office is in view. The authority of Paul and of the Twelve was a unique authority and is without parallel in the church today. Yet it is clear that the underlying concept of apostleship is extended in the NT beyond these thirteen. Luke speaks of "the apostles Barnabas and Paul" (Ac.14:14). Writing personal greetings at the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul identifies Andronicus and Junias as "outstanding among the apostles" (Rom.16:7). Paul also writes heated about persons who are "masquerading as apostles of Christ" (II Cor.11:13). This involved the apostles' claim to a significant role, for Paul says in I Cor.12:28: "In the church God has appointed first of all apostles." In general, the title "apostles" seems to identify the original Twelve, who maintain a unique calling and position and share it only with Paul. The NT indicates that others besides the apostles typically had an itinerant ministry related to both founding and strengthening new churches. It is quite likely that our modern term "missionary" is very close in meaning to the general use of "apostle" in NT times. Perhaps one of the most significant uses of the word "apostle" in the NT is the reference to Jesus as "the apostle and high priest whom we confess" (Heb.3:1). Summary. "The apostles" are the twelve followers of jesus whom he selected when he began his public ministry. Each of these twelve men observed all that Jesus said and did during his years of ministry on earth, and each was a witness to the Resurrection. The ministry of the Twelve in the early church focused on prayer and the teaching of the Word, not on organization or administration. Paul was an apostle in this same unique sense, having also seen the resurrected Jesus and having been personally called by Jesus to a ministry of evangelizing and teaching. But "apostle" has general as well as specific meaning. An apostle is an envoy, sent on a mission to speak for the one sending him and having the sender's own authority. Although not numbered with the apostles, other believers in the early church were considered apostles--God's envoys, set apart for special ministry. These early apostles were itinerants, who founded and taught new churches much like modern missionaries. There is no indication in the NT that the office of apostle was an institutional one or a role to be filled in the local congregation. There is no indication that other envoys, sent by churches to their mission fields, had an authority similar to that of the Twelve or of Paul. EDOBWrichards68,9 - APPOINT/APPOINTED. Appointing implies an official act of recognizing a person or thing for a particular purpose. This meaning is reflected in both OT and NT usage. About two dozen different hebrew or Greek words are used to express the concept. It is difficult to determine if the words are used synonymously or if there may be shades of difference in meaning implied in various passages. In the OT, appointments were made by God or by human beings. God appointed the annual feasts his people were to keep (Lev.23:4,37; II Chron.2:4) at the times he appointed (Lev.23:4; Num.9:2,7). God also appointed prophets (Jer.1:5) and other leaders, while kings appointed their own military staff (II Chron. 32:6). Authority carried with it the right of appointment. The OT also makes it clear that God has appointed a time when his purpose for the universe will be realized: history will end as he has planned (Dan. 8:19; 11:27,29,35; Zeph.2:2) In the NT, we continue to see God active in appointing. God appointed Jesus as the Messiah (Ac.3:20), as humanity's judge (Ac.17:31), as head over everything for the church (Eph.1:22), and as heir to all things (Heb.1:2). Jesus appointed the Twelve (here), and believers are "appointed for eternal life" (Ac.13:48; cf. I Th.5:9). God appointed Paul as a herald of the gospel (II Tim.1:11,12). In the NT, believers also appoiint. It may be significant that church members suggested the individuals (Ac.6:3) who then were officially appointed by the apostles as the first deacons (v.6). Also worthy of note is the fact that the Greek word used of Paul's appointing elders on his second missionary journey (Ac. 14:23) is cheirotonew; this verb originally meant to elect by a show of hands. Another verb, kathistAmi ("authorize, put in charge"), is used in a parallel passage (Tit.1:5). EDOBWrichards226,7 - DISCIPLE. The word "disciple" seems to fill the Gospels and appears often in Acts. But then the word disappears. "Disciple" is not used in the Epistles--even by John, who uses it frequently in his Gospel. Today, however, may speak and write about discipleship. What does "disciple" mean in the NT? And is there a message of discipleship for the church today? 1. The Greek word. The Greek word mathAtAs ("disciple") is from the verb manthanw ("to learn"). Thus, a disciple is a pupil or learner. In Greek culture prior to Socrates, manthanw described the process by which a person sought theoretical knowledge. A mathAtAs was one who attached himself to another to gain some practical or theoretical knowledge, whether by instruction or by experience. The word came to be used both of apprentices who were learning a trade and of adherents of various philosophical schools. After the time of Socrates, the word lost favor with the philosophers, who were not at all happy with its association with labor. But the concept of discipleship was most popular in the Judaism of Jesus' day. Rabbis had disciples who studied with them in a well-defined and special relationship. The need for training was intensely felt in the Jewish community, which believed that no one could understant Scripture without a teacher's guidance. A disciple in Judaism had to master--in addition to the Scriptures of the OT--the oral and written traditions that had grown up wround the Scriptures. Only after being so taught might a person become a rabbi himself or teach with any authority. This notion is expressed in the Jews' amazed reaction to Jesus' public teaching: "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" (Jn.7:15). Jesus taught with authority without having gone through the only process that the Jews felt could qualify anyone to teach. Several aspects of the rabbi-disciple relationship in first-century Judaism are significant. The disciple left his home and moved in with his teacher. He served the teacher in the most servile ways, treating him as an absolute authority. The disciple was expected not only to learn all that his rabbi knew but also to become like him in character and piety (Mt.10:24; Lk.6:40). The rabbi in return provided food and lodging and saw his own distinctive interpretations transmitted through his disciples to furture generations. So when Mark says that Jesus chose twelve men "that they might be with him" (Mk.3:14), he accurately reflects contemporary understanding of how future leaders should be trained. 2. The Twelve and others. The word mathAtAs is used in several different ways in the Gospels. First, it designates the Twelve whom Jesus chose to be with him. The Twelve are unique in that Jesus chose them and trained them to both teach and serve (Mk.3:14). In responding to Jesus' call, the Twelve made a disciple's total commitment. They surrendered everything to live in obedience to Jesus (Lk.14:26). Second, mathAtAs identifies followers of various schools or traditions. There were the disciples of the Pharisees (Mt.22:16; Mk.2:18; Lk.5:33) and the disciples of John the Baptist (Mt.11:2ff; Mk.2:18; Lk.5:33; Jn.1:35-37; 3:35). Used in this sense, "disciple" does not identify a student in a traditional teacher-learner relationship; rather, it identifies persons who are adherents of a movement. Third, our NT describes a much wider circle beyond the Twelve who are also called disciples. These are adherents of the movement associated with Jesus. At time the word "disciple" may seem to carry the sense of "believer" (cf. Jn.8:31; 13:35; 15:8). But it would be a mistake to think that all those who were called disciples in the Gospels were persons who had made a firm commitment to Jesus. In fact many were only initially attracted to Jesus. When they found his teachings difficult, as after his discourse on the Bread of Life, "many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him" (Jn.6:66). After the Resurrection, Jesus charged his followers to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt.28:19). The mission was not to win loose adherents for a movement. Instead, Jesus said to his disciples that they were to teach those who believe "to obey everything" he had commanded them (v.20). 3. Discipleship today. Acts continues to use the word "disciple," but there mathAtAs is synonymous with "believer." Luke even records the point at which the believing community began its break with the language of both Jewish and Greek culture. He tells of the time at Antioch when "the disciples were first called Christians" (Ac.11:26). Although it is dangerous to build on silence, it does seem significant that the term "disciple" is simply not used in the Epistles. This may be bacause it carried too many associations at a time when a new process was demanded within the church to equip God's people for growth and ministry. Jesus defined the goal of discipling when he said, "A student [mathAtAs] is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher" (Lk.6:40). Likeness, not simply knowledge, was the goal of Jewish discipleship. And likeness to Jesus himself is the goal God has for you and me (Rom.8:29; I Jn.3:2). Although complete likeness to Jesus awaits our resurrection, even now God is actively at work within believers. We "are being transformed into his [Jesus'] likeness with ever-increasing glory" (II Cor.3:18). A number of NT passages give insight into the processes that are involved in individual and community growth toward Christlikeness (e.g., Eph.4:11-16). The NT has several images that replace the image of disciples gathered around a rabbi. The Epistles speak of the Christian community as family, teaching us that we must build intimate relationships with our brothers and sisters. There is the image of Christ's body, a living organism, and this teaches us to look to each other for ministries that will facilitate our transformation. There is the image of a holy temple, indicating that we are to serve God and others. ... The Epistles, especially in contexts that emphasize the family and the body, present new interpersonal processes that in effect supplant those by which the disciples of Judaism were trained. We can learn much from a study of Jesus' relationship with the Twelve. But just as the word "disciple" was discarded when new terminology was needed to express new truths, so we should study the Epistles for nurture principles by which modern men and women of faith and commitment can be developed. Mark 3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:; and to have authority to cast out demons--ASV; with authority to expel the demons--Wey; and to have authority to cast out the demons; and to have power to heal the sicknesses, and to cast out the demons. TRNTyeagerV88 - kai echein exousian ekballein ta daimonia. kai (adjunctive conjunction joining purpose/result clauses). echein (pres.act.inf.of echw, complementary). exousian (acc.sing.fem.of exousia, direct object of echein). ekballein (pres.act.inf.of ekballw, epexegetical). ta (acc.pl.neut.of the article in agreement with daimonia). daimonia (acc.pl.neut.of daimonion, direct object of ekballein). Translation - "...and to have power to cast out the demons." COMMENT: "The verse completes the sentence of vs.14. echein and kArussein of vs.14 complete apostellA, while ekballein explains exousian. The authority of the incarnate Creator over the demon world is now given to His Apostles, and their message was to be authenticated by the exercise of this authority. Thus Christ demonstrated His superiority over the demon world. That they used this power is evident from Lk.10:17 and many other passages. MARKitGNTwuest71 - "To have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils." "Power" is not the translation of dunamis, used in Rom.1:16 of the supernatural power of God, but of exousia which means here, "delegated authority." God did not put His supernatural power into the hands of the Twelve to be exercised by them. He delegated to them the authority to cast out demons in the sense that they would speak the word declaring the casting out, and God's power (dunamis) would cast out the demon. The words "to heal sicknesses" are not in the Nestle text. It is most unfortunate that the A.V., translates diabolos which means "devil," and daimonion which means "demon," by the one word "devil." There is one Devil, and many demons. Furthermore, the Devil is a fallen angel, whereas demons belong to a different category of beings. Translation: "...and, being equipped with delegated authority, that of casting out the demons." NTC-MARKhendriksen123,4 - It is clear that Mk summarizes. The full content of the commission is found in Mt. 10: The Charge to the Twelve, which must be dated a little later. The disciples--all twelve of them--must have been in Christ's company a while before they could be sent out to proclaim the good tidings to others. As Mark relates, the task for which Jesus appointed ... these men was threefold: association and education, mission, and demon-expulsion. Matthew adds a fourth item. Association and Education. He appointed them, first of all, to spend some time with their Master, seeing and hearing him, and learning whatever it was he wished to teach them. For them such association meant spiritual education. Mission. Secondly, and in close connection with the preceding, he appointed them to be his heralds; hence, in that sense, to preach. Receivers must become givers. Disciples must become apostles. They must publish the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. In a sense they were invested with his authority. So real was this authority that Jesus was going to say, "He who receives y o u receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me" (Mt.10:40). ... They were sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mt.10:5,6); later, to all the nations (Mt.28:19), into all the world (Mk.16:15). Demon Expulsion. Thirdly, Jesus appointed them to have authority (the right and the power) to expel demons. For demon possession see on 1:23. Restoration of the body--both healing and bringing back to life--was also included, as Mt.10:8 shows. TNICotNT-MARKlane132,3 - Jesus left the crowds which had pursued him to ascend "the mountain" where he appointed twelve men to be his disciples. The evangelist shows no interest in the identification of the site; it is the withdrawal to the mountain which is itself significant for the interpretation of the narrative. The mountain as a locus of revelation and redemptive action is familiar from the OT and is the essential background to the evangelist's understanding of significant moments in the mission and self-revelation of Jesus. The appointment of the Twelve marks the formation of the messianic fellowship and anticipates the extension of Jesus' mission through them (6:7-13). The account appears to focus solely upon Jesus and the Twelve. While it is possible to think of a larger company of disciples from whom Jesus appointed twelve to remain with him, there is in the record no necessary thought of a selection of some from among others. It seems preferable to hold that only twelve disciples were involved from the beginning. The call of Jesus simply denotes a summons, as elsewhere in the Marcan narrative. In the synthetic parallelism of vs.13 and 14, the notice that Jesus summoned those whom he desired is itself a statement of election. The additional statement that "he appointed twelve" expresses officially the reality described as a summons and prepares for the qualifications which follow. After this initial reference Mark's distinctive formulation for disciples of Jesus is "the Twelve." [49]. The number twelve has a clear redemptive-historical significance. The Twelve represent in a new form the people of the twelve tribes, Israel. Through the choice of twelve disciples Jesus made visible his claim upon the whole people in their several divisions. The Twelve reflect backward on the prior history of the people of God as the people of the twelve tribes. In proleptic fashion they represent the final form of the messianic community, the eschatological creation of God. In the calling of the Twelve Jesus orders his work and theirs in accordance with the structure of redemptive history and its goal, the creation of the community of God. Jesus chose these twelve men for the specific purpose that they might be with him and that he might extend his mission through them. The promise of a future ministry is fulfilled initially in the mission of the Twelve to the Galilean villages (6:7-13), but finds its wider significance in the apostolic mission after the resurrection. These two phases of mission were made possible through Jesus' free choice of these men and his preparation of them for their task. Their relationship to Jesus explains their existence and their authority. Within the limits imposed by his structure, Mark devotes primary attention to the presence of the disciples with Jesus and their preparation for mission. Jesus' private instruction of the disciples is particularly prominent in the second half of the Gospel, but this facet of the mutual relationship between Jesus and the Twelve begins almost at once. Being with Jesus qualified the Twelve to bear witness to him and to participate in his distinctive ministry of proclamation and the overthrow of demonic power. The promise given to the Twelve is that they will share in the power of the Kingdom of God which breaks through to men with the coming of Jesus. MARKmcgarvey280 - "He ordained twelve." -- We must not associate with the word "ordain" in this place, any of the ceremonials of a modern, or even of an ancient ordination. The original is poiew ("to make"), some times used in the sense of "appoint"; e.g., Acts 2:36; Heb.3:2; Rev.1:6. He simply "appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." They were to be with him except when he would send them forth, and when sent forth, the work which they were to do is expressed in the three words, "preach," "heal sicknesses," "and cast out demons." From the critical notes it appears that "to heal sicknesses" is probably an interpolation here, but we know from the parallel passages that the words were spoken by Jesus, whether reported by Mark or not. (See Mt.10:1; Lk.9:1). TCGTC-MARKcranfield128 - kai echein exousian ekballein ta daimonia. As Jesus himself had come in order 'that he might destroy the works of the devil', the authority given to the Twelve to cast out the demons was part of the signs of the presence of the kingdom of God in Jesus. Mark 3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter; So he appointed the Twelve: to Simon he gave the name Peter--NEB; These were the Twelve he appointed: Peter (which was the new name he gave Simon)--Phi; and he appointed the twelve (and imposed a name on Simon--) Peter, And he put on Simon the name Peter; TRNTyeagerV88 - (kai epoiAsen tous dwdeka,) kai epethAken onoma tw Simwni Petron, kai (continuative conjunction). epoiAsen (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of poiew, constative). tous (acc.pl.masc.of the article in agreement with dwdeka). dwdeka (acc.pl.masc.indeclin., direct object of epoiAsen). kai (continuative conjunction). epethAken (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of epitithAmi, constative). onoma (acc.sing.neut.of onoma, direct object of epethAken). tw (dat.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with Simwna). Simwni (dat.sing.masc.of Simwna, indirect object of epethAken). Petron (acc.sing.masc.of Petros, predicate accusative in agreement with onoma). Translation: "And He appointed the twelve, and He gave a nickname to Simon - Peter." COMMENT: Some Mss. omit the clause kai...dwdeka, as an unnecessary repetition of vs.14. Note the interesting use of epitithAmi here Cf.#818. Cf. Lk.6:14. R488 - The dative and accusative appear to be in apposition. [Ed. Actually, epitithAmi may be used with onoma and a dative to indicate the giving of a surname to someone (cf. v.17).] MARKitGNTwuest71,2 - Nestle includes in his text the words, "And He appointed the Twelve." The connection then is, "And He appointed as the Twelve--the following persons," the twelve names mentioned being the object of the verb "appointed." "Simon He surnamed Peter." The verb is "to place upon." That is, He gave him an additional name to the one he already had. This is a direct reference to Jn.1:42, where our Lord first added this name which was to become descriptive of Simon's character after the HS had gotten control of him. Thayer says of petros the Greek word from which we get the name Peter, "an appellative proper name, signifying 'a stone, rock, ledge, or cliff,' used metaphorically of a soul hard and unyielding, and so resembling a rock," and says that it is so used in classical writings. Defining petra, the feminine form of the word, he says that this word means "a rock, large stone," and was used metaphorically to refer to a man like a rock by reason of his firmness and strength of soul. Comparing the masculine form petros with the feminine form petra he quotes Schmidt on Synonyms as saying that petra refers to the massive living rock, and petros, to a detached but large fragment, and that this distinction is important for the correct understanding of Mt.16:18 where our Lord syas, "As for you, you are Petros, and upon this petra, I will build my Church." That is "You are Petros, a Rock-like man, and upon this petra, this huge Gilbraltar-like rock, my deity, I will build my Church." We find the English name "Peter," used in the expression, "It just petered out," meaning that the thing referred to, just failed and failed until it ceased to exist. This comes from the example of Peter's character before he was filled with the Spirit, vacillating, unpredictable, frequently failing, especially in crises. But as the Lord used it, it means what the Greek word means of which it is the transliteration, and is descriptive of a rock-like man, dependable, immovable, equal to the emergencies and crises that confront him. Translation: "And He appointed the Twelve, and added to Simon's name, the name, Peter. NTC-MARKhendriksen124,5 - The very fact that Jesus appointed exactly twelve men, no more no less, indicated that he had in mind the new Israel, for ancient Israel had twelve tribes and twelve patriarchs. The new Israel was going to be gathered from among all the nations, Jew and Gentiles alike (Mt.8:10-12; 16:18; 28:19; Mk.12:9; 16:15,16; Lk.4:25-27; Jn.3:16; 10:16; Rev.21:12,14. In the NT the names of The Twelve are listed four times (Mt.10:2-4; Mk.3:16-19; Lk.6:14-16; Acts 1:13,26). Acts 1:15-26 records the manner in which Judas Iscariot was replaced by Matthias. With that exception the twelve names undoubtedly indicate the same persons in each of the four lists. With respect to the three lists recorded in the Synoptics note the following: If theoretically the twelve names are viewed as in each case consisting of three groups of four, the ones mentioned are the same in each group. They are, however, not always arranged in identical sequaence. In the first group of four Mark, unlike Matthew and Luke, separates the names of the two brothers Simon (=Peter) and Andrew. Mark's order is Simon, James, John, Andrew. Matthew's and Luke's is: Simon, Andrew, James, John. In the second group Luke's order agrees with Mark's: Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas. In this group Matthew places Thomas before his own name; hence, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew. In the final group Matthew's order is the same as Mark's: James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Cananaean, Judas Iscariot. Here Luke, reversing the middle two, has: James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas the (son) of James--this Judas, we may assume, is Thaddaeus--, Judas Iscariot. Mark, it will be noted, does not arrange the twelve names in pairs, as Matthew does. He mentions them all in one long row. Just why it was that Mark separated the names of the two brothers, Simon and Andrew, is not clear. Suggestions: Does he group Simon, James, and John in immediate succession because frequently Jesus chose exactly these three, not the others, to be with him? Does he mention Andrew in immediate connection with Philip because there may well have been a close relationship between these two? See Jn.12:21,22. Or is it possible that the separated the names of the brothers Simon and Andrew because he wanted to indicate that in Christ's family spiritual kinship was even more important than physical? See this very chapter (3:31- 35). We simply do not know. As to the twelve, considered individually, in the order in which Mark has arranged them, note the following: Simon. He was a son of Jonas or John. By trade he was a fisherman, who with his brother Andrew first lived in Bethsaida (Jn.1:44), afterward in Capernaum (Mk.1:21,29). Both Mark and Luke report that it was Jesus who gave Simon the new name Peter. For details of this event see Jn.1:42. This new name, meaning rock, was a description not of what Simon was when called, but of what by grace he was to become. At first, and for some time afterward, Simon was anything but a model of steadfastness or imperturbability. On the contrary, he was constantly swaying from one position to its opposite. He turned from trust to doubt (Mt.14:28,30); from open profession of Jesus as the Christ, to rebuking that very Christ (Mt.16:16,22); from a vehement declaration of loyalty, to base denial (Mt.26:33-35,69-75; Mk.14:29-31,66-72; Lk.22:33,54-62); from "By no means shalt thou wash my feet ever," to "Not my feet only but also my hands and my head" (Jn.13:8,9). See also Jn.20:4,6; Gal.2:11,12. Nevertheless, by the grace and power of the Lord this changeable Simon was transformed into a true Peter. For the significance of Peter in the post-resurrection church see NTC on Mt.16:13-20. Accordingly, when Jesus at this early date--for Mk.3:16 reflects Jn.1:42--assigned to Simon his new name, that was an act of love, a love that was willing to overlook the present and even the near future, and to look far ahead. Wonderful and transforming grace of our loving Lord! Two NT books are by tradition accredited to this apostle: I and II Peter. As was shown earlier ..., Mark has not unjustly been called "Peter's interpreter." MARKj&d94 - Because he was first to publicly confess Christ, and because the Lord saw in him peculiar gifts of bold, aggres- sive leadership, Peter was given the right to open the doors of the kingdom of heaven. But after he had done this in the two sermons to Jews and Gentiles (Acts 2:14-41; 10:34-48), there is no evidence of Peter's having any authority above that of the other apostles. Christ never so stated; Peter never so claimed; the Apostles never so owned. Jesus, on the other hand, specifically placed them on a level, with himself as their only Master (Mt.23:8-11). Peter claims only equal position with other officers in the church (I Pet.5:1, 4). Paul names James first (Gal.2:9, 11-14). See Mt.18:18; 19:27,28; 20:25-27; Jn.20:21; Acts 1:8. Peter was but one of the apostles, one of the "pillars" of the church (Gal.2:9). Jesus had prophesied that Simon should be called Peter when Simon was first brought to him by Andrew (Jn.1:41,42). The name signifies a piece of stone broken from mother-rock, and indicates Jesus' prophetic insight into his character. MARKmcgarvey280 - "he surnamed Peter." -- Mark chooses to mention here a fact which occurred when Simon was first led into the presence of Jesus by his brother Andrew; for it was then that he surnamed him Cephas, which is the same as petros in Greek and Peter in English. (Jn.1:42). Mark 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James;; then came the sons of Zebedee, James and his brother John-- NEB; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:; to whom he gave the name Boanerges, Sons of Thunder--NEB; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (and imposed on them a name--Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder); and James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he put on them names--Boanerges, that is, 'Sons of thunder;' TRNTyeagerV88,9 - kai Iakwbon ton tou Zebedaiou kai IwannAn ton adelphon tou Iakwbou, kai epethAken autois onomata BoanArges, ho estin Huioi BrontAs; kai (adjunctive conjunction, joining nouns). Iakwbon (acc.sing.masc.of Iakwbon, object of epoiAsen). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in apposition). tou (gen.sing.masc.of the article, relationship). Zebedaiou (gen.sing.masc.of Zebedaios, relationship). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). IwannAn (acc.sing.masc.of IwannAs, object of epoiAsen). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with adelphon). adelphon (acc.sing.masc.of adelphos, apposition). tou (gen.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with Iakwbou). Iakwbou (gen.sing.masc.of Iakwbon, relationship). kai (continuative conjunction). epethAken (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of epitithAmi, constative). autois (dat.pl.masc.of autos indirect object of epethAken). onomata (acc.pl.neut.of onoma, direct object of epethAken). BoanArges (acc.sing.neut.of BoanArges, in apposition). Meaning: "Sons of Thunder." The name given by Jesus to James and John. The name seems to indicate fiery and destructive zeal, similar to what can be expected in a thunder storm. Cf. Lk.9:54. ho (nom.sing.masc.of hos, subject of estin). estin (3d.per.sing.pres.ind.of eimi, aoristic). Huioi (nom.pl.masc.of huios, predicate nominative). BrontAs (gen.sing.fem.of brontA, definition). thunder - Mk.3:17; Rev.4:5; 6:1; 8:5; 10:3,4,4; 11:19; 14:2; 16:18; 19:6; Jn.12:29. Meaning: Thunder. In the ordinary meterological sense. In connection with the supernatural judgments of the Revelation in all places in that book. in connection with #2116 in Mk.3:17. Properly in Jn.12:29 as the audience mistakenly interpreted the voice of God. Translation: "...and James, the son of Zebedee and John, the brother of James (also He assigned to them names - Boanerges, which means 'Sons of Thunder.'" COMMENT: Jesus also included James and John in the chosen group of apostles. Mark repeats the pattern of epe...onomata in vs.17, which he used in vs.16. Cf.Lk.9:54 for comment on the nickname which Jesus gave to the two brothers. That Jesus could read the personality traits of His disciples so well is further evidence of His deity. There are many shortsighted Christians who are remarkably generous with the wrath of God upon others who disagree with them. For nearly two thousand years the Church has been thundering (which is God's prerogative) when she should have been praying (which is her duty). In 1960 many disciples prayed that the thunder and lightning of political repudiation might fall upon another Christian who happened not to walk in their own denominational camp. Fundamentalists, for all of their commendable zeal for the defense of the historic faith, have too often emulated James and John as they have called down God's wrath on others, whom they thought were astray from the path of theological orthodoxy. A forgotten fundamental of the faith is found in Jesus' statement, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another" (Jn.13:35). T208 - Huioi brontAs actually means "thunderbolts" (cf. BD162[6]). Cham30 - Genitive. ... f. There is also a 'Hebraistic genitive' which is primarily a genitive of definition. ... This is due, no doubt in large part, to translation of the Hebrew idiom, the construct state of the noun. ... See also the many expressions using huios or teknon with a genitive as substitute for an adjective: (here). MARKitGNTwuest72 - "He surnamed them Boanerges, which is, sons of thunder." "Surnamed" is again from epitithAmi, "to place upon." That is, our Lord added this name to the one they already had. In Syrian, the name means "sons of thunder," in Hebrew, "sons of tumult." The expression "sons of" is a Hebrew idiom in which the distinguishing characteristic of the individual or thing named is regarded as his parent. Vincent says that the name Boanerges seems to have been intended as a title of honor, although it was not perpetuated like the surname Peter. He says that it is justified by the impetuosity and zeal which characterized both the brothers, which prompted them to suggest the calling of fire from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritan village (Lk.9:54), which marked James as the victim of an early martyrdom (Acts 12:2), and which sounds in the thunders of John's Apocalypse. The Greek Church calls John Brontophwnos "the thunder-voiced." NTC-MARKhendriksen125,6 - James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James. Mark mentions these two fishermen not only here and in 1:19,20 ... but also later on (9:2; cf. 10:35- 45). There are also several references to them in the other Gospels. Probably because of their fiery nature Jesus called these two brothers Boanerges. This is an Aramaic word, which Mark, who is the only Gospel-writer to report this, for his non-Jewish readers interprets to mean "sons of thunder." The Hebrew name would be bene reghesh. That the two did indeed have a fiery nature may perhaps be inferred from Lk.9:54-56. Cf. Mk.9:38. James was the first of The Twelve to wear the martyr's crown (Acts 12:2). While he was the first to arrive in heaven, his brother John was in all probability the last to remain on earth. On the life and character of John, considered by many (I believe correctly) as being "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn.13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20) see NTC on the Gospel according to John,... Five New Testament books have by tradition been assigned to John: his Gospel, three epistles (I, II, and III John), and the book of Revelation. MARKj&d94,5 - ...Probably because of their vigor and zealous, stormy dispositions (Lk.9:51-56; Mk.9:38), James and John were surnamed "Sons of thunder." James' vigorous character probably led to Herod's slaying him, and John's vigor sustained him to a ripe old age--between ninety and one- hundred. John's writings, too, reveal this vigor; he denounces sin in strong terms, such as "liar," "antichrist," "deceiver," "children of the devil" and "murderer" (I Jn.1:6; 2:4,22; 3:15; II Jn.3-11). James and John were sons of Zebedee and Salome (Mt.27:56; Mk.15:40) and perhaps cousins of Jesus (cf. John 19:25). MARKmcgarvey280,1 - "Boanerges." -- This surname of the sons of Zebedee may have been given, as Simon's was, at an earlier period, or it may have been given at this time. They were called "sons of thunder," on account of their stormy and destructive temper. A striking manifestation of it is mentioned by Luke. When a Samaritan village in which Jesus desired to lodge, refused to receive him, James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven and burn up the inhabitants. (Lk.9:51-56). On another occasion, a man was found casting out demons, and because he was not of the immediate followers of Jesus, John ordered him to abandon his benevolent and miraculous work. The early death of James, and our scant knowledge of him, leave us without data as to any change in his disposition; but the lovely temper of John in his old age, shows that the transforming power of the gospel wrought a great change in him. Great as this change was, however, a slight muttering of the old thunder was heard when John came to speak of such men as Diotrephes, and certain false teachers who went about not bearing the doctrine of Christ. (See II John 10,11; III John 9,10.) Mark 3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,; and Thaddaeus and Simon the Cananaean--ASV; and Thaddaeus and Simon, a member of the Zealot party--NEB; Thaddaeus, Simon the Patriot--Phi; and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the zealot; and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananite, TRNTyeagerV90,1 - kai Andrean kai Philippon kai Bartholomaion kai Maththaion kai Thwman kai Iakwbon ton tou Alphaiou kai Thaddaion kai Simwna ton Kananaion, kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Andrean (acc.sing.masc.of Andreas, direct object of epoiAsen). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Philippon (acc.sing.masc.of Philippos, direct object of epoiAsen). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Bartholomaion (acc.sing.masc.of Bartholomaios, direct object of epoiAsen). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Maththaion (acc.sing.masc.of Maththaios, direct object of epoiAsen). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Thwman (acc.sing.masc.of Thwmas, direct object of epoiAsen). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Iakwbon (acc.sing.masc.of Iakwbon, direct object of epoiAsen). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article, apposition). tou (gen.sing.masc.of the article, relationship). Alphaiou (gen.sing.masc.of Alphaios, relationship). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Thaddaion (acc.sing.masc.of Thaddaios, direct object of epoiAsen). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Simwna (acc.sing.masc.of Simwn, direct object of epoiAsen). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with Kananaion). Kananaion (acc.sing.masc.of Kananaios, apposition). Translation: - "...and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus and Simon, the Canaanite..." COMMENT: Since there are two of the group named James and two named Simon, Mark carefully distinguishes them. James, the son of Zebedee (vs.17) is sometimes called james the Greater; he is the brother of John the Beloved disciple and one of the Sons of Thunder. james (vs.18) is the son of Alphaeus, sometimes called James the Less. Simon Peter (vs.16) is not to be confused with Simon the Canaanite (vs.18). One more was chosen - "...in order that the scripture might be fulfilled" (Jn.17:12). Ear122,3 - Canaanite. The word should be "cananaean" (NASB) but this is not used elsewhere and needs explanation. In his parallel passage, Lk (6:15) has zAlwtAs, "zealot." Swete and several other good commentators prefer to take this as meaning that Simon was a zealous person. But probably it indicates that he was "an adherent of the party later known as 'the zealots.'" Vincent Taylor goes on to say: "Although the Zealots belonged to a later time, being especially active in leading the people to armed revolt against the Romans (cf. Josephus), they were preceded, from the time of Judas of Galilee onwards, by many, including Pharisees of the left wing, with strong nationalistic tendencies; and to such Simon may have belonged" (Mark). MARKitGNTwuest72,3 - Andrew, a name of Greek origin though in use among the Jews, comes from aner a Greek word for a man considered as a male individual of the human race, the name itself meaning "manly." Philip is another Greek name, meaning "fond of horses." In ecclesiastical legend he is said to have been a chariot-driver. Matthew is a Hebrew name meaning "a gift of God." Thomas is a Hebrew name meaning "twin." Thaddaeus is the Judas of Jn.14:22. Luther calls him der fromme Judas, that is, the good Judas. Simon the Canaanite is properly Simon, the Canaanaean. Vincent quotes Geike in "Life and Words of Christ," as follows: "No name is more striking in the list than that of Simon the Zealot, for to none of the twelve could the contrast be so vivid between their former and their new position. What revolution of thought and heart could be greater than that which had thus changed into a follower of Jesus one of the fierce war-party of the day, which looked on the presence of Rome in the Holy Land as treason against the majesty of Jehovah, a party who were fanatical in their Jewish strictures and exclusiveness?" NTC-MARKhendriksen126,7 - Andrew. It was he, also a fisherman, who brought his brother Peter to Jesus (...Jn.1:41,42). For other references to Andrew see (1:16,17,29); also study Mk.13:3; Jn.6:8,9; 12:22. Philip. He was at least for a while a fellow townsman of Peter and Andrew, that is, he too was from Bethsaida. Having himself responded to the call of Jesus, he found Nathanael, and said to him, "The one about whom Moses wrote in the law and about whom the prophets wrote, we have found, Jesus, son of Joseph, the one from Nazareth" (Jn.1:45). When Jesus was about to feed the five thousand he asked Philip, "How are we to buy bread-cakes that these (people) may eat?" Philip answered, "Bread cakes for two hundred denarii would not be sufficient for them so that each might get a little something" (Jn.6:5,7). Philip apparently forgot that the power of Jesus surpassed any possibility of calculation. To deduce from this incident the conclusion that Philip was a coldly-calculating type of person, more so than the other apostles, would be basing too much on too little. In the Gospels Philip generally appears in a rather favorable light. Thus, when the Greeks approached him with the request, "Sir, we would see Jesus," he went and told Andrew, and these two, Andrew and Philip, brought the enquirers to Jesus (Jn.12:21,22). It must be admitted that Philip did not always immediately understand the meaning of Christ's profound utterances--did the others?--but to his credit it must be said that with perfect candor he would reveal his ignorance and ask for further information, as is also clear from Jn.14:8, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be content." He received the beautiful and conforting answer, "...He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn.14:9). Bartholomew (meaning: son of Tolmai). He is clearly the Nathanael of John's Gospel (1:45-49; 21:2). It was he who said to Philip, "Out of Nazareth can any good come?" Philip answered, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him he said, "Look, truly an Israelite in whom deceit does not exist." This disciple-apostle was one of the seven persons to whom the resurrected Christ appeared at the Sea of Tiberias. Of the other six only Simon Peter, Thomas, and the sons of Zebedee are mentioned. Matthew. This disciple as already been discussed in some detail (2:14-17). Thomas. The references to him combine in indicating that despondency and devotion marked this man. He was ever afraid that he might lose his beloved Master. He expected evil, and it was hard for him to believe good tidings when they were brought to him. Yet when the risen Savior in all his tender, condescending love revealed himself to him it was he who exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" . ... James the son of Alphaeus. By Mark (15:40) he is also called "James the Less," which by some is interpreted as meaning "James the younger," but by others as "James small in stature." About him we have no further positive information. It is probable, however, that he was the same disciple who is referred to in Mt.27:56; Mk.16:1; and Lk.24:10. If this be correct, his mother's name was Mary, one of the women who accompanied Jesus and stood near the cross. ... It has already been shown that the Alphaeus who was the father of Matthew should probably not be identified with Alphaeus the father of James the Less. Thaddaeus (called Lebbaeus in certain manuscripts of Mt.10:3 and Mk.3:18). He is in all probability the "Judas not Iscariot" of Jn.14:22 ... cf. Acts 1:13. From what is said about him in Jn.14 it would seem that he wanted Jesus to show himself to the world, probably meaning: to get into the limelight. Simon the Cananaean. "The Cananaean" is an Aramaic surname meaning enthusiast or zealot. In fact Luke calls him "Simon the Zealot" (Lk.6:15; Acts 1:13). In all probability this name is here given him because formerly he had belonged to the party of the Zealots, which party in its hatred for the foreign ruler, who demanded tribute, did not shrink from fomenting rebellion against the Roman government. See Josephus .... MARKj&d95 - Philip, like the four preceding disciples, was a native of Bethsaida, and became allied to Jesus on the latter's return from temptation to Galilee (Jn.1:43,44). He brought to Jesus Nathanael, who is generally identified with the Bartholomew here named, because John always names Philip and Nathanael together, while the Synoptists name Philip and Bartholomew. Philip seems to have been of practical turn of mind (Jn.6:5-9). Nathanael was "the Israelite in whom is no guile" (Jn.1:47). Matthew is Levi, and alone of all the Synoptists, describes himself in the list of apostles as "the publican," as if recalling the depth from which grace had raised him (Mk.2:14). Thomas is also called Didymus (Jn.11:16). Both words mean "twin," the first being Aramaic and the second Greek. His attachment to Jesus was deep (Jn.11:16), but a tendency to misgiving and despondency probably accounts for his doubting the news of Christ's resurrection, until the sight of his beloved Master brought that explosion of affection, "My Lord and my God!" James called "son of Alphaeus" and "James the Less" (Mk.15:40), to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee, must not be confused with James the Lord's brother, who became a leader in the Jerusalem church (Gal.1:19; 2:9- 12; I Cor.15:5-7; Acts 15:6-9; 21:18), and wrote the Epistle of James. Thaddaeus is called Judas, son of James, in the two later Gospels--Luke and John. He may have been known as Thaddaeus in the early days to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He is not the author of the epistle of Jude, written by the Lord's brother. The cognomen "Cananaean" means "the Zealot" (used by Luke and John). MARKmcgarvey281 - "and Andrew." -- Matthew and Luke both name Andrew in connection with his brother Simon Peter; but Mark names James and John with Peter, and puts Andrew next, in company with Philip. He was doubtless led to this arrangement by the fact that Peter was more intimate officially with James and John, than with Andrew, and that Jesus bestowed on the three special honors in which Andrew did not have a part. (Comp. 9:2; 14:33). "Thaddeus." -- Matthew styles this apostle, "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus" (10:3); Mark calls him by his surname alone; while Luke uses neither of these names, but calls him "Judas the brother of James" (Lk.6:16; Acts 1:13); and John calls him "Judas, not Iscariot." As Matthew was the earliest, and John the latest of the four writers, we infer that the man was known in earlier life as Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddaeus; but that late in life he came to be known exclusively by the name Judas. Mark 3:19 (19a) And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him:; And Judas, the man from Kerioth, who betrayed Him--Beck; And Judas of Kerioth, the man through whose treachery he was arrested--Rieu; and Judas Iscariot, who also delivered him up. and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up; TRNTyeagerV91 - kai Ioudan Iskariwth, hos kai paredwken auton. kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). Ioudan (acc.sing.masc.of Ioudas, direct object of epoiAsen). Iskariwth (acc.sing.masc.of IskariwtAs, in apposition). hos (nom.sing.masc.of hos, relative pronoun, subject of paredwken). kai (emphatic conjunction). paredwken (3d.per.sing.aor.act.ind.of paradidwmi, constative). auton (acc.sing.masc.of autos, direct object of paredwken). Translation: "And Judas Iscariat, who in fact betrayed Him." COMMENT: It seems proper to translate the second kai in an emphatic sense. The student should decide which translation to give in a case like this by trying all the alternatives and picking the one which best fits the context. It is interesting to note the little bits of information, offered in an incidental manner, about the disciples which the listings gives, in addition to their names. The nicknames of Peter, James and John are given, with an interpretation of the latter, the name of the father of James the Less, in order to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee, the province of Simon, to distinguish him from Simon Peter and the crime of Judas Iscariat. Ear123 - Betrayed. The verb is paradidwmi, which means "hand over." But it is regularly used of Judas betraying Jesus. In effect he was "handing over" Jesus to His enemies. MARKitGNTwuest - Iscariot, which distinguishes this Judas from others, is usually explained as a compound, meaning "the man of Kerioth." Reference is made to his native town which is given in Joshua 15:25 as one of the uttermost cities of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward. In this town was born the betrayer of the Saviour. "Betrayed" is the translation of paradidwmi, made up of didwmi "to give," and para "alongside," thus "to hand over alongside." Our "sold him down the river," is the present equivalent. Translation: "And Judas Iscariot who also handed Him over." NTC-MARKhendriksen127,8 - Judas Iscariot. This name is generally interpreted as meaning "Judas the man from Kerioth," a place in southern Judea. (Some, however, prefer the interpretation, "the dagger-man.") The Gospels refer to him again and again .... He is at time described as "Judas who betrayed him," "Judas one of the twleve," "the betrayer," "Judas the son of Simon Iscariot," "Judas Iscariot, Simon's son," or simply "Judas." This man, though thoroughly responsible for his own wicked deeds, was an instrument of the devil (Jn.6:70,71). While other people, when they felt tha they could no longer agree with or even tolerate Christ's teachings, would simply disassociate themselves from Him (Jn.6:66), Judas remained, as if he were in full accord with him. Being a very selfish person he was unable-- or shall we say "unwilling"?--to understand the unselfish and beautiful deed of Mary of Bethany, who anointed Jesus (Jn.12:1ff). He was unable and unwilling to see that the native language of love is lavishness. it was the devil who instigated Judas to betray Jesus, that is, to deliver him into the hands of the enemy. He was a thief; yet it was he who had been entrusted with the treasuryship of the little company, with the predictable result (Jn.12:6). When, in connection with the institution of the Lord's Supper, the dramatic moment arrived--forever commemorated in Scripture (Mt.26:20-25; Jn.13:21-30) and emblazoned in art (Leonardo da Vinci, etc.)--in which Jesus startled The Twelve by saying, "One of y o u will betray me," Judas, though having already received from the chief priests the thirty pieces of silver as a reward for his promised deed (Mt.26:14-16; Mk.14:10,11) had the incredible audacity to say, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Judas served as guide for the detachment of soldiers and the posse of temple police that arrested Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. It was by means of perfidiously kissing his Master, as if he were still a loyal disciple, that this traitor pointed out Jesus to those who had come to seize him .... As to the manner of Judas' self-inflicted demise, see Mt.27:3-5; cf. Acts 1:18. What caused this privileged disciple to become Christ's betrayer? Was it injured pride, disappointed ambition, deeply entrenced greed, fear of being put out of the synagogue (Jn.9:22)? No doubt all of these were involved, but could not the most basic reason have been this, that between the utterly selfish heart of Judas and the infinitely unselfish and outgoing heart of Jesus there was a chasm so immense that either Judas must implore the Lord to bestow upon him the grace of regeneration and complete renewal, a request which the traitor wickedly refused to make, or else he must offer his help to get rid of Jesus? ... One thing is certain: The shocking tragedy of Judas' life is proof not of Christ's impotence but of the traitor's impenitence! Woe to that man! What points up the greatness of Jesus is that he took such men as these, and welded them into an amazingly influential community that would prove to be not only a worthy link with Israel's past but also a solid foundation for the church's future. Yes, he accomplished this multiple miracle with such men as these, with all their faults and foibles. Even when we leave out Judas Iscariot and concentrate only on the others, we cannot fail to be impressed with the majesty of the Savior, whose drawing power, incomparable wisdom, and matchless love were so astounding that he was able to gather around himself and to unite into one family men of entirely different, at times even opposite, backgrounds and temperaments. Included in this little band was Peter the optimist (Mt.14:28; 26:33,35), but also Thomas the pessimist (Jn.11:16; 20:24,25); Simon the one-time Zealot, hating taxes and eager to overthrow the Roman government, but also Matthew, who had voluntarily offered his tax collecting services to that same Roman government; Peter, John, and Matthew, destined to become renowned through their writings, but also James the Less, who remains obscure but must have fulfilled his mission. Jesus drew them to himself with the cords of his tender, never-failing compassion. He loved them to the uttermost (Jn.13:1), and in the night before he was betrayed and crucified commended them to his Father, saying: "I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word...Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, in order that they may be one, even as we are one.... I do not make request that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Consecrate them in the truth; thy word is truth. Just as thou didst send me into the world, so have I also sent them into the world. And for thy sake I consecrate myself, in order that they also may be truly consecrated (Jn.17:6-19, in part)." TNICotNT-MARKlane134,5,6,7 - The traditional character of the list of the Twelve which Mark has adopted at this point is indicated by its awkward introduction ("and he surnamed Simon Peter"), by the presence of unexplained descriptive names ("Peter," "Boanerges"), and by the identification of Judas Iscariot as the betrayer of Jesus. The absence of an explicit reference to Levi is striking because Mark reported his call to discipleship in 2:14. Lists of the Twelve circulated independently in the churches and show slight variations in the manuscript tradition. The Marcan list, unfortunately raises some questions to which satisfactory answers cannot now be given. The list is headed by Simon whose call to discipleship occurred early in the Galilean ministry (1:16). Because he is designated by his Semitic name in subsequent mention (1:29f., 36), there is no clear Marcan context for interpreting the statement that Jesus surnamed him Peter [56]. The new name is the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic Cephas, which signifies "a stone" or "a rock." In this context it is not a proper name. Like "Boanerges," it may describe some quality or trait which Jesus recognized in Simon. In the OT and later Jewish literature, however, the giving of a surname frequently conferred a promise or designated appointment to a special task. It is probable that the surname "Peter" conveys a promise which sets Simon apart as spokesman and representative of the Twelve during Jesus' ministry and as leader of the early church during its formative stage. Through his confession that Jesus is the Messiah (8:29) and his proclamation in Jerusalem, Caesarea and elsewhere, Simon would become a foundation rock on which Jesus would build his Church. (Ed. ?????). The introduction of the two sons of Zebedee next is appropriate to the importance which they assume in the subsequent narrative, where Peter, James and John constitute a privileged group within the Twelve. There are given the surname "Boanerges," which is interpreted to mean "sons of thunder." Although no preparation for this characterization has been given by the evangelist, it is appropriate to the diery outbursts which are attributed to the two brothers at later points in the narrative. Although Simon and Andrew were pressed into service together (1:16), both here and in 13:3 Andrew is listed after James and John. He ranks high in the list as one who had followed Jesus from the beginning of the Galilean ministry. The names which follow, with the exception of Judas, do not recur in the Marcan narrative and the men who bear them remain shadowy figures. "Philip" is an old Macedonian name, but Hebraized forms of this name occur in the Talmud. "Bartholomew" is not a proper name but a patronymic meaning "Son of Talmai." Presumably this disciple had a personal name as well. "Matthew" is a common Semitic name. It is probable that this man is identical with Levi whose call to discipleship was reported in 2:14, but Mark makes no attempt to underscore this fact. "Thomas" is an Aramaic name meaning "twin." "James the son of Alphaeus" is unknown apart from the apostolic lists. If he is the brother of Levi, who is designated "the son of Alphaeus" in 2:14, there were three pairs of brothers among the Twelve. "Thaddeus'" standing among the Twelve is confirmed by both canonical and non- canonical sources, but in Luke-Acts his place is taken by "Judas, the son of James." It is possible that Judas is correct but that Thaddeus was this disciple's preferred name. In contrast to these relatively colorless names the last two are of special interest. "Cananaean" is a transliteration of the Hebrew term qanna' signifying "jealous" or "zealous"; it is properly translated by the term "Zealot." The designation marks Simon as one who was jealous for the honor of God. He may have sought to pattern his life after the patriarch Phinehas whose indignation at Israelite idolatry turned aside God's wrath from Israel: "he was jealous with my jealusy among them...and made atonement for the people of God" (Num.25:10-13). Phinehas' zeal for God had been honored in Scripture (Ps.106:30f.) and invited emulation. In Jesus' words and actions Simon found a zeal for the glory of God which exceeded his own [69]. While Simon was remembered for his zeal for God a different distinction belonged to Judas, whose surname "Iscariot" identifies him as "the man from [the village of] Karioth." The stigma of betrayal of the Lord is attached to his name. This notice presumes some knowledge of the passion narrative in which Judas plays a brief but significant part. The preservation of the detail that one of the Twelve was the agent through whom Jesus was betrayed to his adversaries demonstrates the integrity of the early Christian tradition. The importance of 3:13-19a in the total Marcan outline needs to be emphasized. The appointment of the Twelve provides the indispensable link between the program announced in 1:16f. and its proleptic fulfilment in 6:7-13. Beyond this, it clearly anticipates the extension of Jesus' ministry through the apostles after their meeting with the Risen Lord promised in 14:28 and 16:7. In the narrative subsequent to 3:13-19 it is either the Twelve or a group within the Twelve who are visible and dominant. Mark assigns a central place to the Twelve as those in whom discipleship was concentrated. While the evangelist may have known of others who were also disciples of Jesus, this acquaintance has left almost no imprint upon the record. In the Gospel of Mark the disciples of Jesus are, apparently, "the Twelve." MARKbarclay68,9,70 - Jesus had now come to a very important mo- ment in His life and work. He had emerged with His message; He had chosen His method; He had gone throughout Galilee preaching and healing. It is clear that by this time He had made a very considerable impact on the public mind. Now He had to find some way of making His message permanent if any- thing happened to Him, and that something would happen He did not doubt. Second, He had to find some way of disseminating His message, and in an age when there was no such thing as a printed book or newspaper, and now way of reaching large numbers of people at the one time, that was no easy task. There was only one way to solve these two pro- blems; He had to choose certain men on whose hearts and lives He could write His message and who would go out from His presence to carry that message abroad. Here in this passage we see Him doing exactly that. It is very significant that Christianity began with a group. The Christian faith is something which from the be- ginning had to be discovered and lived out in a fellowship. The whole essence of the way of the Pharisees was that it separated men from their fellow men; the very name Pharisee means the separated one; the whole essence of Christianity was that it bound men to their fellow men, and presented them with the task of living with each other and for each other. Further, Christianity began with a very mixed group. In it the two extremes met. Matthew was a tax-collector and, therefore, an outcast. He was a renegade and a traitor to his fellow countrymen. Simon the Cananaean is correctly called by Luke, Simon the Zealot; and the Zealots were a band of fiery and violent nationalists who were pledged even to murder and assassination to clear their country of the foreign yoke. The man who was lost to patriotism and the fa- natical patriot came together in that group, and no doubt between them there were all kinds of views and backgrounds and opinions. Christianity began by insisting that the most diverse people should live together and by enabling them to do so, because they were all living with Jesus. Judging them by worldly standards the men Jesus chose had no special social position; they had no special educa- tion; they were not trained theologians; they were not high- ranking churchmen and ecclesiastics; they were twelve ordinary men. But they had two special qualifications. First, they had felt the magnetic attraction of Jesus. There was something about Him that made them wish to take Him as their Master. And second, they had the courage to show that they were on His side. Make no mistake, that did require courage. Here was this Jesus calmly crashing through the rules and regulations; here was this Jesus heading straight for an inevitable collision with the orthodox leaders of His day; here was this Jesus already branded as a sinner and la- belled as a heretic; and yet they had the courage to attach themselves to Him. No band of men ever staked everything on such a forlorn hope as these Galilaeans, and no band of men ever did it with opener eyes. These twelve had all kinds of faults, but whatever else could be said about them, they loved Jesus and they were not afraid to tell the world that they loved Him--and that is being a Christian. Jesus called them to Him for two purposes. First, He called them to be with Him. He called them to be His steady and consistent companions. Others might come and go; the crowd might be there one day and away the next; others might be fluctuating and spasmodic in their attachment to Jesus, but these twelve were to identify their lives with His life; they were to live with Him all the time. Second, He called them to send them out. He wanted them to be His repre- sentatives. He wanted them to tell others about Him. They themsleves had been won in order to win others. For their task Jesus equipped them with two things. First, He gave them a message. They were to be His heralds. A wise man said that no man has any right to be a teacher unless he has a teaching of his own to offer, or the teaching of another that with all the passion of his heart he wishes to propagate. Men will always listen to the man with a message. Jesus gave these friends of His something to say. Second, He gave them a power. They were also to cast out demons. Because they companied with Him something of His power was on their lives. If we would learn what discipleship is we will do well to think again of these first disciples. MARKj&d95,6 - Judas, famed for his infamy, is called Iscariot, from his native city Kerioth, in Judea; he was the only one of the twelve not from Galilee. He was treasurer of the group. Much speculation has been wasted upon the reason for his choice as an apostle; suffice it to note that Jesus called "whom he himself would." It is a strikingly human group, possessed in varying degrees of fear, ambition, rivalry, impetuosity, vows, weakening faith, yet real loyalty--a group of men, and not supermen, with common virtues and common faults, to do an uncommon work with divine power and under divine guidance." (Standard Bible Lesson Quarterly, Jan., Feb., March 1918.)