It’s a song etched into many of our minds from long ago. “There were twelve disciples Jesus called to help Him, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, his brother John; Philip, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon, Thaddaeus, Judas, and Bartholomew. Jesus calls us too …” These twelve men were “The Chosen.” Why them and not others? None of them were rabbis, priests, scribes, Pharisees or Sadducees. Members of the Jewish religious establishment were overlooked for men who were rather unimpressive – fishermen, a tax collector, and the like. The choice of these twelve served as a judgment against a system that had become corrupt. And why the number twelve? The twelve tribes in Israel had largely turned away from the Lord. In Jesus’ day, the nation’s leadership was filled with legalists and hypocrites and godless men. In choosing twelve, Christ was, in effect, starting over with new leaders who would turn to the Lord in faith and obey His Word alone.
They not only were ordinary men but had serious character flaws. They were often slow to understand what the Savior was teaching them. They were proud and argued among themselves who would be the greatest in Christ’s coming kingdom. The Lord often chided them for their lack of faith. And they all had commitment issues – they abandoned Jesus when He was arrested in Gethsemane.
But the twelve left an indelible mark upon our world. They blazed a gospel trail across the globe, taking the message to nations near and far. Almost all died a martyr’s death, but not without first winning many thousands to the Savior. They are part of the Church’s foundation, with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20). We are indebted to them for giving us our charter – “the ‘apostles’ doctrine” (Act 2:42). The twelve will sit upon thrones in the coming kingdom of Christ judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Mat 19:28). And their names are inscribed on the twelve foundation stones of the heavenly city, New Jerusalem (Rev 21:14). What happened to make such run-of-the-mill men turn into incredibly useful vessels for their Lord and receive these honors? We don’t want to overlook their faithfulness, but the real key to their usefulness lies not within these men but in the Lord they served. It was Christ who empowered them, sending the Holy Spirit after His ascension. The men we see from Acts 2 and onward look markedly different from those huddling in fear in the upper room just days before. The principle in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 would prove true. God chooses to use the weak, the lowly, even the despised, that no one may boast, and that God alone will be glorified.
Twenty centuries later, by the record of their lives and writings, these men are still turning the world upside down (Act 17:6). So, we invite you to read on and get to know them1 and, more importantly, get to know more about the Man who called them to be “The Chosen.” And don’t forget the line of that chorus – “Jesus calls us too.” We too have been chosen (Eph 1:4; 1Th 1:4); we have the same message, serve the same Master and are empowered by the same Spirit.
1 As an article on Saul the “chosen” apostle to the Gentiles (Act 9:15; 22:14) was included in this issue, space did not allow for articles on Thaddeus or Judas’ replacement, Matthias.
