Apostles

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Luke 6:12-16

Apostolos: a fleet dispatched on foreign service.

The time had come to recruit close and faithful representatives to carry forth the gospel throughout the region. There were multitudes following His every move, who were impressed with His power and authority, but He chose 12, corresponding to the 12 tribes of Israel, indicating an advancement of the plan for the Kingdom of God. These would be His closest associates, learning from Him the doctrines of the Church. Though they were new to the faith themselves, they were teachable. "They were intelligent and mentally alert and in close contact with the gentile world" (Herbert Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible). All but Judas Iscariot were Galileans. There is a lot of speculation about why Jesus chose the men he chose. I'm not qualified to make a determination about that, except to say they were common working people. No Pharisees or cultural elite among them. Those types, even if they were sympathetic to the teachings and claims of Jesus, were not willing to acknowledge Him openly (Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea). Their position in society would have suffered, doncha know. There is something Biblically important about the number 12, regarding the leadership of God's people. Somehow, it has eternal significance, past, present and future in God's perfect plan of grace.

So, they were fishermen, a tax collector, former zealots (revolutionaries), and a traitor. No way Jesus didn't know Judas would betray Him. That was somehow part of the plan. Some of them were apparently relatives of Jesus' humanity. Some were outgoing, bigger than life, such as Simon (Peter) and some were quiet and obscure, serving "under the radar" to perform their ministry. Some were older and grizzled, and most likely John was very young. These are the men Jesus chose, and He knew these men from eternity past. There could have been nothing in their various characters that His omniscience would not have known about. It is commonly believed that Judas Iscariot was probably the most respectable of the lot. He would never have been considered evil by society or by his fellow disciples, as they worked together. He had an agenda, however, and Jesus apparently didn't fit, after all. It might be best to just get this whole thing over with.

They had a lot to learn and a relatively short time to learn it. They believed and loved Jesus. They left all and followed Him. This was big, and they were willing to go the distance, even though they didn't fully understand what they would be called upon to do. It is a day-by-day mission. One foot, then the other. He taught. He nurtured. He gave them authority and sent them out. They learned. They grew. They did the best they knew how to do, and as the fateful day approached, their human weakness made temporary fools of them, but we are Church today because of the magnificent faith and fearless ministry of these ordinary men, who left all and gave their all in the service of their Lord.