Who Was Commissioned by Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ commissioned several groups and individuals during his earthly ministry and after his resurrection, primarily to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God and to continue his work. The most prominent among these were the twelve apostles.
Jesus first called twelve disciples, whom he also named apostles, to be his constant companions and to be sent out to preach and cast out demons [5, 7]. This commissioning is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. According to Mark 6:7, Jesus "called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits" [1]. Matthew 10:1 similarly states that Jesus "called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" [4]. The selection of twelve was significant, recalling the twelve tribes of Israel, indicating that Jesus was appointing new leaders for the "new people of God" under his messianic reign [4, 5]. These twelve were given authority to perform ministries that Jewish leaders of the time could not, such as casting out evil spirits and healing [4]. Matthew Henry notes that Christ typically confers honors and graces gradually, suggesting that the apostles' initial call as disciples was a preparatory step for their later commissioning [6].
After his resurrection, Jesus commissioned his eleven remaining disciples (Judas Iscariot having died) with what is known as the Great Commission. Matthew 28:16 records that "Then ye eleuen disciples wet into Galile, into a mountaine, where Iesus had appointed the" [2]. There, Jesus instructed them to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost: Teaching them to obserue all things, whatsoeuer I haue commanded you: and loe, I am with you alway, euen vnto the end of the world, Amen" [2]. This expanded their mission from primarily ministering to Israel to encompassing all nations.
Beyond the initial twelve, Jesus also commissioned others. Luke 10 describes Jesus sending out seventy-two others in pairs to every town and place he was about to visit, giving them authority to heal the sick and proclaim that the Kingdom of God was near [Luke 10:1, 9]. This broader commissioning indicates that the task of proclaiming the Kingdom was not limited to the twelve alone.
The concept of being "sent" (Greek apostellō) is central to understanding commissioning in the New Testament [5]. The term "apostle" itself derives from this Greek word, meaning "emissary" [5]. This implies that those commissioned were representatives of Jesus, endowed with his authority to carry out his work [5]. The early church understood this commissioning to extend beyond the immediate disciples of Jesus. For instance, Acts 3:20 speaks of Christ Jesus "who was ordained for you before" [3], indicating a divine commissioning for a broader purpose. John Gill, in his commentary on Matthew 23:33, notes Jesus' statement, "behold I send unto you prophets," which suggests a continued sending of messengers even to those who might reject them [8]. This highlights a recurring pattern of divine commissioning throughout biblical history.
Sources
- Mark “Mark 6:7 (BSB) — Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.”
- Matthew “Matthew 28:16 (Geneva1599) — Then ye eleuen disciples wet into Galile, into a mountaine, where Iesus had appointed the.”
- Acts “and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, -- Acts 3:20”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 10:1: 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples as workers in the harvest (9:37-38). The choice of twelve is not accidental—it recalls the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus was appointing new leaders for the new people of God under his reign as Messiah (16:18-19; 18:18; 19:28; 21:43). • gave them authority (9:6-8; 28:18): Jesus enabled the Twelve to perform ministries that the Jewish leaders could not accomplish (9:32-34; 10:5-8). The authority to cast out evil spirits (8:28) and to heal are ascribed to Jesus (4:23; 8:1–9:35) in similar terms.”
- Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 3:14: 3:14-15 Jesus appointed twelve to represent Israel’s twelve tribes and to proclaim that the Kingdom of God had arrived. He called them apostles (Greek apostoloi, “emissaries”). He chose them to accompany him and to be sent out (Greek apostellō) to preach and to cast out demons. They represented Jesus and were endowed with his authority.”
- Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 10:1: Here we are told, I. Who they were that Christ ordained to be his apostles or ambassadors; they were his disciples, Mat 10:1. He had called them some time before to be disciples, his immediate followers and constant attendants, and he then told them that they should be made fishers of men, which promise he now performed. Note, Christ commonly confers honours and graces by degrees; the light of both, like that of the morning, shines more and more. All this while Christ had kept these twelve, 1. In a state of probation. Though he knows what is in man, though he kne”
- Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 3:13: In these verses, we have, I. The choice Christ made of the twelve apostles to be his constant followers and attendants, and to be sent abroad as there was occasion, to preach the gospel. Observe, 1. The introduction to this call or promotion of disciples; He goes up into a mountain, and his errand thither was to pray. Ministers must be set apart with solemn prayer for the pouring out of the Spirit upon them; though Christ had authority to confer the gifts of the Holy Ghost, yet, to set us an example, he prayed for them. 2. The rule he went by in his choice, and that”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 23:33: Wherefore, behold I send unto you prophets,.... To try them, whether they would show the respect to prophets, they pretended to have for them; by building and beautifying their sepulchres; by exclaiming against their forefathers for shedding their blood; and by declaring, that had they lived in their days, they would not have joined with them in it; and to make it appear, that these were all empty words, and specious pretences; and that they had the same malicious and bloody principles in them; and would be guilty of the same practices, and so fill up the measure of”