Why Jesus Chose the Twelve as Apostles
Jesus chose twelve apostles from among his disciples, a decision recorded in the Gospels of Mark and Luke [1, 2]. This selection was not arbitrary but served multiple significant purposes, reflecting both practical needs for his ministry and deeper theological symbolism. The term "apostle" itself means "one sent forth" or a "messenger," indicating their primary role as emissaries [3, 4].
One immediate reason for choosing twelve was to establish a core group to accompany Jesus, to be sent out to preach, and to cast out demons [1, 5]. This group would represent Jesus and be endowed with his authority [5]. The Gospels indicate that Jesus spent time in prayer before making this crucial selection, suggesting the gravity and divine intention behind the choice [6, 10, 12]. Luke's account notes that Jesus "continued all night in prayer to God" before calling his disciples and choosing the twelve [10].
The number twelve itself carries significant symbolic weight, particularly in relation to the twelve tribes of Israel [5]. This connection suggests that the apostles were chosen to represent a new spiritual Israel or the reconstitution of God's people [5]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Revelation 21:14 draws a parallel between Joshua choosing twelve men to carry stones over the Jordan and Jesus choosing twelve apostles as the "twelve foundations of the heavenly city," with Christ himself as the chief cornerstone [9]. This perspective highlights their foundational role in the nascent church.
The apostles were given specific responsibilities, including the organization of the church and the dissemination of the gospel [3]. They were to be constant companions of Jesus during his earthly ministry and then to be sent out to preach [4, 12]. Their mission included proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God [5]. While the term "apostle" could be used more broadly for other Christian messengers, the twelve held a unique official designation [4].
Later, Jesus appointed "seventy others" (or seventy-two in some traditions) to go out ahead of him, which Adam Clarke suggests was a reference to the model of the Jewish Church, which God himself had established [8]. However, the initial selection of the twelve was distinct, forming an inner circle with a particular mandate. The patristic writings also acknowledge Jesus' selection of the twelve, noting their role in witnessing his signs and miracles, even as some people remained in unbelief [7, 11].
The choice of twelve apostles, therefore, was a deliberate act by Jesus, intended to create a representative body for his ministry, to symbolize the continuity and renewal of God's covenant people, and to establish the foundational leadership for the spread of the gospel [5, 9].
Sources
- Mark “Mark 3:14 (BSB) — He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,”
- Luke “When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles: -- Luke 6:13”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Apostle — A person sent by another; a messenger; envoy. This word is once used as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, the Sent of the Father (Heb. 3:1; John 20:21). It is, however, generally used as designating the body of disciples to whom he intrusted the organization of his church and the dissemination of his gospel, "the twelve," as they are called (Matt. 10:1-5; Mark 3:14; 6:7; Luke 6:13; 9:1). We have four lists of the apostles, one by each of the synoptic evangelists (Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:16; Luke 6:14), and one in the Acts (1:13). No two of these lists”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Apostle — (one sent forth), in the New Testament originally the official name of those twelve of the disciples whom Jesus chose to send forth first to preach the gospel and to be with him during the course of his ministry on earth. The word also appears to have been used in a non-official sense to designate a much wider circle of Christian messengers and teachers See (2 Corinthians 8:23; Philemon 2:25) It is only of those who were officially designated apostles that we treat in the article. Their names are given in (Matthew 10:2-4) and Christ's charge to them in the r”
- 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.”
- Mark (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Mark 3:13: And he goeth up into a mountain,.... Near Capernaum, being solitary, and a place of recess and retirement, "to pray", as Luke says, Luk 6:12, who adds, "and continued all night in prayer to God", notwithstanding the great fatigue of the day past. His prayer, as is very probable, was chiefly concerning the great and important work, which was upon his mind, and he was about to do; the making and constituting twelve of his disciples, as his apostles, to preach in his name, and work miracles: and calleth unto him whom he would; that is, "when it was day", as the above eva”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. XL. -- ADVENT OF THE TRUE PROPHET.: "These things therefore having been fore-arranged, He who was expected comes, bringing signs and miracles as His credentials by which He should be made manifest. But not even so did the people believe, though they had been trained during so many ages to the belief of these things. And not only did they not believe, but they added blasphemy to unbelief, saying that He was a gluttonous man and a belly-slave, and that He was actuated by a demon, [1] even He who had come for their sal”
- Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 10:1: The Lord appointed other seventy - Rather, seventy others, not other seventy, as our translation has it, which seems to intimate that he had appointed seventy before this time, though, probably, the word other has a reference to the twelve chosen first: he not only chose twelve disciples to be constantly with him; but he chose seventy others to go before him. Our blessed Lord formed every thing in his Church on the model of the Jewish Church; and why? Because it was the pattern shown by God himself, the Divine form, which pointed out the heavenly substance which now b”
- Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 21:14: twelve foundations--Joshua, the type of Jesus, chose twelve men out of the people, to carry twelve stones over the Jordan with them, as Jesus chose twelve apostles to be the twelve foundations of the heavenly city, of which He is Himself the Chief corner-stone. Peter is not the only apostolic rock on whose preaching Christ builds His Church. Christ Himself is the true foundation: the twelve are foundations only in regard to their apostolic testimony concerning Him. Though Paul was an apostle besides the twelve, yet the mystical number is retained,”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 6:12: And when it was day,.... Or morning; having spent the whole night in prayer to God, no doubt for his disciples, whom he was about to send forth as his apostles, to preach his Gospel, and work miracles, and for their success therein: he called unto him his disciples; the whole company of them, as in Luk 6:17 all that were his followers, and professed to believe in him, or as many as he pleased; see Mar 3:13. And of them he chose twelve; and ordained them, and sent them out to preach, heal sicknesses, and cast out devils: whom he also named apostles; or "messengers"”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — SECTION VIII. (part 2): they 16 should not make him known. And those that were under the constraint of(6) un- 17 clean spirits were healed. And all of the crowd were seeking to come near(7) him; because power went out from him, and he healed them all. 18, 19 And when Jesus saw the multitudes, he went up to the mountain. And he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve; and they are those whom he named 20 apostles: Simon, whom he named Cephas, and Andrew his brother, and James and 21 John, and Philip and Bartholomew, and Ma”
- 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”