The Choosing of the Twelve, Part 2—Why They are Chosen | Mark 3:14–15

And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.

Many disciples follow the Lord at this point.  Even so, He calls only twelve to send out with His message.  He does so for two main reasons, and their appointment will become the bedrock of the entire church. 

Our Lord wants those He chooses to be with Him.  They’ll be trained by spending time with Jesus, eating and walking with Him for the remainder of His earthly ministry.  All involving themselves with the Lord’s ministry must spend time learning from Him. 

All must also know the security that comes with being with the Lord.  He tells the disciples in Mt 19:28, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  As our Lord says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hb 13:5).  What a comfort—He choose them “so that they might be with him”!

Our Lord gives authority to preach and to minister.  He had to teach them, and He had to grant them the supernatural ability to carry out their ministry.  Paul talks about the signs of a “true apostle,” which includes such “signs and wonders and mighty works” (2 Cor 12:12)—God bearing witness through them (Hb 2:3–4).

The point, though, wasn’t that they could also perform exorcisms—it was the proclamation of the gospel.  Jesus preached repentance and the gospel (1:14–15), and He authorizes His disciples to be fishers of men (1:17).  As such, their message about Christ is the bedrock of the church (Gal 2:20). 


Christians don’t have the kind of delegated authority the apostles had.  However, we have their inspired writings and meet Jesus through them.  We learn that the Holy Spirit continues calling and delegating gifts as He chooses (1 Cor 12:11), and that evangelists and pastors must continue teaching “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jd 3).  As such, the Word of the Lord continues going forth today!

Popular posts from this blog

RE: "Pastor Dayna Muldoon EXPOSED"

Image
It enough to make your heart ache.  "Pastor" Dayna Muldoon  has been pitching her tent in Florida, and like Todd Bentley before , false claims to miracles, healing, and prophecies litter her campsites. This video of a Calvary Chapel pastor exposing her as a false prophet has been appearing in various places, and its been uploaded to YouTube multiple times.  Even Todd Friel got animated about this , and nothing gets him hyper. Here's the deal: Muldoon set up her tent-meetings right down the road from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg , peeking the interests of many attending the church.  When they listened to the message she presented, however, they found it not to be the Gospel, but instead the typical narcissistic message of health and blessings from God. This is coming from a Calvary Chapel crew, folks that are typically non-cessationists themselves.  Many churches, including this particular Calvary Chapel , host after-glow services where one ex...
Click to read more...

Was Rebekah a child when she married Isaac?

Did Isaac marry a three-year-old?  If you've never pondered this question, it's because nothing in the straightforward reading of the text would suggest that Rebekah was a toddler or that their marriage was arranged. Even so, a couple of verses out of context could be used by skeptics to prove anything.  While perusing the web for a related topic, however, I found a thread stating that the Bible isn't against the raping of children .  The cited evidence was this issue, the claim being that Isaac engaged in pedophilia. The question comes from the fact that Genesis 22:23 announces the birth of Rebekah after the binding of Isaac.  Tradition states that Isaac was then thirty-seven, and Scripture says that the two wed when Isaac was forty (Gn 25:20).  Hence, Isaac robbed the cradle. The whole theory is fraught with assumptions, the primary being that Scripture never records a age marker for Rebekah.  Further complicating the matter, however, is Jewis...
Click to read more...

MacArthur: Calvinism in a Nutshell

Image
From YouTube: Calvinism (Also know by Doctrines of Grace or Reformed theology) John MacArthur use Romans 8:28-30 as main text. The five points of calvinism are Total depravity (total inability), Unconditional election, Limited atonement (Also called particular redemption or definite atonement), Irresistible grace (also called efficacious grace), and Perseverance of the saints. Full sermon http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-427 Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Click to read more...