Here are the names of twelve men whom the Lord Jesus chose from among the men who had believed His teachings, that He could teach them more, that they could better tell others of Him: Simon Peter, James, Philip, Matthew, James, Judas, Andrew, John, Bartholomew, Thomas, Simon, and Judas Iscariot.
We notice there were two Simons, two James, and two named Judas. We have already read how Jesus called the two brothers, Simon and Andrew to follow Him, and also the brothers James and John, who were all fishermen, and they left their work to go with Him. Then He called Levi, the publican, also named Matthew, to come with Him, and He said the same words, “Follow Me” to Philip (Matthew 4:18-2218And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. (Matthew 4:18‑22); Matthew 9:99And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. (Matthew 9:9); John 1:4343The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. (John 1:43)).
Following the Lord Jesus
These men were not to follow certain laws but a Holy Person, the Lord Jesus. All who believed His teachings were His disciples and they all told others of Him, but these twelve He called apostles, which means “sent ones.” While He was on earth, He often sent them ahead in that land to tell of Him as the Messiah, and after His return to heaven they were sent to all the world to tell of Him as Saviour and Lord. But they are not often called apostles until after His return to heaven. They are called “His Disciples” or “the twelve.”
They were in Galilee when Jesus chose them, and seem to have lived in the towns there, unless Judas Iscariot was from Judea, as there was a town of that name there, and persons were sometimes known by the name of their town. They were all Jewish men, and must have been taught to read, as were all boys of their nation. But the leaders of Jerusalem looked upon the people of Galilee as unlearned, because they were not taught as they, and later spoke of them as “ignorant men” (Acts 4:1313Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)).
But these men of Galilee had heard the books of Moses and the prophets read in the synagogues, and the words of John the Baptist, but best of all they learned from the highest Teacher, the Lord Jesus.
And all these men, except Judas Iscariot, the traitor, loved and truly “followed” the Lord Jesus, even though they suffered prison and death because of the learned men of Jerusalem, and are named again in Acts 1:1313And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. (Acts 1:13). And two wrote the life of Jesus—Matthew and John—so how much we learn from them!
You may wonder when you read Simon Peter called Cephas which was the name for stone in the language spoken in Galilee, but in the writings of the gospels and epistles, the name Peter was used most, as it was the Greek word for stone, so Peter and Cephas mean the same.
Further Meditation
1. What does the word “apostle” mean?
2. We all need to be taught by others in our lives. What determines whose teaching we listen to? How can we listen to and “follow” the Lord Jesus today?
3. You might find the little booklet Following Christ by A. M. Barry a very helpful encouragement in your own discipleship.