The Twelve were men of varied background, gifts and character.
The varied backgrounds of the Twelve
Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen: Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:21; Matthew 9:9 Matthew was a tax collector; Matthew 10:4 Simon was a political activist.
The varied roles of the Twelve
Some took a prominent role in the group
And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John — those reputed to be pillars — gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
Some played minor but significant roles
See also John 1:40–42 Andrew brought Peter to Jesus Christ; John 1:45–46 Philip brought Nathanael; John 12:20–22 Philip and Andrew brought the Greeks to Jesus Christ.
The varied temperaments of the Twelve
Matthew 14:28 Peter was impetuous; Luke 9:54 James and John were fiery; Luke 22:4 Judas Iscariot was a traitorous loner; John 20:25 Thomas was cautious.
The Twelve had a common call to discipleship and witness
The fallibility of the Twelve
Mark 8:31–33 Peter misunderstood; Mark 16:14 Jesus Christ rebuked the Eleven for not believing reports of his resurrection; Luke 9:12–13 Jesus Christ tested their reaction to human need; John 14:8–9 Philip asked the way to the Father.
Jesus Christ gave the Twelve special teaching
Mark 4:10–11 about his parables; Mark 9:35 about power and position; Luke 18:31 about his destiny
Jesus Christ spent his last days and hours with the Twelve
Mark 11:11 after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem; Mark 14:17 at the Last Supper
The Twelve failed Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ's concern that they would leave him
Judas betrayed him
Matthew 26:14–16 parallels Mark 14:10, Luke 22:3–4
They failed to support him in his final agony of prayer
Matthew 26:40–41 parallels Mark 14:37–38, Luke 22:45–46
Peter disowned Jesus Christ
Matthew 26:74–75 parallels Mark 14:71–72, Luke 22:60–61
All abandoned Jesus Christ
Matthew 26:56 the exception was “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, present at the crucifixion (John 19:25–27)
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.