Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“Come, follow Me.” What would you do if someone approached you and told you to drop everything and come?

The 12 Apostles did that. They probably had no idea what a life-changing experience that would be.

Luke 6:12-17 gives a brief account of what happened:

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

From this passage we learn:

• Jesus prayed all night to His Father before choosing His apostles.
• Jesus already had a following… He called the disciples to Him and chose 12 from the group.   

Look at these 12 men:

Peter- a fisherman.

Andrew- Peter’s brother. It was Andrew who first told Peter about Jesus.

James- also a fisherman and cousin to Peter and Andrew.

John- brother to James and a fisherman.

Those four men had been part of a family fishing business that included their fathers who were Zebedee and Jonah (or sometimes referred to as John.) They were living in Capernaum when they met Jesus.

Philip- His hometown was Bethsaida, which was also the home of Peter and Andrew. In John 12:21-22 we learn that some Greeks who had gone to the feast in Jerusalem approached Philip asking to see Jesus.

Bartholomew- In John 1:43-51 he is called Nathaniel, and it is Philip who tells him they had found Him of whom the prophets wrote. Nathaniel’s response was, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Matthew- He also went by the name Levi and was contracted by the Roman Empire to collect taxes from the Jews in Capernaum. Tax collectors were known for lying about how much people owed and pocketing the difference.

Thomas- He is often referred to as “Doubting Thomas,” because when the other 10 saw Jesus after the resurrection, his response was: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

Jesus then appeared and offered to let him do just that.

Upon seeing Jesus in the flesh with his own eyes and possibly touching the wounds, Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus responded with one of the most powerful statements about faith in all of Scripture: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). I think it is important to remember, WE are in the group who have not seen, yet believe.

James the son of Alphaeus.

Simon the Zealot- we know little about him, but the description “Zealot” indicates he may have belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were bent on revolution and looking for a Messiah to violently overthrow Rome.

Judas Iscariot- the only one who was not a Galilean… described as a thief and the one who betrayed Jesus. The word Iscariot is linked to a town south of Jerusalem.

Could Jesus have chosen any group who were more different… in personality, in political beliefs, in integrity and honesty?

As they walked with Jesus, they saw Him perform miracles, talk to people who were outcast, talk with women… Jesus walked a different path from other religious leaders.

During these three plus years, Jesus influenced these men, and 11 of them would remain faithful, even in the face of persecution and death.

Jesus was the AUTHORITY in the group. From the beginning His disciples knew He was the leader. They called Him “Master” according to Luke 8:24, and John 13:13-14 tells us they called Him “Teacher” and “Lord.”

Jesus held them ACCOUNTABLE when they argued… Luke 9:46-48. Jesus called a child to use as an example, to encourage them to have the heart of a child. In Luke 22:24-29, after Jesus had washed their feet and they shared supper together, they still argued over being the greatest. Jesus once again talks about serving, then tells them they will sit at the table with Him in His kingdom, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Jesus was APPROACHABLE… Luke 11:1-13. They had heard Jesus pray and asked Him to teach them to pray. These are Jewish men who would have been familiar with the Jewish prayers, but it seems something was different when they heard the prayers of Jesus.

At what we call the “Last Supper,” beginning in John 13, we see Jesus taking the role of a servant as He washes the feet of the apostles. Jesus takes this time to talk with them, to give them hope and comfort, to encourage them to love one another. Then in John 15:14-17, He says:

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

Hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus calls His apostles “friends.” We expect loyalty and commitment from friends, but this was still lacking among this group of men until after the resurrection. The years together had set the foundation for a friendship where eventually loyalty, trust, and commitment bonded them to the promised Messiah, and they were eager to take His message of redemption to the world.

[ All Scriptures are ESV. ]

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 

Paul and Barnabas teach us that different personalities are able to work together when God is the focus.

Acts 4:36-37 (ESV) introduces us to Barnabas. “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.”

Paul comes on the scene in Acts 7:58-8:1, called by his Jewish name Saul, holding the garments of those stoning Stephen and approving the execution, indicating that he had some authority among Jewish leaders. He was born in Tarsus, an ancient city off the coast of the northern Mediterranean Sea. Philippians 3:5-6 says he was of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee. He would have considered Jesus a false prophet because of His claim to be the Son of God. He would have believed the new disciples were leaving the true God of Judaism, much like his ancestors did in following Canaanite gods.

Saul grew up in Jerusalem and studied at the school of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). 

Saul went to Damascus with a letter of authority from the high priest of the synagogue, intending to persecute the church there. On the way, he encountered Jesus and was baptized by Ananias. He began preaching in Damascus soon after he was baptized, amazing the disciples who knew he had originally come with the intent to persecute the Christians there (Acts 9:21).

When Saul returned to Jerusalem, the disciples were afraid of him; they remembered him as a persecutor of the church. But Barnabas stood by his side and introduced him to the apostles (Acts 9:26-27). They didn’t trust Saul, but they did trust Barnabas.

The disciples had scattered after the stoning of Stephen. In Acts 11 word reaches Jerusalem that there were believers in Antioch, and Barnabas was sent to investigate. Acts 11:23 tells us, “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord.”

Barnabas then went to Tarsus to look for Saul, who had been sent there by the disciples in Jerusalem for his safety (Acts 9:30; 11:25-26), and brought him to Antioch where they worked together for a year.

Acts 13:2 reads, “…the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”

Another missionary disciple, John Mark, went with Saul and Barnabas on this first missionary journey, assisting them as they went from town to town. At Paphos, Mark leaves and returns home.

Acts 13:9 refers to “Saul, who was also called Paul,” and from this point on we read of Paul and Barnabas as they continue without Mark. This journey was filled with receptive hearts as well as persecution from the Jews, who sometimes followed from town to town. 

When Paul and Barnabas finished this first journey, they sailed back to Antioch, gathered the church together, and declared all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith for the Gentiles.

Even after all the persecution, Paul and Barnabas began planning a second missionary journey. Barnabas wanted to take Mark again, giving him another opportunity, but Paul opposed taking him and they argued. Acts 15:39 calls it a “sharp disagreement.”

As a result of this disagreement, they went different ways; Barnabas took Mark, Paul took Silas, and the gospel was spread in two directions. Paul completed three missionary journeys. We do not have detail about the further work of Barnabas.

Paul appears to be goal-oriented… he had a purpose, a plan… and he did not want it disrupted. He probably made decisions quickly, then stood by those decisions.

Barnabas appears to be relationship-oriented, looking for those who needed encouragement. He probably took his time making decisions, evaluating what the need was before acting. 

Despite the disagreement, it appears Paul kept up with the work of Barnabas and Mark. In 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul wrote, “Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” 

Paul values Mark, and we assume the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was not a permanent rift. In Christ-filled relationships, good friends can have sharp disagreements and still maintain respect and friendship.

The confidence Barnabas had in Mark may well have been what encouraged him to write his gospel. 

Just as God used Paul and Barnabas despite their differences, He can use our different personalities for His purposes. Paul had intense zeal; Barnabas had a heart for people. We can learn from both of them.