16. Appointing the Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:13-19)

From among those who followed Jesus, he choose out twelve to join him as his closest associates. He gave them power, he gave them responsibility, and in some cases, he gave them a new name. These men were, in many respects, perfectly ordinary and unimpressive. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that human history was altered incalculably by these quite unremarkable individuals. This lecture gives a short bio of each of the men, based on part on biblical material, and in part on the history and tradition of the church.