Mark 3:14

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Mark 3:14-16. He ordained, Gr. εποιησε, he made, constituted, or appointed, twelve — The word is elsewhere used for appointing to an office. See 1 Samuel 12:6 — Greek; Hebrews 3:2. Henry thinks our Lord appointed them by imposition of hands, but of this there is no proof. Indeed, this appointment seems to have been made some time before they were sent out to preach, or entered properly on their office. They were now called and appointed merely to be with him, that is, not only to attend on his public ministry, but to enjoy the benefit of his private conversation and daily instructions, that they might thereby be better fitted for the great work in which they were to be employed. If, as is generally supposed, our Lord, in appointing twelve, had a reference to the twelve patriarchs, and twelve tribes of Israel, and therefore, on the death of Judas, another was chosen to make up the number, this was only a piece of respect paid to that people, previous to the grand offer of the gospel to them. For, when they had generally rejected it, two more, Paul and Barnabas, were added, without any regard to the particular number of twelve. That he might send them forth to preach — His gospel, and thereby make way for his own visits to some places where he had not been; and to have power to heal sicknesses, &c. — And thereby to show that they were sent of God, and that he approved and confirmed their doctrine. After their election, these twelve accompanied Jesus constantly, lived with him on one common stock as his family, and never departed from him unless by his express appointment.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He ordained twelve - The word rendered "ordained" here does not express our notion of ordination to the ministry. It means, literally, "he made" - that is, he "appointed" twelve to be with him.

Twelve - The reason why "twelve" were chosen was, probably, that such a number would be deemed competent witnesses of what they saw; that they could not be easily charged with being excited by sympathy, or being deluded, as a multitude might; and that, being destined to go into all the world, a considerable number seemed indispensable. Perhaps, also, there was some reference to the fact that "twelve" was the number of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mr 3:13-19. The Twelve Apostles Chosen.

See on [1412]Lu 6:12-19.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 3:13"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he ordained twelve,.... Or made, constituted, and appointed twelve men, out of those he called to him. The Arabic version adds, "and called them apostles"; which seems to be taken out of Luke 6:13.

That they should be with him; constantly, in private and in public; be taken into his family, and reckoned such; be his familiars, and privy to all his affairs; hear all his discourses, and see his miracles; that so they might be trained up and fitted for the great work he designed them for:

and that he might send them forth to preach; the Gospel in Judea first, and then in all the world: for he did not at this time send them to preach, only chose; called, and appointed them; and after they had been with him some time, and were better qualified for such service, he sent them forth, as in Matthew 10:1, for this constitution of them was before that mission, and was in order to it.

Geneva Study Bible

{3} And he {k} ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

(3) The twelve apostles are set apart to be trained for the office of the apostleship.

(k) Chose and appointed twelve to be familiar and well acquainted with him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 3:14. He is now on the hill top, surrounded by a body of disciples, perhaps some scores, picked out from the great mass of followers.—καὶ ἐποίησε δώδεκα: and He made, constituted as a compact body, Twelve, by a second selection. For use of ποιεῖν in this sense vide 1 Samuel 12:6, Acts 2:36, Hebrews 3:2. God “made” Jesus as Jesus “made” the Twelve. What the process of “making” in the case of the Twelve consisted in we do not know. It might take place after days of close intercourse on the hill.—ἵνα ὦσιν μετʼ αὐτοῦ, that they might be (constantly) with Him; first and very important aim of the making, mentioned only by Mk—training contemplated.—ἵνα ἀποστέλλῃ: to send them out on a preaching and healing mission, also in view, but only after a while. This verb frequent in Mk. Note the absence of τοῦ before κηρύσσειν and ἔχειν (Mark 3:15).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. ordained twelve] Hitherto they had been His friends and disciples in a wider sense, now He formally called them, and joined them in a united band, that (i) they “might be with Him” (comp. Acts 1:21), (ii) that He might “send them forth” as heralds to preach, and (iii) that they “might have power to cast out demons,” for the words “to heal sicknesses” are omitted in some of the best MSS.

(i) The number of the Apostles. The number selected, answering to the twelve sons of Jacob, was small indeed as compared with the hundreds who enrolled themselves as disciples of a Hillel or a Gamaliel, and their position in life was humble and obscure, but “the weak things of the world were to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27), and these Twelve were to be the Twelve Pillars of the Church.

(ii) Their calling and training. Observe that the calling and training of the Twelve was a most important part of our Lord’s ministerial work. (a) Immediately after His Baptism and Temptation He began to prepare some of them for their future vocation (John 1:35-51); (b) to their training He devoted the greater part of His time and strength; (c) after His resurrection He continued for forty days His personal efforts for their improvement, and (d) at last He bestowed upon them His promised gift of the Holy Ghost.

(iii) Their title. The name also which He gave to them deserves attention. He named them Apostles (Luke 6:13). The word thus rendered means (i) as an adjective, despatched or sent forth, (ii) as a substantive, the actual delegate of the person who sends him.

(a) In Classical Greek the word was almost entirely restricted to the meaning of a “naval expedition,” a “fleet despatched on foreign service,” and this meaning entirely superseded any other.

(b) In the Septuagint the word occurs only once, namely, in 1 Kings 14:6, in the sense of “a messenger,” “one who has a commission from God,” where Abijah says to the wife of Jeroboam, “I am a messenger unto thee of heavy tidings.”

(c) With the later Jews the word was in common use, and was the title of those, who were sent from the mother city on any foreign mission, especially the collection of the tribute for the Temple service.

(d) Thus when He employed it to designate His immediate and most favoured disciples, “our Lord was not introducing a new term, but adopting one which from its current usage would suggest to His hearers the idea of a highly responsible mission.” In Hebrews 3:1 He Himself is styled “The Apostle and high priest of our profession,” with which compare John 17:18. Canon Lightfoot on the Epistle to the Galatians, p. 94.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 3:14. Δώδεκα, twelve) The characteristic notes of an apostle were, an immediate and direct call, a continuous intercourse with Christ, the being an eye-witness, the right of preaching universally [and not merely restricted to one locality], the gift of miracles.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 14, 15. - Out of those who thus came to him, he ordained twelve literally, he made or appointed twelve. They were not solemnly ordained or consecrated to their office until after his resurrection. Their actual consecration (of all of them at least but one, namely, Judas Iscariot) took place when he breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22). But from this time they were his apostles "designate." They were henceforth to Be with him as his attendants and disciples. They were to go forth and preach under his direction, and by his power they were to cast out devils. Several manuscripts add here that they were "to heal sicknesses," but the words are emitted in some of the oldest authorities. The authority over unclean spirits is more formally conveyed later on (see Mark 6:7), so that here St. Mark speaks by anticipation. But this shows how much importance was attached to this part of their mission; for it recognizes the spiritual world, and the special purpose of the manifestation of the Son of God, namely, that he might "destroy the works of the devil." He appointed twelve. The number twelve symbolizes perfection and universality. The number three indicates what is Divine; and the number four, created things. Three multiplied by four gives twelve, the number of those who were to go forth as apostles into the four quarters of the world - called to the faith of the holy Trinity. Mark 3:14

Vincent's Word Studies

Ordained (ἐποίησεν)

Lit., made. Rev., appointed.

Might send them forth (ἀποστέλλῃ)

As apostles. Compare the kindred noun ἀπόστολοι, apostles.