The Twelve Ordinary Men

The study of the twelve apostles reveals how Christ chose ordinary individuals with unique gifts and callings to establish His church. While the inner circle of Peter, Andrew, James, and John receives much attention, each of the twelve men was called for specific purpose within the spread and growth of the early church (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 1:07).

The Purpose of Diverse Calling

Jesus deliberately chose twelve men, each with distinct personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. As noted in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 6:30).

Each member of Christ's body matters and has purpose. God used their weaknesses and transformed them through His grace to grow His kingdom (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 6:55).

Philip: The Pragmatist

Character and Calling

Philip, whose Greek name means "lover of horses," represents the practical-minded, process-oriented member of the apostolic band (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 7:14). He has been characterized as a "facts and figure guy, a by-the-book, practical-minded type of individual" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 9:39).

When Jesus found Philip and said "follow me" in John 1:43, Philip immediately responded with faithful obedience. His first action was to find his friend Nathanael and declare, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 18:04).

The Test at the Feeding of Five Thousand

In John 6:5-7, when Jesus asked Philip "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" Philip responded pragmatically: "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 11:18).

Jesus singled out Philip specifically to test him. Philip's response revealed his tendency to think in materialistic terms rather than faithfully embracing the impossible situation before him (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 14:20). This wasn't necessarily a failure of faith, but rather Jesus taking an opportunity to mold and mature Philip in his faithfulness to Christ (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 15:43).

The Value of Pragmatic Thinking

The church needs pragmatic people who can handle facts and figures and ensure proper order. Without them, "light bills won't get paid, ministries won't happen" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 12:30). God is a God of order, and without order there is chaos (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 12:57).

Seeking Wisdom from Fellow Believers

When Greeks approached Philip wanting to see Jesus in John 12:20-22, Philip found himself in a quandary. Jesus had previously instructed the apostles not to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-6), yet here were Greeks seeking Jesus (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 22:40).

Philip's response demonstrates wisdom: he consulted with Andrew, a trusted friend within the brotherhood of apostles (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 24:47). This shows the importance of having brothers and sisters in Christ to work through difficult decisions together (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 25:27).

Philip's Request to See the Father

In John 14:8-9, Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus responded, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 28:00).

This exchange reveals that despite being with Jesus throughout His ministry, Philip still struggled to fully grasp Jesus's divine nature and His unity with the Father (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 28:34).

Nathanael (Bartholomew): The Guileless Israelite

First Encounter with Jesus

Philip introduced his friend Nathanael to Jesus. Nathanael's initial response revealed prejudice against Nazareth: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). Nazareth was considered a rough, uneducated, and uncultured town, giving Nathanael reason to doubt anything good could emerge from there (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 32:50).

However, when Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He declared, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit" (John 1:47). Jesus recognized Nathanael's authentic character beneath his initial skepticism (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 32:03).

Jesus's Supernatural Knowledge

When Jesus revealed He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree before Philip called him (John 1:48), Nathanael immediately responded with faith: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49) (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 32:18).

Peter: The Passionate Leader

Background and Character

Peter was a fisherman from Bethsaida who worked the waters of the Sea of Galilee with his fishing company that included his brother Andrew, James, and John (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 4:42). He was married, as evidenced by Jesus healing his mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14, and his wife even accompanied him on some missionary journeys as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:5 (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 8:32).

Peter was intensely impulsive and passionate. He "had a habit of revving his mouth while his brain was in neutral," as one commentator noted (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 17:17). He was the one who dropped his nets immediately to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20), jumped out of the boat to walk on water, and later swam naked to shore just to reach Jesus faster (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 10:28).

The Passionate Response to Holiness

Peter's passionate nature is beautifully displayed in Luke 5:8, when after the miraculous catch of fish, "he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, 'Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man'" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 14:25). When confronted with Christ's holiness, Peter's immediate response was recognition of his own sinfulness (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 14:49).

Similarly, in John 13:8-9, when Jesus wanted to wash his feet, Peter went from absolute refusal ("You will never wash my feet") to complete surrender ("Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head") once he understood the spiritual necessity (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 15:33).

The Dual Names: Simon and Peter

Jesus didn't rename Simon; rather, He gave him an additional name. Simon was his birth name, while Peter (meaning "rock" or Cephas in Aramaic) was his calling (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 18:48). Jesus would address him as "Simon" when dealing with his flesh, his weakness, or when correcting him, and as "Peter" when affirming his spiritual calling and confession (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 21:35).

The Rock of Confession

In Matthew 16:16-18, when Jesus asked "Who do you say that I am?" it was Simon Peter who immediately answered: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 20:31). The church is built on Peter's confession that Jesus Christ is the Messiah (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 21:07).

Restoration and Ministry

After Peter's denial of Christ, Jesus restored him in John 21:15-17, addressing him three times as "Simon" to deal with the weakness of his flesh that had led to denial (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 25:29). Peter became the leader among the apostles, preaching the first sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41), healing the lame man at the temple gate (Acts 3:1-8), and receiving the vision that opened the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10) (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 27:10).

The Pattern of Friendship Evangelism

Both Philip and Nathanael demonstrate the power of personal relationships in evangelism. Philip's immediate response to meeting Jesus was to find his friend and share the good news. This illustrates how the relationships God has already established in our lives provide "fertile soil for introducing people to Jesus" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 19:22).

Lessons for Today's Church

The study of these apostles reveals that it is often "in their weaknesses, in their flaws, that we see such amazing growth and potential and transformation and maturity of faith" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 5, 29:57). God continues to do miraculous things through ordinary people who are willing to follow Christ despite their imperfections.

Each believer, like these twelve ordinary men, is called for specific purpose with specific gifts and skills. The church needs the full diversity of personalities and abilities—pragmatists like Philip who ensure proper order, authentic individuals like Nathanael who speak truth without deceit, and passionate leaders like Peter who boldly confess Christ as Messiah even in their weakness. Peter's example particularly shows that "which one of us cannot relate to the one who is so in love with his Lord and Savior and yet can easily say 'I'm a sinner'" (Twelve Ordinary Men: Lesson 2, 17:57).