The
Harvester
DECEMBER 2003 No.
216
“And when it was day, he called unto him his
disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon,
(whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and
Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called
Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the
traitor.” (Luke 6:13-16)
When Jesus began His ministry He chose twelve
special disciples to work with Him. Who were these men and what happened to
them afterwards? Though we may never know the pure historical facts about them,
it is interesting to see what most respected legends and traditions say about
the twelve disciples.
Simon Peter was a fisherman and a typical
Galilean: more anxious for honor than for gain, quick-tempered, impulsive,
emotional, easily aroused by an appeal to adventure, and loyal to the end
(Talmud). Among the 12, Peter was the leader and spokesman for the group. It is
true Peter had many faults, but no matter how many times he had fallen and
failed, he always recovered his courage and integrity. Peter was martyred on
the cross. He requested that he might be crucified upside down because he was
not worthy to die as his Lord had died.
Andrew, the brother of Peter, was also a
fisherman by trade. Although circumstances placed him in a position where it
would have been easy for him to have become jealous and resentful, he was
optimistic and well content in second place. His main purpose in life was to
bring others to the Master. According to tradition, it was in
James, the brother of John, son of Zebedee,
was also known as James the Elder. The New Testament tells us very little about
James. His name never appears apart from that of his brother John. They were an
inseparable pair. He was a man of courage and forgiveness – a man without
jealousy, living in the shadow of John. He was the first of the twelve to
become a martyr. His death is recorded accurately for us in Acts 12 where we
find that he preached in
John, the brother of James, was known as the
Beloved Disciple. He was a prominent Apostle, being mentioned many times in the
New Testament. He was a man of action, very ambitious, with an explosive temper
and an intolerant heart. He and his brother James came from a more well-to-do
family than the rest of the Apostles. In the latter part of his life, John
stressed his Lord’s command of love. It is said than an attempt was made on his
life by giving him a cup of poison from which God spared him. Once he was
condemned to be cast into a caldron of boiling oil. But here a miracle occurred
in that the oil did him no injury. So John was banished to the Isle of Patmos
(Rev. 1:9), later freed, and then died of natural causes.
Philip came from the same town which Peter
and Andrew came from and likely, he was a fisherman, too. He had a missionary
instinct, shown in his bringing Nathanael to Christ. Philip was a man with a
warm heart and a pessimistic head. He was one who would very much like to do
something for others, but who did not see how it could be done. Yet, he gave it
all he had. Traditionally, he died by hanging. While he was dying, he requested
that his body be wrapped not in linen but in papyrus for he was not worthy that
even his body should be treated as the body of Jesus had been treated.
Bartholomew, a number of scholars believe,
was the only disciple who came from royal blood. He was the son of the king of
Geshur. He was a great searcher of the Scripture and a scholar in the Law and
the Prophets. He was a man of complete sincerity, a man earnest in prayer, a
man who made complete surrender to the Christ and one of the church’s most
adventurous missionaries. Tradition says that he preached in
Matthew, or Levi, was a tax collector. Of all
the nations in the world, the Jews were the most vigorous haters of tax
gatherers. In NT times, tax collectors or publicans were classified with
harlots, Gentiles and sinners. Yet, Jesus chose a man all men hated and made
him one of His men. Unlike the other disciples who were mostly fishermen,
Matthew could use a pen and by his pen he became the first man to present to
the world an account of the teachings of Jesus. Matthew was a missionary of the
Gospel, who laid down his life for the faith of his Master. In
Thomas Didymus lived in
James, the son of Alphaeus, was also called
James the Lesser or Younger. He was one of the little known disciples. It is
said he was a man of strong character and one of the most fiery types.
According to tradition, he preached in
Simon was a Zealot (Zelotes). The Zealots
were fanatical Jewish Nationalists who were crazed with hatred for the Romans.
Josephus says the Zealots were reckless persons, zealous in good practices and
extravagant and reckless in the worst actions. Tradition says that he was
crucified as a martyr.
Judas, the brother of James, was the man with
three names: Jude, Thaddeus and Lebbeus. He was interested in making Christ
known to the world: not as a suffering Savior, however, but as a ruling king
(John
Judas Iscariot, the man who became the
traitor, is the supreme enigma of the New Testament. It is so hard to see how
anyone so close to Jesus, who saw so many miracles and heard so much of the
Master’s teachings could ever betray Him into the hands of His enemies. Judas
was a Judean, the treasurer of the group and among the outspoken leaders. He
was also a covetous man, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and
afterwards hanged himself.
The accounts of these twelve disciples of
Christ are certainly interesting and inspiring. But what about my account? What
will my record, as a disciple of Christ, look like? Will it be good like John’s
or will it appear like Judas Iscariot? Am I willing to die as a martyr for
Christ?
RAY McMANUS
COLUMBINE UPDATE
On
Thursday (November 13), Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of
the
“Since
the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and
women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death
of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic
teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their
blood cries out for answers.”
“The
first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the
field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the
National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the
murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.”
“In
the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly
fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the
NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or
defend the NRA – because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my
daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If
I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their
strongest opponent.”
“I
am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy – it was a
spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies!
Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the
pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.”
“Men
and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When
we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that
allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual
presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s
history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a
historical fact.”
“What
has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing,
we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as
Columbine’s tragedy occurs – politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such
as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute
to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more
restrictive laws.”
“Eric
and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws
can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real
villain lies within our own hearts. Political posturing and restrictive
legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key.
There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do
not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists
spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church
buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored. We DO need a
change of heart and a humble acknowledgement that this nation was founded on
the principle of simple trust in God!”
“As
my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends
murdered before his very eyes – He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy
any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in
--Copied--
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
1.
Who reigned on the throne of
2.
Where did Abraham serve food to the three men that appeared to him in Genesis
18?
3.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which son wanted his inheritance?
4.
From what can neither height nor depth separate us?
5.
What does Zephaniah say the Lord must purify before the people can call on His
name?
ANSWERS NEXT MONTH . . .
and
remember last month’s questions?
1.
Who was the priest to whom Abram paid the first recorded tithes? MELCHIZEDEK (Gen. 14:18-20)
2.
According to Numbers, how did a person purify himself if he had become unclean
by touching a corpse? BY WATER ON THE
THIRD AND SEVENTH DAY (Num.
3.
If you do not forgive, what will God not do for you? FORGIVE YOUR SINS (Matt.
4.
If one does not enter the sheep fold by the door, what is he? A THIEF AND A ROBBER (John 10:1)
5.
What was Mephibosheth’s infirmity? HE
WAS CRIPPLED (2 Sam.
THE HARVESTER is a monthly
publication intended to encourage all men everywhere to become laborers into
God’s harvest (Luke 10:2). This paper is mailed free of charge to anyone who
wishes to receive it. Please submit name, address, and all correspondence to:
Ray McManus
Phone: (256) 449-9221
Email:
