New Testament Characters - Apostles, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Others

	Jesus comes to earth with the most important message in history.  But His plan is not to single-handedly carry this message to the whole world.  Early in His ministry He selects twelve men to assist Him.  Jesus carries out the most important part of the plan...dying on the cross.  But the apostles are then left behind to help with the construction of the new kingdom, the church.
	"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens," Ephesians 2:19-22 observes, "but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner {stone}, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."
	Let's continue our discussion of selected New Testament characters by taking a look at the apostles.
	The word, "apostle," simply means "one who is sent."  It occassionally has this generic meaning in the New Testament.  More commonly, though, it is used in reference to a select group of men with given qualifications.  These are mentioned in the first chapter of Acts when the remaining 11 apostles are faced with the task of selecting a successor for Judas.
	"It is therefore necessary," Peter says in Acts 1:21-22, "that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us-- beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us-- one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection."
	This is, by the way, the only time when a replacement is chosen.  None of the other apostles is replaced when he dies.
	Jesus confers special authority on the apostles as they go about spreading the Gospel.
	"And He called the twelve together," Luke 9:1-2 records, "and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases.  And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to perform healing."
	"For we never came with flattering speech, as you know," Paul comments in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-7, "nor with a pretext for greed-- God is witness-- nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.  But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing {mother} tenderly cares for her own children."
	As we learn from Acts chapter eight, only the apostles have the authority to give miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit to others.
	"Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God," we read in Acts 8:14-17, "they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.  For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then they {began} laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit." 
	"Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands," the next verse adds, "he offered them money."
	As Jesus is preparing to return to heaven, He gives special instructions to His apostles.
	"But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated," Matthew 28:16-20 records. And when they saw Him, they worshiped {Him}; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
	The first twelve apostles are listed in Luke chapter six.
	"And when day came," Luke 6:13-16 notes, "He called His disciples to Him; and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; and Matthew and Thomas; James {the son} of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas {the son} of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."
	The list in Mark chapter three names "Judas the son of James" as Thaddaeus.

	Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, seems to be the first apostle to encounter Jesus.
	"Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples," we find in John 1:35-42, "and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!'  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said to them, 'What do you seek?' And they said to Him, 'Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?'  He said to them, 'Come, and you will see.' They came therefore and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John {speak,} and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He found first his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which translated means Christ).  He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, 'You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas' (which is translated Peter)."
	The Bible doesn't say much about Andrew.  But even this short passage reveals a great deal about his character.  His immediate reaction is to find his brother, Peter.  Andrew's contribution to the kingdom might appear to be small.  But, without Andrew, there is no Peter.  It is Peter who preaches the first Gospel sermon on the day of Pentecoste.  It is Peter who teaches Conrnelius, the first Gentile convert.
	Instead of sitting around complaining about what he cannot do, it seems to be Andrew's personality to go out and find others who might be able to make a contribution.  When Jesus instructs the apostles to feed five thousand people, most of the apostles argue that it is impossible.  Andrew simply surveys the situation and brings to Christ what IS available...a small boy with five loaves and two fish.  Of course, this is all that Jesus needs.
	Philip demonstrates a similar attitude when he meets Jesus. His first reaction is to run and find Nathanael.
	When some Greek Jews want to meet Jesus in John 12:20, they make their request not to Peter or John, but to Philip.  He, in turn, tells Andrew, who goes with him to inform Jesus.
	It is Philip who doesn't fully understand a statement made by Jesus shortly before the crucifixion.
	"If you had known Me," Jesus tells His followers in John 14:7-9, "you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.  Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us,'  Jesus said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and {yet} you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, "Show us the Father"?'"
	Thomas, also called Didymus or the Twin, is remembered for doubting the resurrection of Jesus until he can personally touch the wounds of the risen Savior.  It is Thomas who makes a rather impetuous statement when Jesus is talking to the disciples about the condition of Lazarus.
	"And after that He said to them," we read in John 11:11-16, "'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep.'  The disciples therefore said to Him, 'Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.'  Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.  Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.' Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to {his} fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with Him.'" 
	It is a question by Thomas which precedes Philip's comment about seeing the Father.
	"And you know the way where I am going," Jesus says in John 14:4.
	"Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going,' the passage continues, 'how do we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'"
	Thaddaeus, or Judas, the son of James, also takes part in this discussion.
	"Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?' we read in verses 22-23.  "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.'"
	James, along with his brother John and fishing partners Peter and Andrew, is included in what is sometimes refered to as the "inner circle."  James is the first of the apostles to be killed.
	Bartholomew is not mentioned outside the lists given in Matthew, Mark, Luke and Acts.  There are some who identify him with Nathanael, since Nathanael obviously has a close association with Jesus but is not listed among the Apostles.
	"After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias," we note in John 21:1-2, "and He manifested {Himself} in this way.  There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the {sons} of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples."
	Most of the Apostles, by the way, have at least two names.  While Nathanael is not mentioned in the synoptic Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark or Luke, Bartholomew is not mentioned by John.
	Matthew, the author of the first Gospel account, is a tax collector when Jesus calls him.  He is also called Levi.
	Mark 15:40 mentions James the Less as being the son of Mary and the brother of Joses.  John 19:25 identifies this Mary as the wife of Clopas or Cleopas, one of the two disciples who in Luke 24 encounters the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
 	Simon is refered to as "the Zealot," a member of a group whose zealous dedication to observance of the Law includes violent action.  No doubt, the reference is to Simon's affiliation before following Jesus.  
	Lord willing, we will look at some more of the Apostles next week.  For now, though, lets remember the Lord's statement to Thaddaeus.  This is part of Christ's final discourse to His followers before His arrest and death, so it involves things very close to His heart.
	"Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me,' Jesus says in John 14:23, 'he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.'"
	If we love Jesus, we will obey the truth.  And He, in turn, will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."