Robertson Word Pictures - Luke 6:13 - 6:13

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Robertson Word Pictures - Luke 6:13 - 6:13


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

When it was day (hote egeneto hēmera). When day came, after the long night of prayer.

He chose from them twelve (eklexamenos ap' autōn dōdeka). The same root (leg) was used for picking out, selecting and then for saying. There was a large group of “disciples” or “learners” whom he “called” to him (prosephōnēsen), and from among whom he chose (of himself, and for himself, indirect middle voice (eklexamenos). It was a crisis in the work of Christ. Jesus assumed full responsibility even for the choice of Judas who was not forced upon Jesus by the rest of the Twelve. “You did not choose me, but I chose you,” (Joh 15:16) where Jesus uses exelexasthe and exelexamēn as here by Luke.

Whom also he named apostles (hous kai apostolous ōnomasen). So then Jesus gave the twelve chosen disciples this appellation. Aleph and B have these same words in Mar 3:14 besides the support of a few of the best cursives, the Bohairic Coptic Version and the Greek margin of the Harclean Syriac. Westcott and Hort print them in their text in Mar 3:14, but it remains doubtful whether they were not brought into Mark from Luk 6:13 where they are undoubtedly genuine. See note on Mat 10:2 where the connection with sending them out by twos in the third tour of Galilee. The word is derived from apostellō, to send (Latin, mitto) and apostle is missionary, one sent. Jesus applies the term to himself (apesteilas, Joh 17:3) as does Heb 3:1. The word is applied to others, like Barnabas, besides these twelve including the Apostle Paul who is on a par with them in rank and authority, and even to mere messengers of the churches (2Co 8:23). But these twelve apostles stand apart from all others in that they were all chosen at once by Jesus himself “that they might be with him” (Mar 3:14), to be trained by Jesus himself and to interpret him and his message to the world. In the nature of the case they could have no successors as they had to be personal witnesses to the life and resurrection of Jesus (Act 1:22). The selection of Matthias to succeed Judas cannot be called a mistake, but it automatically ceased. For discussion of the names and groups in the list see notes on Mat 10:1-4; and notes on Mar 3:14-19.