13.   And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him.
      14   And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
      15   and to have authority to cast out demons:
      Mark 6:7.   And he calleth unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits;
      8   and he charged them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse;
      9   but to go shod with sandals: and, said he, put not on two coats.
      10   And he said unto them, Wheresoever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart thence.
      11   And whatsoever place shall not receive you, and they hear you not, as ye go forth thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony unto them.
      12   And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
      13   And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Questions and Brief Comments.

Verse 13. Whom did the Lord Jesus call to him?

Verses 14, 15. How many did He select? What did He call them? (Luke 6:13). Can you give their names? (Mark 3:16-19). What did the Lord Jesus do all night before He appointed the apostles? (Luke 6:12). For what two purposes did He appoint them?

Mark 6:7. After they had been with Him did He send them out? How? What power did He give them?

Verses 8, 9. What special orders? Was that later rescinded? (Luke 22:35, 36).

Verses 10, 11. What orders did He give them as to their place of abode? What if they were not received?

Verse 12. What was the burden of their message? (Matt. 4:17; 10:7). Was this their final world-wide commission? (--as in Golden Text?). How was this temporary mission limited? (Matt. 10:5, 6).

NOTES AND TEACHING POINTS.

THE APOSTLES.

      The word "apostle" means one sent forth; yet it is not used of any and every kind of messenger but an authorized representative, an ambassador or envoy. The twelve Jesus chose with a view to making them such special representatives, His original messengers and witnesses. He took them into His own company for their training, that later He might send them out to preach.

      One of the twelve because a traitor and was eliminated. Matthias was selected in his stead (not without Divine warrant and approval). Saul of Tarsus, as "a child born out of due time," was chosen after Christ's ascension (Acts 9) and became Paul, Christ's special apostle to the Gentiles.

      In accordance with the Savior's purpose these men became His original witnesses and authorized messengers. We have no testimony of Christ but what has come to us through them. The four gospels were apostolic testimony: Matthew and John were apostles; Mark, according to very early and credible, reliable tradition, wrote for Peter; and Luke, Paul's companion, tells us that the testimony he presents was gathered firect from those "who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word," Luke 1:2. In the book of Acts we have examples of the original apostolic preaching, [91] and the epistles were almost entirely apostolic writings. Also the book of the Revelation is by an apostle.

      Their First Mission. Our lesson today deals with the first mission of the twelve. This was a temporary and limited mission. On this mission they were not to go into all the world, nor even into the way of the Gentiles, nor to enter into any city of the Samaritans, but to confine themselves to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

      Their Great and Final Commission. See the Golden Text. This was not given until Jesus had reisen from the dead, and was not to be begun, even, until after the Spirit had been sent. It was the world-wide and is to continue in force until "the end of the world," ("the consummation of the age"). This commission is found in Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15, 16; Luke 24:46-49. The Spirit came on Pentecost, and the work began at Jerusalem that same day (Acts 2) and went out from thence "unto the uttermost part of the earth."

      Could apostles have successors? Because they were primarily eye-witnesses as well as messngers, ("witnesses of His resurrection") they could not have successors. (Acts 4:33; 10:41). A witness can have no successor. Another witness was appointed to fill out the rank of the twelve after Judas' death (Acts 1:21, 22) the choice being directed and approved of God; and Jesus Christ appeared to Saul on the Damascus road to make him "a minister and a witness." (Acts 26:16). But the Lord gave no instructions or authority to men to make apostles or to appoint "successors" of apostles.

      The Instructions of Mark 6:7-13. These all referred to that first, temporary, and limited mission, and none of these instructions applied, nor so far as we know, were followed after Pentecost. (See Acts 13:51 as a possible exception to this statement.)

Source: First Lord's Day Lesson of March. Lesson 10. March 4, 1928. Jesus and the Twelve (Mark 3:13-15;