Mark 3:18 Commentary and Bible Study

‘Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew and Thomas.’ Matthew, the tax-collector, in the pay of the Roman state. Thomas, who was so despondent, and inclined to doubt. Philip was full of awkward questions, questions he should have known the answer to; sometimes more inclined to question than to think. Thaddeus, also known as Lebbaeus (Matthew’s Gospel) and Judas the son of James (Luke’s Gospel), was a kind of PR man in his mental attitude. He was the one of them who thought, ‘Why doesn't Christ just get on with becoming famous and showing himself and his miracles much more openly? Why is he following this careful plan, hesitating to emerge sometimes, quietly disappearing?’ He didn't appreciate – although Christ had told them – that the Lord was working to a timetable, leading to Calvary, and the great task he had come to perform. The sort of PR instinct wanted Jesus to become a great personality and famous, and win a kind of earthly kingdom that way. But Thaddeus, like Philip, learned better, as they all did – though they were slow learners sometimes. All of them had a big component of self-seeking. More than once they were caught discussing among themselves, which of them would be the most prominent in the kingdom. They thought Christ was going to achieve an earthly kingdom. ‘Which of us will be his chief officers of state?’ They had these unworthy earthly ambitions in them, and that all had to be taken out of them, so that they could at length be loyal apostles, and even martyrs, and stand for Christ and understand the truth. Simon the Canaanites. That's an interesting name. He wasn't a Canaanite in terms of race; he was a Jew. But in the original this term is also a word from Aramaic, which means zealot; ‘Simon, the zealot’, as the modern versions often have it, and that's correct. That's better, though ‘Canaanite’ is the word. What does that mean? He was the politician among the disciples who were called, and he belonged to a political party of zealots who wanted to get rid of Rome by open revolution: ‘Let's get rid of them; let's rise up in arms.’ That was his temperament and his political bent. Think what Christ had to do with those disciples, and so he did, with the exception of Judas who he knew all along would be the traitor. His love for them was so great, and his patience with them so longsuffering, and in a constant and gentle way he brought them through. Conversion is instantaneous, and wonderful things are accomplished in a moment – light and understanding, the new nature, the soul brought to life, a new conscience and a great advance in holiness – but by no means is everything accomplished. After that comes the ongoing Christian life in which we are gradually refined, and you see it even within three years of the training of the apostles. Conversion first – he is the Messiah; I'll leave everything for him – and then the work of improving and refining and changing.