Mark 3 Jesus' Training Program

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles.[b] They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons.
Click Here to Read the Rest of Chapter 3

In Mark, the disciples are called "apostles".  The two names are often used interchangeably though they mean two different things.  A disciple is a "learner", or an "apprentice to a teacher".  An apostle is one who has been "sent out", or a "messenger".  A messenger goes in the authority of the one who has sent them.  Mark is the fastest moving gospel, which might explain why Jesus is already sending the disciples/apostles out.  Note though some manuscripts do not include (and he called them his apostles).  Regardless, he tells them to do what apostles do. He sends them out to preach the kingdom, and then show the power of the kingdom in His authority.  

 Notice Jesus' school of training doesn't include spending hundreds of hours in the library.  The program was actually pretty simple.  They traveled alongside Jesus as he conducted his public ministry.  Jesus would often translate what he was teaching privately with them explaining the meaning of the parables for instance.  And then he sent them out to do what he was doing.  Someone has simplified this method as, "I do you watch.  We do it together. I watch and you do. You do."  The bottom line is that Jesus knew he had limited time on earth and needed to train his disciples to do the things he did.  

 Finally, Jesus gave them the authority to do these things.  This was no small thing.  Jesus' power came straight from His Father in heaven, the highest authority.  Now Jesus was transferring this power to his apostles.  By application this power has been passed down through the ages to us today.  Notice Jesus' training was heavy on relationship building, spiritual power, and experiential learning.  There was content in His teaching, but he didn't teach just for head knowledge but also heart knowledge.  

 If this was the way Jesus did training, should we not try to emulate it today?  Today seminaries who train future ministers are spending more time out in the mission field doing real ministry, while teaching them the skills to do it.  But this training doesn't just apply to future ordained ministers, but to all believers who are called to be his disciples/apostles.       




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