And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
And he took twelve to be with him, so that he might send them out as preachers,
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach,
And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
He ordained twelve - Εποιησε, he made twelve. Here is nothing of what we call ordaining. Christ simply appointed them to be with him; and that he might send them occasionally to preach, etc.
To preach - The Codex Bezae, Saxon, and all the Itala, except one, add το ευαγγελιον, the Gospel.
He ordained twelve - The word rendered "ordained" here does not express our notion of ordination to the ministry. It means, literally, "he made" - that is, he "appointed" twelve to be with him.
Twelve - The reason why "twelve" were chosen was, probably, that such a number would be deemed competent witnesses of what they saw; that they could not be easily charged with being excited by sympathy, or being deluded, as a multitude might; and that, being destined to go into all the world, a considerable number seemed indispensable. Perhaps, also, there was some reference to the fact that "twelve" was the number of the twelve tribes of Israel.
3:14 Matthew 10:2 ; Lu 6:13; Ac 1:13.