Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
Parallel translations
- WEB He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach,
- KJV And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
- BSB He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,
- NASB And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
- NLT Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus appoints twelve to be with him and to be sent out to preach. It matters because it establishes the core of his new community and its mission.
Overview
The number twelve evokes the tribes of Israel, signaling that Jesus is forming a renewed people of God around himself. Their first calling is to be with him, and from that fellowship flows their being sent to proclaim. This twofold pattern, communion then commission, shapes all Christian discipleship and points to the apostolic foundation of the church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
- John 15:16You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
- Luke 9:1–6He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
- Acts 1:24–25They prayed, and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen
- Luke 10:1–11Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place, where he was about to come.
- Gal 1:1Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
- Gal 1:15–20But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,
- Luke 24:47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 3:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.