9 Jesus Chooses The Apostles

The Sea of Galilee is a warm water lake about seven miles wide and thirteen miles long. Its water surface is about 685 feet below sea level. In biblical times it had a robust fishing industry. This is the region of Israel where Jesus was raised and where He started His ministry. Today it is simply called by the Israelites “Ha Galeel” or The Galilee. This is the spot where He selected the fishermen for the first men who would become the first evangelizers promoting the story of God who entered time and space in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. The term apostle means sent forth. This is a Greek word apostolos from a Hebrew verb, salach to send which was used at the time of Jesus. It would designate those who carried about letters from their rulers to constituents. As a noun designating Jesus Himself (Hebrews 3:1) and the men He sent out. The word appears seventy-nine times in the New Testament (ten in the Gospels; twenty-eight in Acts; thirty-eight in the Epistles; and three in Revelation). Most are found in Luke-Acts (thirty-four) and in Paul’s epistles (thirty-four), and refer to those appointed by Christ for a special function in the church.