Mark 3:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To accomplish this, He intentionally withdrew one evening to a quiet mountain for prayer.

One can only speculate about the content of the Lord's prayer during that time. However, it seems plausible that as the Divine Intercessor laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Church of the New Covenant, He sought His Father’s blessing upon His mission, asking for fortitude against the forces of darkness. He assuredly recalled that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” and mentioned that He had witnessed Satan cast down from heaven, casting the request that "I may sow you as wheat; and I pray for you, Simon." As the Son of Man, He might have implored His heavenly Father for strength to confront the imminent trials before Him; for the next morning, through the Father’s instruction and His own good pleasure, He would come face to face with the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, bearing the burden of His impending sacrifice.

In the morning, He summoned His disciples to the mountain and chose twelve of them to remain with Him, empowering them to share the truths they had seen, heard, and touched. These disciples would represent the leaders of the new twelve tribes of the renewed Israel.

These twelve disciples were summoned to be Christ's intimate companions throughout His earthly ministry and to carry on His mission after He ascended to heaven. From this moment forward, He drew them into a close bond, forming with them a united community in which He was the leader. The apostles’ names are largely consistent across the Gospel writers, differing only slightly in arrangement. When naming James and John, Mark notes that Jesus bestowed upon them the title "Boanerges," meaning sons of Thunder. This designation likely did not occur at this moment but possibly during an event that showcased the passionate nature of these apostles, possibly referenced in Luke 9:54. Similarly, Mark also mentions that Jesus named Simon as Peter, although this occurred at a different time, as indicated in John 1:42. Some of the apostles listed by the Gospel writers are familiar to us from the accounts of their initial encounters with Christ and their calls to discipleship, such as Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), and Matthew the tax collector. However, the details surrounding the calling of the remaining apostles are not recorded.

Some of these chosen apostles had previously been called by Jesus, including Simon and his brother Andrew, John and his brother James, Philip, Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), and Matthew. The remaining apostles were selected from a larger group of disciples. While the Evangelist Matthew does not detail the selection of the twelve apostles, he mentions them by name when narrating Jesus' commission to preach, identifying Apostle Matthew as a tax collector. Conversely, the Evangelist Luke elaborates on the selection process, aligning with Mark’s account.

There is a slight variation in the names of certain apostles among the Evangelists, which is merely apparent and arises from their intention to differentiate between apostles sharing the same name. For instance, both Matthew and Mark refer to the second Simon as Simon the Cananite, while Luke calls him Simon the Zealot. The term Zealot is of Greek origin, whereas Cananite is its Hebrew equivalent, and thus both labels are clear in meaning. The second Simon likely earned the title Zealot because prior to his calling by Jesus, he was associated with a Jewish political group advocating for the autonomy and independence of their people. Regarding the Apostle Levi, Matthew mentions that he bore the nickname Thaddeus; Mark refers to him as Thaddeus, and Luke notes him as Judas of James. The presence of two apostles named Judas among the twelve is confirmed by the following passage in the Gospel of John: during the Last Supper, after Judas Iscariot had departed, only Jesus and the remaining eleven apostles were present, at which point Judas—not Iscariot—asked, “Lord, why is it that You want to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” This explains why Judas, who is not the betrayer, is identified as Judas of James by Luke, Levi nicknamed Thaddeus by Matthew, and simply Thaddeus by Mark. The second Judas, Iscariot, received his name as he hailed from the town of Kerioth. The name Iscariot is thought to be a combination of two terms: Ish, meaning man, and Kerioth, the name of the town. All three Evangelists refer to Apostle Nathanael by his patronymic name, Bartholomew, meaning son of Pholomew.

According to tradition, Philip, whose name is Greek, might have had connections to the reigning Herod Philip or perhaps earned it as a nickname due to a passion for horses, as “Philip” translates to "lover of horses." In the Gospel narratives, he is depicted as a man attuned to the good, and upon encountering Christ, felt compelled to invite his friend Nathanael to meet Him. While he exhibited practicality over enthusiasm, he carefully assessed the resources needed to feed four thousand people. Yet, this pragmatism sometimes hindered him from grasping deeper spiritual truths, as demonstrated by his straightforward but naïve question that drew a gentle rebuke from Christ: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8-9). The fact that he was approached alongside Andrew by Greeks seeking Jesus suggests he likely possessed knowledge of the Greek language, which he could have learned in prominent cities like Tiberias and Capernaum during his work.

Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew, is traditionally regarded as a gardener, characterized by his genuine honesty and a profound spirit, earning him Christ’s commendation as “a true Israelite in whom there is no guile.” Matthew, who was called from his role as a tax collector, acknowledges his prior occupation in his Gospel. With admirable humility, he lists himself after Thomas among the apostles, while other Gospel accounts place him in a higher position. As a tax collector, who needed to maintain a degree of documentation, Matthew likely possessed a level of education that led him to be the first apostle to pen the account of his Savior's life and ministry in his Gospel. His decision to leave a lucrative job to follow the remarkable Teacher reveals his resolute, determined, and noble character.

The next chosen apostle was James, son of Alphaeus, often referred to as “the Less,” likely due to his smaller stature or being younger than James, son of Zebedee. In Mark 15:40, he is called “the Less,” a term typically used for smaller individuals. Conversely, “the Less” may also indicate youth, as expressed in Gideon’s claim of being the youngest in his family (Judges 6:15). His brother, known as Judah or Thaddeus, was characterized by an inquisitive nature, exemplified when he asked, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” This question reveals a confusion shared among the apostles regarding the true nature of Christ's kingdom. Judah seemed to expect a worldly Messiah who would display His might in a grand manner, akin to the request made by Salome, the mother of Zebedee's sons, for her sons' positions of power.

In contrast to the other Judas mentioned (John 14:22), Judah is distinguished for his ardent spirit, and his name, Levi or Thaddeus, signifies one with a courageous heart. This apostle is primarily remembered by his nickname, likely to avoid the painful reminder of Judas the traitor. Among the newly appointed apostles, Simon emerges prominently; he is referred to as the Zealot or Kanaanite by various Gospel writers. This suggests that he might have belonged to the Zealots, a group that advocated for fierce opposition to foreign rule, believing such opposition was essential for the chosen people's destiny.

In bringing together such diverse individuals—an apostle from the Zealot faction alongside a tax collector who symbolized collaboration with foreign authority—Christ created a unique fellowship. Through the transformative power of His divine message, both individuals embraced a new identity in Christ and united in sincere brotherhood.