Customer Reviews

Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You

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I enjoyed John MacArthur's Twelve Ordinary Men despite some reaching on his part. The Chapters on Peter, John, and Judas Iscariot were mostly excellent. This is primarily because there is no shortage of information on these men in the Biblical Record. The problem I found was that even with those three and especially with the lesser know Disciples, MacArthur assumes some things that may be true (we cannot know for sure), and then refers back to the assumptions as fact. Despite that issue, there is a ton of good information in this book and it is one that I recommend. Just remember that a lot of the details we won't really know until we meet these men on the other side.

This book is inspirational, you cannot put it down, I read the entire thing in less than a day. The book gives you a sense that you to are part of the 12; you become a disciple. You learn so many things about the disciples that you yourself become their acquantinces.
Highly recommend this book for anyone trying to become more familiar with these great men.

Very well done. We used it as our textbook for a Wednesday night Bible study. We all, teacher and students alike, felt the book did an excellent job of teaching us about the disciples, why Jesus selected them and how God can use ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.

I agree with J.A. Pritchet. This books could have been, and maybe should have been, 150 pages instead of 244. The sections on the better-known Apostles are excellent, but then the rest of the book is padded out with pure conjecture often presented as undeniable fact. For example, MacArthur states that 'without doubt' Nathanael liked to sit under fig trees while studying the scriptures, then fills a page or two padding out that statement. That's stretching the text just a little! Is this the mistake of an author who has become a little too certain of his own opinions? I don't know, that's just conjecture ;). Still, it's enjoyable if you read with enough discernment to pick out the more inspiring and encouraging parts.

What made Christ's disciples the men that were chosen? What made them so great? It was that they were ordinary men, like you and me. MacArthur takes the disciples and writes what we know about them and what kind of men they were. His only source is the Bible. Well, he uses other sources to find out what happened to them (in some cases) after the Resurrection. There is a little speculation here and there, but it seems well thought out and intelligent. My only fault is his chapter on Judas. Yes, he is the great betrayer. Yes he did a horrible thing, but wasn't it required of him? Didn't Jesus have to have one of them betray him? In the end, did he have a choice. One of the most interesting of the disciples and I just didn't feel MacArthur put the time, thought or energy into him that is deserved, but overall, and that includes the Judas chapter, great stuff. It should be required reading for all Christians (and other religious folks) and even for atheists and agnostics (maybe especially agnostics).

When I picked up this book from a friend, I was expecting to read about the disciples, but I was not expecting to learn quite as much as I did. Not just a practical view of how to live like the disciples, but well researched study on Jewish customs, insights, and theology. It kept my interest. Several of my friends read this around the time I did and we all couldn't stop talking about it. Really insightful. Worth reading more than once.

This is a very good book on the lives of the tweleve men that turned the world upside down. MacArthur takes what is recorded in the Bible about each of these men and then mixes in what the early church knew and taught about them (tradition) resulting in a refreshing and eye opening account of these early church leaders.

As with any book like this, all cannot be taken as "gospel" in every single detail. Some, I am sure, is speculation based on some amateur detective work. All in all, MacArthur is able to weave Biblical fact and church tradition together in a fashion that will keep your attention throughout the book.

The way MacArthur writes helps us understand that these men were as ordinary as you and I today. They could have as easily been engineers, brick masons, electricians, plumbers, or any other worker today. What made these ordinary men extraordinary was their relationship with God. These rednecks of Galilee became the church leaders that led us to the very throne of God.

It is an excelent book for those wishing to learn more about the lives of those "Twelve Ordinary Men".

Mike Morelan, Author of "31 Pretty Good Things to Think About"

Whether you are a new Christian, or someone who has gone to church all their life, this book is a must read. We often read many books about Jesus, or we are good at reading our Bible, but when is the last time you read a book about the Disciples or the Apostle Paul?

This book is an excellent tool for new Christians to learn about the twelve disciples of Christ. It is also an excellent reminder to all of us that these twelve men were just plain ordinary everyday working men. They are all Galilean's and not the most highly educated. They were all working men.

If you wanted to change the direction of a nation (or people group) your inclination would be to go to the halls of higher learning and get yourself a couple of scholars. Then you would want to get yourself a really popular sports figure, a good well known Businessman or woman and finally maybe a well placed Actor or Actress with good name recognition.

The last thing you would do is find twelve ordinary everyday people whom nobody knew or wanted to know. But that is what God (Jesus) did. He took just plain guys and turned them into the pillars of the Christian Church.

You will enjoy the read. Each chapter describes a different disciple (after an introductory chapter). As any pastor is sometimes want to do John makes some assumptions that he wants us to buy into. That's OK. Just remember that the Bible is your final authority on all of these men. But history speaks for itself. Twelve Ordinary Men changed the world completely.

Enjoy!

I'm something of a fan of John MacArthur's writings and teachings... sometimes, i think the books may tend to beat a dead horse in a sense, proving and reproving the same points again and again, but the points are usually worth taking note of and he generally writes about topics that are relevant and engaging...

Which brings me to this book... I've wanted to read Twelve Ordinary Men for quite a while and i'm glad that i finally got around to it... obviously, MacArthur deals with the twelve apostles and he delves into each of their characters and attributes... it's inspiring to see how God can use each of these character types and each of these men... even moreso, how Jesus reacts to them individually and as a group...

There's a bit of speculation on MacArthur's part and, as expected, some repetition, but all in all, it was a book that really spoke to me and one that i was glad to have read...

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This title by John MacArthur is a very readable account of the 12 men who were personally discipled by Jesus Christ. McArthur provides details on each disciple (some more than others) and applies spiritual concepts to show how we may learn from their lives.

Some of the points covered include:

1. Ordinary people are the kind that God will most often use for His glory. A lot of times He bypasses the rich and influential.
2. Jesus' habit was to often slip away and spend time alone with the Father in prayer and communion.
3. A true leader has certain qualities: inquisitiveness (asks lots of questions), initiative (energy and ambition to make things happen), and involvement (in the middle of the action).
4. Character is critical in leadership.
5. Leaders must learn humility since they are often tempted by the sin of pride.
6. Leaders must learn to love - do not use people for their own ends, can be too task-oriented at the cost of being people-oriented.
7. The most effective means of evangelism takes place on an individual, personal level.
8. Those who want to be great must learn to be humble. Become a servant to others.

The narrative flows freely and is an enjoyable read of the 12 disciples.

Read, enjoy, and be encouraged and challenged.

Highly recommended!