Customer Reviews

Twelve Ordinary Men

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

OK, name the 12 apostles. Chances are you can't. Disconcerting, no? These twelve, who most Chistians think they know, took the teachings of Jesus and changed the world by establishing the Christian church.

They were chosen from among hundreds of "disciples" (meaning learners or students) of Jesus to be apostles: "messengers, sent ones". Who were they, why were they chosen, and why were they so successful?

It's important to consider who Jesus did NOT select for his inner circle. He chose no rabbis, no scholars, no one from the religious establishment who could have given him an inside track to power and authority. Instead, he picked a ragtag bunch of people who couldn't comprehend the power of God, struggled with their own sins, wrestled with the cost of committment and too often, to put it plainly, could be quite dense as to what was going on.

Jesus taught them Scriptures and theology. He taught them how to pray, forgive, and serve one another with humility, gave them moral instruction, spoke to them of things to come, and used them to heal the sick and do other miracles. Three of them were given a brief glimpse of His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.

In all, they had about 18 months of training and were then sent out on a mission too vast for any reasonable expectation of success.

This book examines everything known about these quite ordinary people who achieved the extraordinary. It's a fresh and delightful read.

This is the kind of book that reads well in bed at night. It is calm, interesting and generally informational. it is not a classic MacArthur book dealing with a hard-hitting theological issue.

In fact, this book is the first one by MacArthur that actually reads into scripture a certain quantity of "dot-connected" conclusions. For example, the personalities of the apostles are described by MacArthur where there is no true description revealed in scripture.

The chapter on Peter is fantastic, as is the one on Judas Isacriot. However, MacArthur's treatment of Nathaniel was my favorite.

These is a truely fabulous book! I was always interested in the twelve disciples, and wanted to know more about them. I would watch documentaries and such about the 12 on the history channel, discovery channel, ect. They were all cool and informative, but they didnt give me the information I wanted- so i went to the internet, and found this book. Immediently, i was drawn to this book and ordered it. Well, Ive had it for 3 days and im already finished. This book knocked my socks off! It takes each disciple and tells about thier personality, how they viewed Jesus, how they are presented in the bible, what they did after the resurrection and how each of us can relate them. This book really brought the disciples to life and made me want to meet them now. I cant wait to go to heaven and meet Peter & John. Also, the books take the time to let us know more about the disciples who alot of people arnt really familiar with (like Simon the Zealot, James the less, and bartholomew (nathaniel)) In the reading, you can almost always see alittle bit of you in each of them. I can most identify myself with Thaddeus, or John. Please get this book- You will NOT regret it!!

I consider myself to be pretty well versed in the Bible and yet found this compilation of information fascinating and informative. As a matter of fact, I could not put this book down and read it in one day. I was reminded of how obscure some of the 12 were.

This book was very inspiring and reiterates that God has only sinners and faulty people to choose from. But who he chooses, he transforms.

I highly recommend you read this book.

How the Master shaped His disciples for greatness and what he wants to do with you? That is the question on the cover of Twelve Ordinary Men. John MacArthur answers the first part of the question and leaves the second for your own conclusion. He tells how the disciples were called and how Jesus taught them for the remainder of His earthly ministry. The twelve men who were later called by Jesus to be apostles were human beings born as sinners; Scripture well illustrates this point. These men remained sinners and full of human frailty. What makes this work different is how John MacArthur describes the men as individuals based on scripture and historic information. ( Josephus, Antiquities & War on the Jews are used as sources also Eusebius, Ecclesiastical history}. The author talks of the disciples' former occupations, their temper (James and John as the sons of thunder), and how they came to know Jesus as God and Savior. He brings the humanity out of the men chosen to start God's church.

This is by far the best book I have read this year. It is the most clearly laid-out story of the men who were closest to Christ Jesus. I could harldy wait to finish this book so I could loan it out; and now that it is loaned out, I can't wait to get it back and re-read it.

John MacArthur does an excellent job of searching the New Testament for every detail about each apostle and blending it into a wonderful, accurate narrative of their lives and personality. He brought new insight into the special relationship between each pair (Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax-collector - both at extreme polarities of the Jewish political spectrum; Peter the brash loud mouth with his younger quiet brother Andrew, etc.) and the sub-grouping of 3 teams of 4 men.

I have found myself quoting often from this book as I take multiple aspects of each of the 12's personality and apply it to our own present day attitudes while serving Christ. We see that all of them were extremely ordinary, full of character flaws. The death and ressurection of Christ transformed them and their flaws were used in a mighty way. By harmonizing the events of the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament, I also learned more about each man. MacArthur concludes each chapter with traditional (not in the Bible) information concerning their area of minstry in the world and their means of death.

I expected a history lesson when I purchased this book and ended up with a beautiful story that has really impacted my life. I strongly encourage you to read this book!

What an awesome book!! I couldn't put it down and was introduced to some ordinary people I realized I never really knew. I do read the Bible and was delighted to meet some new precious friends, who in some cases remind me of people on this earth I know. I found myself saying to people "I can hardly wait to get to Heaven and meet Andrew. This book is such a favorite I have given it to friends and family as gifts. It does start a wonderful conversation. People who read it will smile and delight in the knowledge that our Lord chose these people..people just like us with all our faults. This book really touches hearts and it is so educational. Enjoy!

The author doesn't seem to consult any sources other than the Bible, which is fine if this is a book of sermons but not fine if this is supposed to be a rich, robust historical record. The chapters are laid out, roughly one per apostle. After the first four apostles, the Bible provides precious few references to the other apostles and chapters start reading like this:

"There is only one mention of James the Lesser in the whole Bible. But, by the fact that he's mentioned 10th in the list of 12 suggests that he was a quiet, solemn man with a sharp wit and a heart filled with dutiful love for Christ. I bet he was a timid man of strong compassion..."

I'm sorry, what? Where did these conclusions come from? There are hundreds of other sources for information on the apostles -- from other Christian writings not ultimately chosen for the Bible but written by its common authors -- to indigenous writings of the people of India, Asia, and Northern Europe, all of whom received the teachings of various apostles. Why doesn't the author bother to consult any of these myriad historical resources to improve the book?

Still, the book is interesting and an easy read. As a book review -- and not a popularity contest about how much you like religion or love God -- I can't give this book more than 3 stars. It's good if you're planning future sermons or need a moral pick-me-up. It's completely un-fulfilling if you're looking for deep histories of these remarkable people.

This was an inspiring look at each of the twelve apostles. John MacArthur, as always, does a fascinating Scriptural treatment of a - regretful to say this - often neglected but crucial biblical subject matter. After reading this book, one walks away feeling he personally knows each one of those twelve men. It is a truly uplifting experience to read this book. Buy it, and explore its rich depths. You won't regret it!

I have read several of MacArturs books and this one is no differenct from the others - it is outstanding in depth, scope, and true to the Sriptures.

I confess I am a MacArthur junkie and recommend this and his books to others that are interested in in-depth Bible study, research, etc.