What Exactly Was the Role of the Apostles?

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“Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon andAndrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus saidunto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.  And straightway they forsook their nets, and followedhim. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he sawJames the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the shipmending their nets. And straightway he called them: and they left theirfather Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him”. Mark1:16-20.

Are they being serious!?

Are these gospel writers really  expecting us to believe that these people who didn't even know Jesus, would just "straightaway" forsake their nets
just drop everything leaving  their homes, jobs andfamilies and lucrative businesses on the word and whim of a stranger  and  follow a stranger around the countryside, deserts and wilderness preaching about  something they didn't understand or had ever heard of, without a word of inquiry?


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Castin
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@Stephen
It's called star power.

Jk, I don't know. In Luke, doesn't Jesus perform some sort of fish miracle which causes the apostles to follow him?

But really, in the New Testament he walks on water, casts out demons, cures lepers, and raises the dead. Getting strangers to drop everything and follow him in trancelike wonder doesn't really stand out to me. Throughout the NT Jesus is depicted as having a mysterious power to affect people.
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@Castin
Getting strangers to drop everything and follow him in  trancelike wonder doesn't really stand out to me. 
Indeed, me neither. And whatever possible use could these simple fishermen be to this alleged Priest / King Messiah? 

There has to be something to this episode otherwise, why even bother to include it?  The only thing I can think of is that of these chosen circle of twelve some were rich while the others, if not all, were Zealots and what they all seem to have in common is they hailed out of Galilee, the bandit country wilderness of Palestine, where John baptised and Lazarus was raised.  It was ruled and overseen by puppet King Herod Antipas who all of Jewery hated and of course Jesus himself was said to be a Galilean.  So we have one big happy family of  rich Galilean zealots who all seem to have a common enemy: Rome and Herod.

This has to be more nearer the truth of this recruiting exercise, that just "straightaway" following a stranger.
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@Stephen
When it says thing like  Mark  bit the john paul bit even the exodus all of it was simply a lot easier then saying .
Eric was like a good writer and he for examplke wrote like 2 Peter's a paul , one exodus ( witch payed more then the rest payed all up.) 
He even was publish in three  Ezekiels. He earned around three goats and foofing materials 

Lisa was published under 2 johns a idris and a peter. For this she was able to marry whom she wanted. She was actually the first open Gay women in history that was well , allowed to be. 

 So Mark doesn't mean mark wrote em 
Not one peter was published under peter , john did write john. 

There was two types of people around these times your either a apostle or you were ( b ) a illiterate.

An illiterate prophet is compared to a ummmm a square circle painted the color 36ish.
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So Mark doesn't mean mark wrote em 
It does mean the verse can be found in what is called - Mark's gospel. And the authorship of this gospel named after someone called Mark is also accredited to someone named - Mark.  
I do hope that clears up any confusion .
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@Stephen
This is the real ten paul scripts right
Elizabeth did two. (  Patty did a paul and like five or six combined scripts 
Now get this , a bloke named Jesus not no magic made up Jesus, just ya evert day average nothing more then a human named that lived down the road and around the corner wrote and got publish under a quarter of exodus.. And a handful of lukes. 
That's easy like a straw roofed decent hut a donkey and two goats. 

Fredrick did like 45 -46% of the psalms Ricky helped him but he put very little in. 
It all started with just trying to get peaopl to do thing for you , e.g farming at no cost. 
Average joe sees how a king is treated .
Average joe cant ever become king . he can be God. 

Travis  1 paul,
Luke , a psalm and three sentences in two joint scriptures
Laquisha. ,2.4 Matthew .
Alonso so on and so on.

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@Stephen
Granted the text is rather quick and to the point, but why should we assume that Jesus never talked with them and that they followed Him like zombies put under a spell lol? perhaps it was not within the authors knowledge what they may have discussed after He called to them. Perhaps there was something about Jesus that intrigued them....Basically it looks to me like just a run down not a detailed account. I think it's rather silly to assume Jesus did not convince them in some way AFTER He called to them and they came, not everything is written of what they experienced. On top of that they witnessed what was to be a very convincing path of spirituality through Jesus' example and works.

What was the role of the apostles? well on one level the same role we all need to play in our own lives, which is to put the role of the "spiritual" in perspective, learn greater priorities. On another level they were used to help spread the Gospel.

In the passage you presented it seems like you may have exaggerated a bit. No where does it say they were not to make a living or to ditch their families. Granted Jesus uses those sentiments in other passages but these are principle based, it helps the applicant to put things in perspective and help them discover worthy priorities. For example, most people think Jesus commanded everyone to sell all they have and give it to the poor. But this passage was said to a particular person who asked Jesus a specific question, and Jesus perceived his weakness and priorities and challenged the mans heart and then the man walked away sad. Some things not everyone needs to consider because not everyone has a problem with wealth and worldly objects. However, having said that the apostles were well taken care of and obviously found truth in what Jesus was teaching why else would they have committed?

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@EtrnlVw
Granted the text is rather quick and to the point, but why should we assume that Jesus never talked with them and that they followed Him like zombies put under a spell lol?
 
I don’t think that at all.  I believe he knew them previously and they knew of him.  But our gospel writer seems to want us to believe that they somehow miraculously followed him “rightaway”and without question because they recognised him for whom they believed he was.This is rubbish.
 The Gospeller here is trying to make us, the reader believe that this was miraculous event. It was nothing of the sort. And That is my whole point.
 
 
Perhaps...... Perhaps.
 
You have a lot of perhaps’ in your post, my friend. Perhaps you don’t understand what I have written.
 
What was the role of the apostles? well on one level the same role we all need to play in our own lives, which is to put therole of the "spiritual" in perspective, learn greater priorities. On Another level they were used to help spread the Gospel.
 
 I think the role of these apostles was a political/military role because some, if not all, were Zealots and armed to the teeth, on a close reading of these scriptures.
 
For example, most people think Jesus Commanded everyone to sell all they have and give it to the poor.
 
 
He did. And You need to understand who and what “the poor “actually were in 1st century Palestine. 

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@Stephen
 But our gospel writer seems to want us to believe that they somehow miraculously followed him “rightaway”and without question

I don't buy that, sorry. I gave you a legit argument to consider.

You have a lot of perhaps’ in your post, my friend. Perhaps you don’t understand what I have written.

Because perhaps you are unable to read between the lines.

I think the role of these apostles was a political/military role because some, if not all, were Zealots and armed to the teeth, on a close reading of these scriptures.

You've completely lost it on this one. 

He did. And You need to understand who and what “the poor “actually were in 1st century Palestine. 

Go back and read that again.

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@EtrnlVw
 perhaps you areunable to read between the lines.
To “read between thelines” as you put it would be simply guessing, and surmising.
 
 
 
Which at the end of theday is all we have left to do. and as you have done above. Which leaves things open to misrepresentation,misunderstand and mistranslation and downright lying, doesn’t it, consideringthat the scriptures are full of enigmas, anomalies, vague half stories andoutright impossibilities.  I simply believethere is something else going on under the surface of these scriptures thatthese gospellers are at pains to hide. They are not telling the whole gospeltruth .imo
 

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Because perhaps you are unable to read between the lines.


Yes. reading between the lines. Don't kid yourself. Your guesses are as good as mine.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.Matthew 10:34   (KJV)

 
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 22:36(KJV)

(1)So who is Jesus the Prince of Peace ordering to sell their clothes to buy weapons?  (2)Why does he want them to buy weapons? (3)Why was the multitude feedings  mostly men? (4) Why was Judas tolerated, when he was a known thief?
 
Let’s take these simple questions one by one.

(1) Christians Will notice the verse above is part of the dialogue to his disciples at the end Last Supper and just before his arrest. And there is again, mention of weapons:
 
 “And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords.And he said unto them, It is enough”.
Peter at the arrest confronts one of the arresting party and lops off his ear , with a sword he carries.
 
Judas’ other name – Iscariot- is said by many biblical writers,scholars and authors and commentators, to mean dagger or more precise – latin sicarius, assassin/dagger man after the Sicarii curved blade that he carried  and he was a zealot. The Sicarii were a specialist group of assassins among the Zealot Jewish rebels intent on driving the Romans out of Judea
And of course the answer here is, Jesus was instructing his followers to arm themselves.
 
The answer to question (2) is , in the immediate situation, Jesus believes he may be able to fight his way out of it and evade arrest as he had done before.

The answer to question (3) may well lay in the fact that he was building an army about 80 miles away from Jerusalem  in the wilderness and out of sight of the Romans. Jesus had sat them down in Rank and file as if a military formation.
“he [Jesus] commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and fifties”. Mark 6:39-40.
 
  This is obviously a military formation with company, rank and file that was divided up by maybe code named commanders,(“sons of thunder”)? It is also clearly stated that of those present that many if not all were men (5,000 & 4,000) and some women and children.
 
 
 
Question (4)
“This he said, not that he [Judas] cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” John 12: 6 KJV
 
he was tolerated because he was rich and could fund the so called “Poor” i.e. the zealot cause.
 
 So we have quite a violent lot among Jesus’close circle, do we not?
 
And, Like I Have said, these gospel writers seem to want us to just believe that these zealots just up and left everything behind...miraculously.  Strange stuff when you consider just a few days later he tells them to expect to be hated, and not to love even their own children more than him and told them they may not even be worthy anyway.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
And
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
 And
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
 
 Reading between the lines of course.

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@Stephen
be simply guessing, and surmising.

That's exactly what you're doing. You're guessing the authors have the FULL story, or every word Jesus spoke and where there to record everything Jesus said at all times. That's flat out silly, sometimes commonsense goes a long way. I don't have to guess anything, I know by how they continued to follow Jesus He convinced them. That's pretty darn obvious no?
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@Stephen
be simply guessing, and surmising.


I simply believethere is something else going on under the surface of these scriptures thatthese gospellers are at pains to hide
And there it is folks lol.
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@EtrnlVw
And there it is folks lol.
Yes indeed there it is. these gospel writers without doubt are hiding many things. and if you knew and understood your scripture these gospel make it quite clear the these biblical characters do many thing in secret. Like Jesus building an army 
. secret meeting where the writers never tell us the full and complete story. They use innuendo, such as  "at a certain place"  and "a certain man" or a "certain woman" without revealing the place or the name .

 They reveal names of inconsequential characters while hiding the names of more important ones. You simply do not know you scripture, my little sheep. try learning it for yourself.

I have said it before to people such as yourself. You have been led to passages to read  by your preacher/ teacher and by the same token they have steered you away from the more contradictory verses that will conflict with the ones that you have been steered towards. 

You are entitled to your opinions and beliefs. I just don't buy them no more that you buy mine.  I can accept it. You should get over the fact that someone  out there - ME - has actually has read these scriptures for themselves  and come to a different conclusion to your indoctrinated belief and or opinion. There there, deary me, never mind, kiss it better and grow up.  

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@EtrnlVw
 You're guessing the authors have the FULL story, 

You are the one that spoke first of "reading between the lines. see post NINE (9). You said I "was unable to read between the lines". I have  read between the lines  JUST AS YOU HAVE and come to a different conclusion.  There is undoubtedly a bigger fuller story  to the one these gospellers are spouting. Get over yourself.  You guess is as good as mine.