Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-04-19

From the time that Jesus begun His
public ministry, He had been gathering
about Him those who had accepted
His claims He had been teaching them
the things concerning the Kingdom of
God. and had been revealing Himself
to them as the promised Messiah by
/ His words and works. One of the first
/ things that we learn about Him was
| the conversation in His dwelling with
Andrew and john who had been In
| troduced TO Him by John Baptist. AS
| a result of this they had become His
disciples, and had each enlisted his
brother in the school of Jesus. The
next day Philip and Nathaniel had
| been added. AS Jesus continued His
ministry many others became His fol-
! lowers, but all of them continued their
occupations and trades as before.
! Some time during His Galilean min
| istry, in the early pan, He had called
upon Peter and James and Andrew and
John TO leave their occupations and
give their whole time to Him. A shore
while after this, He had taken Mat
thew from the tax collectors office.
1t is presumed that He had also call
ed Philip and Nathaniel and possibly
Thomas, although we do not know pos
itively about this
CHOSEN.
The time had come when Jesus feels
the necessity for gathering about Him
this inner circle of disciples, ana
charging them with responsibility This
responsibility was not different from
that with which all Of His followers
were charged except in degree. 1t
was the same in kind, but greater In
degree. The Master was exceedingly
careful whom He should choose; lie
rejected the offer of some because they
did not have the quality which He de-
sired. When we appreciate that these
men were to carry on His work after
He left. we can see how important y
was that the right men should De
chosen. He did not. therefore, choose
them with rashness, but only after
spending a whole night in prayer, IN
communion with His Father. HIS Sc
lection is given by Matthew by Mark
nv Luke. the latter both in the gospeI
and The Acts; they are as IoloWs'
Simon called Peter, and Andrew ms
brother; James, the son OF AepeUee'
and John his brother; Pump anu 1
thaniel (called by his surname bar
tbolomew. by all of the evangehstsl'
THOMAS. and Matthew, and James the
con Of Alpheus: Thaddeus, Simon the
zealat. and Judas Escariot
simon Peter and Andrew were sons
If John: they wre fishermen VINO lNeu
az Capernaum. James and Johh WeIe
sons of Zebadee; their. mother Hal'e
1vas Salome. Salome was the sister Oh
NTarv the mother of Jesus. SO they
zero first cousins to Jesus HlmselI-
pbilin and Bartholomew were residents
oe Re+bsada. another fishing village on
tbo coast Of Galilee. Matthew ana
Tames were brothers. 1t is propapls
tbat Alpheus. their father, was also
called Clopas (not Cleopas) Ihelr
mother was one of the four women
who was last at the cross ana nrsI a'
the empty tomb. Their younger brother'
by the name Of Joses. was also a ioi-
lower of Jesus So that this FAMILY
father. mother and three sons, two OF
whom were apostles-contributed much
70 Gods kingdom. I don't know, but
7 like to think that Matthew was the
enc who introduced his neW-Iounu
Friend to his two brothers and MS
mother and father. Thaddeus is caileo
by Luke Judas, the son Of James 70
distinguish him from Judas, the man
of Kerioth. the traitor, and also from
Thomas, whose name was also JUDAS.
CHARACTER.
we can review briefly the character
of these men here, but possibly a mere
glimpse Of them will give us some loea
of the material with which Christ had
10 work in training those who should
represent Him after His death and res
direction. Simon, whom he surnamed
Peter. was impulsive and outspoken;
frequently saying and doing lmpulslNe
things which he regretted afterwards
but 'whole-souled and hearty; vaclllat-
ing before Tentecost. but rock after
wards This is the man who was
changed by fellowship with Christ from
a rough fisherman to probably the most
prominent of the apostles. The one
great passion of his life. after he met
Jesus was l1s love for Him. Tradition
SAYS that he was crucified in Rome
during the last days of Nero. and that
he was crucifed with his head down
ward because he did not think himself
good enough to hang as his Lord had
done.
Andrew was a quiet man, but very
practical one We do not hear much
about him. but everything that We
know is to his credit The best days
work that he ever did was the day he
brought his own brother Peter to
Christ When the Master is dispens-
ing the rewards, Andrew will share
alike with Peter, because Of that days
service Andrew was the one who
found the lad with the lunch which
Jesus used to feed the 5000; and he
was the one who brought those Greeks
to Jesus when they came inquiring for
Him. Tradition says that he was
crucified in Asia Minor, and hung for
two days on the cross before he died,
during which time he continued to teach
the people around the foot of the cross
Of the Christ whom he loved and for
whom he died. -
James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
and first cousins of Jesus. with Peter,
constituted the inner circle of the dis
ciples who were nearest to Christ.
James suffered martyrdom shortly after
Jesus death, being beheaded by Herod.
John was probably the youngest of the
disciples and lived the longest. 1t was
to him that Jesus entrusted the care of