“Et fecit ut essent duodecim cum illo : et ut mitteret eos prædicare.”
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,”
“He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,”
“He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach,”
“And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,”
The number twelve is mystical, as appeareth by choosing Mathias to full up the place of Judas: they are the twelve foundations, under Christ, of the heavenly Jerusalem. (Apocalypse xxi.)
Verses 13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both.