How many men did Jesus initially appoint to preach as His disciples?

How many men did Jesus initially appoint to preach as His disciples?

• A. Three
• B. Twelve
• C. Seventy-Two
• D. Fourteen

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that Jesus chose a specific group to be with Him and carry the message—twelve men whom He named apostles. This appointment, described in the gospel accounts, shows Him designating a distinct circle with authority to preach and to represent His mission. The number twelve also echoes the twelve tribes of Israel, signaling a new, representative community of God’s people. While Jesus did have a larger crowd of followers and, on some occasions, a closer inner circle of three (Peter, James, John) who witnessed special events, the formal commissioning to preach as a defined group was the twelve. (Later, a separate sending of seventy-two appears in Luke, but that is a different event and not the initial apostolic foundation.) So the initial preaching apostles were twelve in number.

The key idea is that Jesus chose a specific group to be with Him and carry the message—twelve men whom He named apostles. This appointment, described in the gospel accounts, shows Him designating a distinct circle with authority to preach and to represent His mission. The number twelve also echoes the twelve tribes of Israel, signaling a new, representative community of God’s people.

While Jesus did have a larger crowd of followers and, on some occasions, a closer inner circle of three (Peter, James, John) who witnessed special events, the formal commissioning to preach as a defined group was the twelve. (Later, a separate sending of seventy-two appears in Luke, but that is a different event and not the initial apostolic foundation.) So the initial preaching apostles were twelve in number.