Lessons from the Apostles: How God Uses All Types of People to Change the World

By Glen A. Blanscet

We often think of the apostles as spiritual giants—men who were uniquely qualified to walk with Jesus and carry on His mission to the world. But the reality is they stand out more for their lack of qualifications. They were not trained religious scholars; they often misunderstood what Jesus told them; and sometimes they simply failed to live up to Jesus’s expectations.

Not only did they lack qualifications, but they also encountered many of the same fears and issues we experience. They struggled with doubts, cowardice, ambition, faithlessness, pessimism, and greed. In other words, the apostles were people just like us.

Yet, Jesus chose them to change the world. And they did.

Lessons from the Apostles describes the struggles and personalities of these ordinary men, reveals the transformation Jesus made in their lives, and identifies specific lessons you can apply in your own life. You will also find brief accounts of the stories and legends regarding what happened to the apostles after the Bible.

As you read about each of these men, you will likely recognize your own personality in one or more of them. And you will find encouragement from knowing that you too are the type of person God can use to change the world

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664226500

Glen A. Blanscet

Glen A. Blanscet is an author, speaker, and adjunct professor in Biblical Studies at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas. He is the author of Lessons from Solomon: Finding True Success in Life and the first two volumes of his Bible Study Notes series on the New Testament, including Everything We Need: Bible Study Notes on the Epistle to the Ephesians and Contending for the Faith: Bible Study Notes on the Epistle of Jude. Glen and his wife live in the Dallas, Texas area. They have two children and three grandchildren. For more information or to contact Glen about a speaking engagement, you can reach him at GlenBlanscet.com.

Book preview

LESSONS

FROM THE

APOSTLES

How God Uses All Types of People

to Change the World

GLEN A. BLANSCET

29764.png

Copyright © 2021 Glen A. Blanscet.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or

links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those

of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Author Photo by Becky Blanscet

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2649-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2651-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2650-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021904503

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/18/2021

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)® Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What Others Are Saying about

Lessons from the Apostles

A must-read! Glen Blanscet’s new book gives us an insightful look into the lives of the apostles and how God accomplished His transforming work in the world through each of them. In the hands of their Lord, their unique stories remind us that God accepts and uses all who are faithful in humbly offering their lives to Him.

Adam C. Wright, Ph.D.

President, Dallas Baptist University

Glen Blanscet has written a powerful and beautiful study of the apostles in the early church. He shows that they were not only normal everyday men, but rather real transformers, not only of the immediate surroundings where they found themselves, but ultimately the entire society. The book shows how these disciples in clay were able to change the world, not by their own strength alone, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. This book encourages us today to attempt to do the same in our contemporary society.

Dr. William Wagner

President Emeritus, Olivet University

Director of Olivet Institute for Global Strategic Studies

Glen Blanscet has done it again! Combining the truth of scripture with historical church tradition, Blanscet tells the story of the men who followed Jesus and the leadership lessons that can be drawn from their lives. The apostles changed our world and their stories will teach you how to make a difference in your generation. Reading this book will encourage your faith and make you a better leader.

Dr. Brent Taylor

Pastor, First Baptist Church at the Fields, Carrollton, Texas

Author of Founding Leadership and Presidential Leadership

Glen has not only captured the accuracy of scripture, but he captures the character’s moods, motivations, and personalities. Sometimes scripture is not detailed and we’re left to wonder what people thought or what they were truly like. Glen’s writing has dug a deep well. He’s faithful to the text, but insightful into who these people were. It’s very compelling writing that comes to life brilliantly.

Chris Machen

Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader & Producer

President of The Master’s Music Company

Writer of Bow the Knee, I Have Seen the Light, and God is Able

In Lessons from the Apostles, Glen Blanscet reveals the contemporary relevance of these ancient Christians. We see that they were not terribly different than we are, and through our common faith (Titus 1:4) we can embody their bold witness. Journey alongside them in the pages of this book.

Jesse Payne, Ph.D.

Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Burkburnett, Texas

To my

children, Jenna and Mark.

You have always made me proud

to be your father and

thrilled to see

the quality of persons you have become.

I have no greater joy than to hear that

my children are walking in the truth.

—3 John 4

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1   Simon Peter: The Inconsistent Apostle

Chapter 2   Andrew: The Insignificant Apostle

Chapter 3   James and John: The Angry Apostles

Chapter 4   Philip: The Pragmatic Apostle

Chapter 5   Nathanael (Bartholomew): The Honest Apostle

Chapter 6   Thomas: The Pessimistic Apostle

Chapter 7   Matthew: The Unpopular Apostle

Chapter 8   James, Son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; and Simon the Zealot: The Obscure Apostles

Chapter 9   Judas Iscariot: The Traitorous Apostle

Chapter 10   Matthias and Paul: The Substitute Apostles

A Summary of the Apostles: Their Characters, Lessons, and Deaths

Endnotes

Other Books by the Author

Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the multiple people who played a part in helping write this book—from those who took the time to read it and provide insight and critique of its contents to those who simply encouraged me to keep going and finish. I have had many people who helped me in both ways, and their assistance was invaluable. Thank you to Jason Carpenter for reading an early manuscript of this book and giving me important input to help make it better. And thank you to Jana Good, my editor, who pored over the contents of this book, seeking ways to improve it. To you and many others, I express my deep appreciation for the time and sacrifice you made on my behalf.

The purpose of this book is not only to describe and identify the apostles who walked with Christ but also to describe and identify the many different types of people God uses to impact the world. Our world is in desperate need of leaders, especially Christian leaders who submit their lives to God and to serving Him. This book identifies the many ways God uses different people and different personalities to accomplish His work. I am grateful that the apostles were men who loved Christ and willingly sacrificed their lives to serve Him. I am also grateful that God is willing to use any of us when we submit our own lives to Him.

My prayer is that God will use this book to glorify His name and that He will use it also to encourage those who read it. May all who read it recognize that they, too, can be used by God—regardless of their backgrounds, talents, education, or even mistakes—to change the world around them.

Introduction

Jesus selected twelve ordinary men that He used to change the world. They were not exceptionally talented, highly respected, or powerful men. None of them were educated religious scholars. Other than Judas Iscariot, they were mere Galileans who did not impress anyone. ¹

In fact, they were not necessarily even men of great faith when Jesus called them and set them aside as apostles. He frequently chided them for their lack of faith (Matthew 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20), and He often seemed frustrated at their behavior (Matthew 15:15–16, 16:23, Mark 9:16–19). They tended to argue among themselves, vie for special recognition, make bad decisions, and falter in their faith in Christ. They ran away when Jesus was at His neediest; they slept when He asked them to pray; they denied even knowing Him when things got tough.

But Jesus turned each of them into an unstoppable force for truth (that is, all but one). The story of the apostles is a story of transformation—the transformation by Jesus of a rag-tag group of unqualified men into faithful servants who risked and gave their lives to impact the entire world for Jesus Christ. And it is this story that has meaning for us today because, while we may view the apostles as spiritual giants, they were in reality very similar to us. They did not become world-changers because they were special or had unique spiritual and mental abilities. Their effectiveness resulted from the transformation Jesus accomplished in their lives (except for Judas Iscariot, who refused to let Jesus transform him).

The biblical accounts of the apostles’ transition from mistake-prone men filled with doubts and uncertainties to committed and courageous followers of Christ provide valuable lessons for our lives. They teach us that we will never impact our world without first letting Christ impact us. They illustrate how Jesus uses people just like us to make a difference. We may not lead thousands of people to Christ or start dozens of new churches or leave behind written testimonies that influence future generations, but Jesus still uses us to make an impact where we are, with the people we know and love. Our faith may result in our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren becoming believers and followers of Christ. Our obedience and commitment to Christ may be the example a friend or acquaintance sees that leads him to trust in Christ, changing his life and family for the good. Becoming that type of influence for Christ is the lesson we can learn from the apostles.

The Apostles’ Names and Calling

The Bible lists the names of the apostles in four different places: Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, Luke 6:14–16, and Acts 1:13. The following table summarizes those lists and the order in which the names appear:

A couple of things stand out about the Gospels’ listings of the apostles. First, Matthew and Mark identified one of the apostles as Thaddaeus, and Luke referred to an apostle named Judas (son of James). As we will discuss in the chapter on Thaddaeus, these are references to the same man. Judas was probably his birth name, and Thaddaeus a nickname.

A second observation about the lists is that they place the apostles into three groups of four men. While the order of the names sometimes fluctuates among the lists, the three groups are always arranged in the same order (a descending order based on their intimacy with Christ). In addition, the first name in each group (the first, fifth, and ninth names) is the same. These three men were probably the leaders of their respective small groups.

Scripture always lists Simon Peter first among the apostles, indicating that he was the overall leader of the Twelve. Matthew referred to Peter as first in Matthew 10:2, using a Greek word (protos) that means chief or foremost. He was also the leader of the first small group of apostles, which included Peter, James, John, and Andrew. Philip was the leader of the second group, consisting of Philip, Nathanael (Bartholomew), Matthew, and Thomas. James (son of Alphaeus) was the leader of the third group, consisting of James, Thaddaeus (or Judas, son of James), Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot (who is always listed last and identified as the one who betrayed Jesus).

Determining when Jesus selected the Twelve from the rest of His disciples is tricky. It appears Jesus set them apart as apostles around the mid-point of His ministry, shortly before He taught the Sermon on the Mount. ² Even though many, if not all, of the apostles started following Christ in the early years of His ministry, He did not begin teaching and preparing them as apostles until around a year-and-a-half before He was crucified. ³ That means Jesus had only approximately eighteen months to perform the intense training that ultimately transformed these twelve unqualified and weak-faithed men into spiritual giants who sacrificially carried on His mission after He left earth. ⁴

The Goal and Structure of This Book

In this book, we will take an in-depth look at what the Bible tells us about the backgrounds, personalities, and behaviors of each of the twelve apostles and the additional two men who became apostles later. We will consider who they were, contemplate their strengths and faults, and identify their struggles and fears, and then watch how Jesus used them to change the world. No doubt, we will see ourselves in one or more of these apostles and will learn how Jesus can use our personalities, strengths, and weaknesses to transform us from ordinary people into people who impact our world for Christ as well.

At the beginning of each chapter, I retell some of the biblical events featuring the apostle who is the subject of the chapter, using my own words and creativity. I have not quoted the scripture verbatim but dramatized it to present the apostle’s interaction with Jesus in a fresh and compelling manner. Doing it this way allowed me to pull together aspects of the story from parallel passages and present it in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand manner. Even though it is not a direct quotation from scripture, I have ensured that the narrative stays true to the biblical account.

After the opening stories, I then describe the apostles’ backgrounds and characteristics and highlight their personality traits and their strengths and weaknesses as revealed in scripture. As you read through those descriptions, you should recognize that these men were just that—men with human characteristics and faults. They were not perfect, and they were not inherently qualified to do what Christ called them to do. Instead, they were people like you and me—people God loved, taught, transformed, and empowered to do His will. Near the end of each chapter, I identify two lessons from each apostle’s experiences that you can apply in your own life as you allow Jesus to transform and empower you.

The chapters end with a historical summary of what supposedly happened to the apostles after the biblical accounts. Keep in mind that the stories of the apostles’ post-biblical exploits are often dubious at best. They are stories based upon oral traditions and early church writings that are frequently contradictory and unclear. But I tried to gather the best information I could to provide a brief overview of what most likely happened to the apostles during the latter part of their lives, including where they traveled and ministered and how they died. I also include some interesting claims about where their remains are buried or held today, although the truth of many of those claims is highly doubtful. I present that information merely as an interesting footnote to these great men’s fascinating and significant lives.

My prayer is that this study of the apostles will encourage you in your walk with Christ. I pray it helps you see how Jesus uses anybody who surrenders his life to Him regardless of background or personality. Whether you are outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, an upfront leader or a behind-the-scenes servant, God can and will use you. Like the apostles, you can be a person who impacts your world for Christ if you submit yourself to Him and allow Him to transform you into the person He has called you to be.

1

30264.png

SIMON PETER: THE

INCONSISTENT APOSTLE

A STORY OF COURAGE AND COWARDICE ⁵

A full moon illuminated the way as Jesus and eleven of His apostles left Jerusalem and walked across the Kidron Valley to a small garden of olive trees on the other side. They had just finished their Passover meal, but something about it was different this time. Jesus seemed increasingly melancholy throughout the meal, and the things He talked about were strange and difficult to understand. Betrayal. Blood. Death.

Jesus led the way silently, deep in His thoughts, as the other eleven whispered among themselves, asking each other what was going on. Why did He call the matzo bread His body and the wine His blood? What did it mean when He said one of them will betray Him? And where was Judas? Did Jesus send him to buy supplies, or was he taking some money to give to the poor?

Soon Jesus interrupted their quiet conversations. Continuing to walk ahead of them, He said, Tonight, all of you are going to abandon me and leave me alone at the hour of my greatest trial, just like the prophet Zechariah said would happen. But I will meet up with you again later after I have risen from the dead.

The men were stunned. They looked at each other, dumbfounded by His words. Why did He say that? They had stood firm with Jesus through many challenging times before. Why did He think they would abandon Him now?

Peter responded, Even if everybody else leaves you, I never will.

Jesus stopped and turned toward Peter. I have been praying for you, Simon. Satan has asked to test your faith and resolve. I have prayed that your faith will not fail, and once you turn back to me, that you will be able to strengthen your brothers.

Lord, there’s no need for me to ‘turn back,’ Peter answered. I will never disown you.