Is there any hint as to the Criteria Jesus was given by the Father for Choosing specific Apostles in Luke 6:12-16?

Question

We know who was chosen but is there any indication of a criterion the Father gave to Jesus to choose them? Or is there subsequent conduct of the Apostles that would reveal that Criterion?

This was such an important that Jesus spent all night in prayer first, before choosing them:

And it came to pass in those days that He (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him his disciples, and of them He chose Twelve, whom He also called Apostles...

Choosing assistant ministers in a local church is so important. Because it determines whether there will be a unity of intent and purpose for meaningful progress in the Kingdom...as far as that neighborhood church is concerned.

Of course, "no perfect people need apply" goes without saying. But if the pastor, or bishops, have a say in who are to be called alongside in the ministry, it seems there should be some sort of guidelines! This is, of course, after their spending a whole night in prayer. (?)

Any lists from the scripture?

As an aside Without prayer, and input from God, would Jesus still have chosen... whimsical Peter...Doubting Thomas...Arguing Sons of thunder... a Greek Philip...and Judas? Does this have any message for modern pastors in choosing men?

Answer 1

There is but one section in the New Testament that gives any kind of an answer to such a question about Jesus' night of prayer that enabled him to choose the twelve apostles. It's no use quoting scriptures that tell us about those chosen, after they were chosen. The need is to know how that night of prayer enabled Jesus to select from a bigger pool of disciples, those who would be the twelve apostles.

The section that gives the answer details what Jesus said in preparation for his departure to the Father. This was recorded by one of the apostles in the 15th 16th and 17th chapters of John's gospel, the relevant bits being as follows:

[15:16] "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you...

[16:4-5] "And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me..."

[17:2, 6, 9-11] "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him... I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me... I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou has given me, that they may be one, as we. While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled...

[17:18] "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." [all quotes A.V. and bold italics mine]

That night of prayer enabled Jesus to commune uninterrupted with the Father, to identify exactly who were to be chosen as the ones whom the Father had given to Christ. There likely was a great deal more Christ ascertained from the Father, such as the one chosen who would turn out to be 'the son of perdition' and how the scripture would be fulfilled through that one. We can speculate as to all the many things the Father might have told Jesus during that night of prayer, but that would be unwise. What we do know answers your question - the criteria for choosing specific apostles was that they were all God's choice. This is what Jesus determined during that night of prayer.

It is no aside to consider how all the foibles and weaknesses of all the apostles were known to Jesus. There never was a perfect apostle that walked the Earth. The one consideration that kept all of their respective sinful natures in their proper place, so as not to debar them from being chosen, was Jesus' knowledge that every last one of them had been given to him, by the Father.

It is an aside to the main question here to then move on to how appointments for various responsibilities and privileges within the Church of Christ are made. The choosing of the Twelve was unique, and done by Christ himself. Yes, lessons can be learned from that, but the New Testament has particular sections that detail how choices are to be made after Christ returned to heaven.

Answer 2

Jesus’ choice of the Twelve is as mysterious to us as God’s choice of Abram in Genesis 12. God, and His Son, certainly have reasons for the choices they make in choosing followers, but don’t seem to relate them for our knowledge. But thankfully God gives direction to us on how to choose ‘elders and deacons’, such as through Paul in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 (compare with Jethro’s advise to Moses in Exodus 18:21ff).

The one thing we are alerted to, is that Jesus knew the men he was choosing, and His choices were in line with His supernatural, Spirit-led understanding.

A couple examples that come to mind from the Gospel of John.

Nathanael said to [Jesus], “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48)

“Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. (John 6:70-71)

We don’t know what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree, nor how much insight Jesus the God-man knew of Judas’ future role — but Jesus clearly had insights that go beyond what most of us will have when called upon to help choose a leader.

Answer 3

The immediate text gives no hint, but later on in the same chapter, Luke relates important criteria of apostles in his version of Jesus' key sermon (The Sermon on the Plain). The sermon is delivered to "his disciples" but of course, the 12 apostles are included in this category.

27 “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you... 36 Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.

In Chapter 10, Jesus praises God for giving him apostles/disciples who are childlike:

He rejoiced the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will." (Luke 10:21)

This may be a clue as to central criterion the Father sought in Jesus' closest followers. (It comes shortly after the sending of the 72.) Earlier in the same chapter, Jesus gives the following instruction to these missionaries:

Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ ...7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’

We can infer from this that Jesus sought representatives who relied on God to provide for them and made spreading the Gospel their top priority. He hoped for apostles who manifested the qualities of Luke's version of the Beatitudes.

In Chapter 9, Luke relates another key quality of discipleship expected by Jesus:

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

The OP asks about apostles in the main question. Later, it refers to assistant ministers and other church officers. However, the qualities Jesus looked for in his apostles may not be analogous to the qualities needed in a settled church. The apostles had to be willing to face serious persecution and even literally give their lives for the Gospel. They had to go out with no money and rely solely on God and the generosity of the people to sustain them. They needed to feed the poor and heal the sick directly - not by raising money from a congregation or giving to institutional charities. So God's criteria for apostleship in Jesus day required a very high level of commitment, faith and humility. His criteria for church officers, while certainly requiring these qualities, also involve professional abilities such as being a competent public speaker, counselor, administrator, fundraiser and organizer.

In sum, Luke emphasizes the criteria of being childlike and making a life-and-death commitment to the Gospel at the expense of all else. But elsewhere he provides many other clues as TO the qualities the Father sought in Jesus' apostles.