The Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles

The Lord left his apostles with instructions and with great gifts. The instructions are listed in several distinct places, but the the gifts are more scattered, both in the four gospels and in the book of Acts later, being given as the apostles needed them.

First, about the apostles... just to clarify, here I'm referring to "the disciples" as including anyone who has followed along to hear the Lord, and "the apostles" to mean the twelve men that the Lord recruited specifically, as listed in Matthew 10, Mark 3, and Luke 6.

Who were the apostles? From the lists in Matthew and Mark, which are the same, we have: Simon (Peter), James and John the sons of Zebedee, Andrew (Peter’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew (the publican), Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, (as is Matthew, so they are brothers, too), Thaddeus, (also known as Libbeus), Simon the Canaanite (also called Simon the Zealot), and Judas Iscariot. Bartholomew is almost undoubtedly another name for Nathaniel, see John 1. The list in Luke includes another Judas, "Judas the brother of James" and doesn’t have Thaddeus.

The stories of how they were individually chosen differ, especially in the gospel of John, but that these twelve were appointed by the Lord is clear. A point of interest is that - other than Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot they are all from towns around the sea of Galilee - and perhaps those two are as well. These twelve have their names inscribed on the twelve foundations of the walls of the holy city New Jerusalem, in Revelation 21:14 in which there are also the twelve gates. These men were chosen to represent all the different states of the natural human being that can be receptive of the Lord. They are from Galilee because Galilee represents that natural state of the human mind. The number twelve in the Word represents all possible states of mankind.

What is indicated here is that all people, everywhere, can be saved or regenerated if they repent and turn to the Lord in their lives. No one is "outside" of His reach. We are born natural, everyone is, but we are so formed that our minds can be raised to what is higher, called spiritual for our conceptions of Divine truth, or Celestial for our perceptions of Divine good. But we all start in a natural state and can only move upward by listening to the Lord’s teachings in His Word, and following Him as those Apostles did.

Not all of our natural states are states of good; they can be selfish, domineering, and cruel. But the Lord said that He came "not to save the just but to call sinners to repentance". Perhaps this is why Simon the Canaanite and Judas were two that He called. Simon is little known, but in some places in the Word, "Canaan signifies an external worship without a true internal worship". (See Arcana Coelestia 1060). Can the Lord work with that - with external worship that's internally barren? Yes, as a starting point. And, even Judas, who betrayed the Lord so terribly, we are told, repented of his betrayal of the Lord. (Matthew 27:3-5)

The Lord's Instructions to the Apostles

The two most comprehensive sets of instructions are in Luke 10:1-17 where seventy Disciples are sent out two by two, apparently to a specified list of cities that Jesus intends to visit, and then in Matthew 20:1-19 where the chosen twelve Apostles are sent out to all Israel. Later, as recorded in different epistles, the Apostles go out further, through a wide region.

The basic instructions were to preach that the kingdom of heaven is near, that all should be led to repent of their sins, and that all who wish should be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles should not take any money or extra clothing along, and they were to depend entirely on the Lord’s providence with no doubt that they shall be welcomed, fed, and sheltered. If they were welcomed, they should stay and preach the good news about the risen Lord and His teachings, and if they were not, they should shake from their feet the dust of that place and go on to a place where they were welcome. See Matthew 10, 28, Mark 13, 16, Luke 9, 10:24.

There are several assurances for the twelve. The Lord has told them to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit is sent to strengthen them, and in John 20 where the ten are gathered it is said that He breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit". Also, in his long talk with them in John 14, 15, 16) He assures them that his crucifixion and death are necessary to his mission and they should even rejoice that it is coming. He shows them from scripture that it has all been prophesied from long ago, (see Mark 4:34) and that what seems to them a tragedy, is truly His glorification and the end of the work He came to do. They, His twelve, are in the same steam of providence and will be protected. "Don’t be anxious," He tells them, "I will put into your mouths what you are to say, I will bring into your memories the incidents to tell to the people".

Here is a listing of the chapters and verses in John where such things are said: John 14:1-3, 10, 16-18, 26-28, 15:11, 16, 26-27, 16:7, 13-15, 22, 26-27, 33. Or simply read the three chapters and pick out your favorites.

A marvelous gift is mentioned in Matthew 10:13, "But blessed are your eyes for they see and blessed are your ears, for they hear…".

In the book of Acts, the Lord vividly shows the apostles that when they speak in their Galileen dialect every listener will hear their words as his own language in his ears; not gibberish, but Arabic to the Arabs, Greek to the Greeks, and Latin to the Romans.

When Peter starts to preach to a gathering of sympathetic Jews he speaks clearly and unafraid, saying that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God and that people should worship Him openly and repent of how they might have felt earlier. Peter’s talk in Acts 3 and 4 is a bold and powerful one. No more hiding behind locked doors.

The early history of the Christian church shows just how well all this worked out. You know what? The Apostles preached to the peoples in the Near East 2000 years ago, and their preaching is just as relevant today as it was then: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Being at hand has nothing to do with the date or the state of political history in the world, it has to do with the inside of your mind. The Lord is just as close to you now as He was then, and He never turns away, though we might turn away from him. Remember that He said "behold I stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears and opens the door He will come right in." This hasn’t changed nor will it ever change, but He leaves us in freedom to ignore His knocking, if that is what we want. We have to make the choice, but He is always ready if we choose to open the door.

1179. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and ye prophets.- That this signifies joy of heart in heaven and in the church with those who are in wisdom and intelligence from the Word, is evident from the signification of exulting, which denotes joy of heart; and from the signification of heaven, which denotes not only heaven, but also the church, for the church is the Lord's heaven on earth; and from the signification of apostles, as denoting those who teach from the Word (concerning which see above n. 100, 333), those therefore who are in wisdom; and from the signification of prophets, as denoting those who are in the doctrine of truth from the Word, and in the abstract, doctrines themselves (concerning which see above n. 624), therefore also those who are in intelligence; for those who are in doctrine from the Word are called intelligent, but those who teach the Word are called wise. It is evident from these things that by "exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and ye prophets," is signified joy of heart in heaven and in the church with those who are in wisdom and in intelligence. The reason why this follows here, is that before the Last Judgment, or before the Babylonians were cast into hell, and the world of spirits was by that means freed from them, the light by means of which angels possess wisdom and intelligence was intercepted. The interception of that light, which caused the angels to be in the same degree of shade, arose from the conjunction of the Babylonians with the angels of the ultimate heaven; when however they were cast down, a change came to pass. Upon this subject see what is related from things seen and heard in the little work concerning The Last Judgment.

[2] Continuation.- That nevertheless the Lord provides that man should be capable of being reformed and saved by means of those things which he adopts from that source as his religion. Throughout the whole world, where there is any religion, there are two that constitute it; these are God and man, for there must be conjunction between these. There are also two things which make this conjunction, the good of love, and the truth of faith, the former being immediately, but the latter mediately from God. It is by means of the good of love that God leads man, and by means of the truth of faith man is led. This agrees with what was said above. The truth of faith appears to man as if it were his own, because it is from those things which he acquires for himself as if from himself. God therefore conjoins Himself to man by means of the good of love, and man conjoins himself to God as if of himself by means of the truth of faith. Because such is the nature of this conjunction, therefore the Lord compares Himself to a bridegroom and husband, and the church to a bride and wife. The Lord continually enters by influx with the full good of love, still He cannot be conjoined to man in the full truth of faith, but only in that degree of it which man possesses, and this varies. This fullness may exist in a greater degree with those who live in countries where the Word is, but in a less degree with those who live in countries where the Word is unknown; still however this fullness varies both with the one and the other, according to their knowledge (scientia), and their life in agreement with it. For this reason it may be greater in the case of those who have not the Word, than with those who have the Word.

[3] The conjunction of God with man, and of man with God, is taught in the two Tables which were written with the finger of God, and are called the Tables of the Covenant, the Testimony, and the Law. In one Table is God, in the other man. These Tables are found with all nations with whom there is any religion. From the first Table they know that God is to be acknowledged, and that He is to be hallowed, and worshipped. From the other Table they know that stealing is forbidden, either openly or covertly by means of wicked devices; that adultery is not to be committed, nor murder, either by the open violence of the hand or by hatred; that false witness ought not to be borne whether in a court of justice, or before the world; and further that he ought not to desire to commit those things. Man knows from his Table the evils which are to be shunned, and in proportion as he knows them and shuns them as from himself, God conjoins him to Himself, and enables him from His Table to acknowledge Him, to hallow Him, and to worship Him. He gives him power also not to will evils, and as far as this is the case He also enables him to become acquainted with truths. Those two Tables are thus conjoined in man, God's Table being set above man's Table, and they are put as one into the ark, over which is the mercy-seat, which is the Lord; and above the mercy-seat are the two Cherubim, which are the Word, and are from the Word, in which the Lord speaks with man, as He did with Moses and Aaron between the Cherubim.

[4] Since then the conjunction of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord, is effected by these means, it is evident that every one who is acquainted with them, and lives according to them, not only from civil and moral law, but also from the Divine law, will be saved; thus every one in his own religion, whether he is a Christian, a Mahometan, or a heathen. And, what is more, the man who embodies these principles in his life from a religious motive, although in the world he knows nothing either of the Lord, or of the Word, still he is in that state as to his spirit that he desires to become wise. After death therefore he is instructed by angels, and acknowledges the Lord; he also receives truths according to his affection, and becomes an angel. Every one of this description resembles a man who dies when a little child, for he is led by the Lord, and is educated by angels. Those who have no religious worship, in consequence of ignorance arising from being born in this or that country, are also instructed after death like little children, and, according to their civil and moral life they receive the means of salvation. I have seen such persons, and at first they had not the appearance of men; but afterwards I saw them as men, and heard them speaking sanely in accordance with the commandments of the Decalogue. To instruct such persons is inmost angelic joy. From these observations it is now evident that the Lord provides that every man should be capable of being saved.