Many people wonder why Jesus – whose teachings and actions so
3. WHY WERE THE DISCIPLES ALL MEN?
Many people wonder why Jesus – whose teachings and actions so thoroughly included women – only chose males when selecting his twelve disciples. Although it is difficult to pinpoint a single issue that we can say was the most important, there were probably several reasons women were not included in the Twelve, and we will look at them here. Practical Reasons First, through no fault of their own, women in first-century Judea largely led a more sheltered and protected life compared to men. It was men who conducted most outdoor occupations and who traveled for trade and other reasons. So it is probably true that in that society Jesus knew men would be better prepared to fulfill the roles he was giving the Twelve, which would involve traveling great distances – often in difficult circumstances and in danger of attacks from lawless individuals as well as the kind of harsh physical beatings from local authorities we know the apostle Paul endured (2 Corinthians 11:25; etc.). While it is not that women could not have taken on these roles, it would certainly have been much harder for them to succeed in their mission in that time and place. Religious Reasons Another reason why women were not included in the inner group of twelve that Jesus selected is doubtless found in the religious backdrop of the Old Testament. Under the Old Covenant instituted at Sinai, religious leadership positions were reserved for men. In choosing only men as the disciples who would lead his early church, Jesus was being consistent with the Old Testament legislation which required that society's spiritual leaders – the priests – be males (Exodus 40:12–15). In this, as in other areas, Jesus followed the Old Testament legislation in order to fulfill the law (Matthew
5:17) in all things. It is evident that after his death and resurrection, once the New Covenant began, Jesus did utilize women in very important roles. Cultural Reasons During Christ's physical ministry, the original disciples were sent only to preach to the Jewish nation (Matthew 10:5). And because the initial thrust of the disciples' ministry was directed exclusively at the Jews, it was necessary that Jewish men be appointed to complete this task. Sadly, in Judaism at that time women had few legal rights, were not regarded as worthy of being given formal religious education, and had no participation in Jewish public life – and it was inconceivable that they would have been accepted if they had been sent as religious instructors to their society. So it was inevitable that the disciples who would be the first missionaries to the Jewish people would be Jewish males. After the resurrection, this also changed as early Christian communities opened previously closed educational and social spheres to women. Symbolic Reasons The ancient nation of Israel had begun with the twelve sons of the patriarch Jacob who became the ancestors and symbolic fathers of the twelve tribes. By choosing twelve male disciples to continue his work, Jesus symbolically showed that his church would constitute a new community of God's people, a new Israel (Galatians 6:16), which would be based on its own twelve "patriarchs." The New Testament clearly shows this symbolic continuity between the tribal patriarchs and the twelve disciples as their New Covenant counterparts.
Jesus told the Twelve "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28); and in the book of Revelation we read of the new Jerusalem seen in vision by the apostle John: "On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel … The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the
names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:12–14). So, the significance of Jesus' twelve apostles as symbolic types of the twelve male patriarchs might not have been clear if women had been included among the core disciples. The Women Were There The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus taught women, that he had many female disciples, that they served alongside him, and that they performed invaluable support roles during his ministry (Luke 8:1–3; etc.). After his death, those roles were expanded dramatically, and women were given more visible responsibilities – including being the first witnesses and heralds of his resurrection. Nevertheless, for all the reasons we have looked at in this chapter, it was necessary that the first core disciples Jesus chose would be men.
We must remember that God does not often change human culture in order to accomplish his will. More often, he brings about his plans within the constraints of human society – working with cultures, just like individuals, despite their flaws and failings. Through progressive revelation down through history, God has revealed better ways to his servants who in turn preached these ways to their societies. If there is a lesson in this for us, it is simply that we must remember to trust God's plans despite the limitations and failings of the society around us, and to remember our own part in carrying the message of God's way of life to those who do not know it.