God also knows best the roles for people in His kingdom. The time arrives for the Messiah to appoint His cabinet. We might think that Mary’s blessedness, Elizabeth’s inspiration and Anna’s status as a prophetess pave the way for new roles for women. These three women are godly, capable and highly esteemed by God. We also know of other wonderful women—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, Mary the mother of James, Salome “and many others”—who work beside Jesus (Mark 15:41-16:1; Luke 8:2; 23:55; 24:10). But they are not chosen to be “apostles.” For that sort of ambassadorial role, Jesus makes this selection:
In these days [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles: Simon, whom He named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor (Luke 6:12-16).
“Apostle” literally means “one sent.” In the context of Luke 6, it carries the higher sense of an appointed messenger. Apostolic authority is evident in their miraculous powers (Matthew 10:1; Luke 9:1; Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12), their inspiration by God’s Spirit (Matthew 10:10; Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 1:10) and their public proclamation (Matthew 10:7, 27; Luke 9:2; Acts 2:14). In their role as eyewitnesses and inspired messengers, the apostles become the very foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20; Revelation 21:14). They are the fully authorized channel by which Jesus passes along His principles and commandments (Matthew 28:16-20; John 17:20; Acts 2:42; 2 Peter 3:2). In that sense, the apostles are the new judges for God’s new Israel.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).