My Answer(s): Thank you for visiting my web site, and submitting your question. I pray that God continue to bless you with a zeal for His word. You asked, when did Jesus choose His disciples? If by this question you mean when did Jesus choose His twelve apostles, then I answer that Jesus chose His twelve apostles (being disciples also) at the beginning of His ministry after John the Baptist was put in prison. In Luke 6, Jesus having prayed all night, and when it was day, He chose from His disciples "twelve whom He also named apostles" (Matthew 10, Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6:12-19).

Now, the Scriptures are written as the Holy Spirit says in Isaiah 28:10-13 (NKJV), "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little." For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, "This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest," And, "This is the refreshing"; Yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was to them, "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little," That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught." Therefore, the person having God’s Spirit understands that the word of God is not a chronology book, and each Scripture is written for our learning of spiritual truths. These truths are not always easily understood by the wise of this world. But those who are taught by the Spirit of Christ have the mind of Christ, and are willing to be taught by God, accepting that God’s word is true. And only men interpretation of the word of God may be wrong. As it is written by the apostle Peter being moved by the Holy Spirit, "just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him… His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV).

In Matthew 4 it’s said that Jesus’ heard John the Baptist was put into prison (Matthew 4:12 and Luke 3:19-20). Then it says Jesus chose the two brothers Simon called Peter and Andrew, and the two brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were all fishermen and from the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, the city of Capernaum of Galilee (Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20). In Matthew 9 it’s said Jesus returned to His hometown, Nazareth, and seeing Levi called Matthew, the son of Alphaeus, a tax collector. Jesus said, "Follow Me", and Matthew followed (Matthew 9:1, 9, Mark 2:13-14 and Luke 5:27-28). And in Luke 7:18-28, we see that John the Baptist was in prison when his disciples reported back to John about Jesus’ miracles and teachings.

In John 1, it’s said that after John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the next day John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God to two disciples, Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptist. Now, Andrew is said to have found his brother Simon Peter, and Jesus called him Cephas, which is translated, a Stone (John 1:35-42). Also, the book of John tells us that Jesus called the disciple Philip from Bethsaida (John 1:43-51).

In John 3, we read that John the Baptist was not yet thrown into prison, and Bible has already named six disciples chosen by Jesus, Peter, Andrew, John, James, Matthew and Philip as disciples. Jesus chose these disciples shortly after John the Baptist baptized him and the temptation by the evil one, and just prior to the first Passover of His ministry. At this time these were called disciples only, and there were others who followed Jesus also, whether Jesus called them personally or God the Father drew them to Christ Jesus is not mentioned in the Scriptures. Also, Jesus’ disciples were baptizing disciples at the beginning of His ministry (John 3:22-4:3). And Jesus at this time had not yet chosen His twelve apostles (John 3:22-24).

Let us examine what may appear to the wise of this world as a Bible inconsistency. In Matthew 4 and John 1, the story of Jesus choosing His disciples seems to disagree in the timing they were called. Yet, the spiritually discerning believer sees no disagreement. For as stated above the Bible is written for the person who has the spirit of God, but the unbeliever "might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught." For Matthew 4 do not say Christ chose two of His disciples after John the Baptist went to prison, these of two separate events. Also, Matthew 9 tells us that Jesus returned to His hometown and called another disciple. Now, I ask this question, what happen between Matthew 4 and Matthew 9 were it before Christ called a third disciple? I mean think about what I am saying here. In Matthew 5 to Matthew 7, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus twelve disciples were with Him, as noted by the phrase "when He was seated His disciples came to Him" (Matthew 5:1). Jesus chose His main disciples at the beginning of His ministry, which is consistent with the book of John recording of the events. This does not make the other books inconsistent because each book tells different spiritual truths. The wedding in the book of John help us understand when Christ Jesus began calling His disciples, for it tells us that Jesus on the third day after His baptism by John the Baptist said to His mother "Woman, ‘what does your concern have to do with Me? ‘My hour has not yet come". And Jesus was with His disciples at this time, Jesus ministry of miracles and revealing Himself had not yet come (John 2:1-5 NKJV).

As stated above Jesus chose His twelve apostles as recorded in Matthew 10, Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6:12-19. And Jesus commanded these apostles and sent them out by two to preach the kingdom of heaven (God) is at hand "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel", and not to go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans. In Luke 6:12-14 NKJV, it is said that Jesus continue in prayer all night, and chose from among His disciples "twelve whom He also named apostles". Jesus chose Simon, whom He also named Peter and Andrew, his brother. In Mark 3:17 NKJV, it’s said He chose "James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of Thunder’". Again, in Matthew 10:3-4 NKJV, "Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James the son Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed" Jesus. These were chosen as the apostles of Christ Jesus after John was in prison (Matthew 11:1-3).

Jesus had many more disciples than the twelve He chose as apostles. Therefore, you should not confuse the twelve apostles as being Jesus’ disciples, as if He had no other disciples. In John 6:22-71, Jesus speaks to the twelve (apostles) after most of His disciples had turned away from Him because He said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). It must be noted that the book of John do not mention the appointing of His twelve apostles as the other three books of the gospel, this mentioning here in John 6 tells us that Christ Jesus had already chose His twelve apostles at this point in book of John. And in Acts 1, we see Jesus had one hundred twenty disciples, this included the eleven apostles, excluding the traitor Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:13-15).

Sheila, I exhort you to continue to pray and study God’s word. Always praying day and night without ceasing for the days of evil. And if you are lacking anything, then God is faithful to provide it to you according to His will (James 1:5-8). Amen. Praise God.

Ron Davis, minister of Christ