What does Mark 6:30 mean?
The Twelve have just returned from their first missions trip without Jesus. They traveled throughout Galilee, teaching people to repent of their sins, healing the sick, and casting out demons (Mark 6:12–13). Although they are eager to tell Jesus what has happened, their specific stories are not recorded in Scripture.This is the only time Mark calls the Twelve "apostles." The title comes from the Greek root word apostolos, which refers to a messenger specifically sent out by an authority. In the Bible, the term "apostle" is used in two ways. Jesus directly chose who was to receive the office of apostleship: the twelve disciples of Jesus, including Judas' replacement, Matthias (Acts 1:15–26), and Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8–9). Barnabas (Acts 4:36; 14:14) and others (Romans 16:7; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Galatians 1:19; Philippians 2:25) also received the spiritual gift of apostleship. These men were not sent out by Jesus, but by the Twelve, Paul, and the elders.
The office of apostle has strict qualifications. The person must have witnessed Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 9:1), he must have been hand-selected by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15), and he must have the authority to perform miracles (Acts 2:43). Although we send missionaries out today, the authority of the office of apostle is over. Modern-day "apostles" who claim to have a new revelation from the Holy Spirit, or special authority from God, are false teachers (2 Corinthians 11:12–15).
Mark 6:30–32 describes the return of Jesus' followers from their first preaching mission. Jesus has shown the Twelve His authority over sickness (Mark 5:25–34), death (Mark 5:21–24, 35–43), demons (Mark 5:1–20), and the elements of nature (Mark 4:35–41). But they have also learned of the death of His herald, John the Baptist (Mark 6:14–29), and witnessed His rejection by His family (Mark 6:1–6). With all this in mind, Jesus has sent them out to preach repentance and back up their message with miracles of their own. Now they return to tell Jesus what they have done. This series of events is also found in Matthew 14:13, Luke 9:10, and John 6:1.
Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.
