Mark 3:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);

NIV: These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),

NASB: And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),

CSB: He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter;

NLT: These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),

KJV: And Simon he surnamed Peter;

NKJV: Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;

From this point on, the Gospel of Mark typically refers to the apostles as "the twelve." The word translated "appointed" comes from the Greek root word poieo. It implies more than simply selecting something; it means to make something. When Jesus selects the twelve, He makes a core unit of teachers and representatives that will soon become the nexus of the church. It means more than a new calling—it means a new identity.

In this verse, Peter takes pre-eminence over his brother Andrew and the other disciples (Matthew 10:1–4; Luke 6:13–16). His Hebrew name, "Simon," is a variation on Simeon and means "hearkening" or "hearing." In some parts of the Bible he is identified by his name in Aramaic, Cephas (John 1:42). Jesus renames him Peter—translated Petros in Greek—Cephas in Aramaic (John 1:42), which means "rock" or "stone."

There is some confusion about this nickname. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says He will build His church upon "this rock," which some interpret as a reference to Peter. This is the justification Roman Catholics give for the office of Pope. In a practical sense, there is some truth to the interpretation that Peter is the rock, since Peter is the first to bring Jesus' teaching to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1–48). But it's far more faithful to the context to assume Jesus means His church will be built on the rock of Peter's statement in Matthew 16:16: that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." This is all the more likely, since Jesus uses two subtly different Greek words, with two different meanings, in Matthew 16:18.

Peter is by turns bold, brash, careless, and cowardly. He identifies Jesus as the Messiah one moment, and foolishly tries to keep Jesus from His work the next (Mark 8:31–33). He tries to protect Jesus from being taken by the scribes to be killed (Mark 14:46–47) and mere hours later denies he knows Jesus (Mark 14:66–72). After the resurrection, he is so excited to see Jesus he swims to Him instead of taking the boat (John 21:7), but takes years to understand some of Jesus' more challenging teaching (Acts 10:9–43; Galatians 2:11–14).

Mark 3:13–21 is the third story about the reactions people had to Jesus' ministry. Here, we establish which men Jesus chooses to be in His inner circle. Jesus separates ''the twelve'' for special training so they can be equipped to heal (Matthew 10:1), cast out demons, and spread the gospel. Other than Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), there is no record that Jesus performed miracles of healing for them. But they have witnessed Jesus' power and authority, and are willing to dedicate themselves to His teaching. This is a stark contrast to Jesus' own family. This account is also recorded in Matthew 10:1–4 and Luke 6:12–16.

The bulk of chapter 3 deals with how different people react to Jesus' teaching and His assumption of authority. The Pharisees' confusion transitions into plotting. The crowds that continually follow Jesus for healing become more frenetic and dangerous. Jesus' own family, afraid for His sanity, try to pull Him away. But true followers also show themselves. Twelve join together to become a core group, while a slightly bigger crowd, more interested in Jesus' teaching than miracles, earn the honor of being called His true family.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.