Mark 6:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.

NIV: The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

NASB: The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.

CSB: The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught.

NLT: The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.

KJV: And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

NKJV: Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

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.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

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.