{"id":47052,"date":"2022-11-24T12:56:47","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T09:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=47052"},"modified":"2025-05-23T07:30:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T04:30:41","slug":"who-are-the-thenashara-mark-316","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2022\/11\/24\/who-are-the-thenashara-mark-316\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Are the “Thenashara”? (Mark 3:16)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The term Thenashara<\/em> is derived from the Hebrew language and simply means “twelve.”<\/strong> Rather than just saying \u201ctwelve people,\u201d the Bible sometimes refers to this number with distinction, especially when it comes to people or groups of spiritual significance. For instance, instead of saying twelve tribes<\/em>, Scripture often says, “The twelve tribes\u201d<\/em> (cf. James 1:1), or instead of twelve months<\/em>, it might be rendered \u201cthe twelve months\u201d<\/em> (1 Kings 4:7).<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the most theologically significant use of the term Thenashara<\/em> is when it refers to the twelve disciples<\/strong> that Jesus personally selected and appointed. These men became known as \u201cThe Twelve\u201d<\/strong>\u2014a unique title that signified both their number and their divinely appointed role.<\/p>\n

The Appointment of the Twelve<\/h3>\n

Mark 3:16\u201319 (ESV) tells us:<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

These men were not just casual followers. Jesus called them by name, appointed them, and later sent them as apostles<\/strong>\u2014messengers with authority to preach, heal, and cast out demons (Mark 3:14\u201315; Matthew 10:1\u20138).<\/p>\n

Why Are They Called “The Twelve”?<\/h3>\n

The title Thenashara<\/em> distinguishes these men from the broader group of disciples Jesus had. According to Luke 10:1, Jesus also appointed seventy (or seventy-two, depending on the manuscript) other disciples and sent them out two by two:<\/p>\n

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\u201cAfter this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This means that while many followed Jesus, only twelve were chosen for this special role\u2014to be trained closely by Him, to witness His miracles and teachings firsthand, and to be the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20).<\/p>\n

A Unique Role in Redemptive History<\/h3>\n

These twelve disciples symbolize more than just a number. In Scripture, the number twelve often represents God\u2019s people<\/strong>. There were twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, the twelve apostles become the spiritual counterpart\u2014representing the new people of God, the Church.<\/p>\n

Jesus promised them a unique role in the coming Kingdom:<\/p>\n

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\u201cTruly, 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<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 19:28, ESV).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thus, their calling was not only historical\u2014it was eschatological, pointing toward the coming Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find references to the Twelve<\/em> in many New Testament passages, such as:<\/p>\n