EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
6/13/2026 9:20 PM
My
Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 “Their
Significance”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: “None”
There is no Bible Reference in this SD that comes from
John MacArthur’s commentary, and perhaps this will not be the only time when he
does not use one in this series on the twelve Apostles, we will see.
MacArthur writes: “Despite their crucial role in the church and
their proclamation of the saving message of the New Covenant, the apostles are
often not given their due honor. Peter, James, and John, the three closest to
the Lord, are the most familiar. Matthew
(because of his gospel), Andrew and
Philip are less well known. Thomas,
regrettably, is remembered chiefly for doubting Christ’s resurrection (though
there was far more to his story than that, as will be seen in Chapter 7 of this
volume), while Judas Iscariot, of course, is infamous for betraying
Christ. The rest of the apostles are
largely unknown; in fact, many Christians could not even name Bartholomew
(Nathanael), James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of
James. Yet all the apostles deserve
respect for the vital ministry they performed—and they will be honored
throughout eternity by having their names inscribed on the gates of the
glorious city of New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14).
“The apostles were important for at
least six reasons. First, as noted
above, they were the foundation of the church.
In Ephesians 2:20 Paul wrote that the church was ‘built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner
stone.’
“Second, the apostles received
revelation ‘which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men,
as it has not been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit’
(Eph. 3:5). The entire New Testament was
written, the believers ‘were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’
teaching ‘(Acts 2:42). That teaching, as
recorded in the New Testament, is still the only authoritative source of
doctrine.
“Third, the apostles were given to
edify the church. According to Ephesians
4:11-12 God ‘gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as
evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints
for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.’
“Fourth, not only was their doctrine
authoritative, but also their lives were exemplary. Ephesians 3:5 calls them the ‘holy apostles,’
leading Paul to exhort believers to be imitators of him (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1
Thess. 1:6).”
(1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thess. 1:6)
“16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.”
“1 ¶ Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
“6 ¶ And you became imitators of us and of the
Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy
Spirit,”
“Fifth, the apostles were given
miraculous power to confirm their message.
The marks of a true apostle, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, were
‘signs and wonders and miracles’ (2 Cor. 12:12). He reminded the Romans that he had carried
out his ministry ‘in the power of sings and wonders’ (Rom. 15:19). The writer of Hebrews noted that the message
of salvation ‘was confirmed to us by those who heard [the apostles], God also
testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by
gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will’ (Heb. 2:3-4).
“Finally, the apostles were greatly
blessed (Luke 18:28-30) as they will be in eternity (Rev. 21:12-14).”
(Luke 18:28-30)
“28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes
and followed you.” 29 And he said to
them, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or
brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this
time, and in the age to come eternal life.’
“12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes
of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13
on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three
gates, and on the west three gates. 14
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the
twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Are you
still lacking in understand also? (Matt. 15:16)
Do you not
yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many
baskets full you picked up? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how
many large baskets full you picked up? How is it that you do not understand
that I did not speak to you concerning bread?
But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matt. 16:9-11)
Why do you
discuss the fact that you have no bread?
Do you not yet see or understand? (Mark 8:17).
Do you not
understand this parable? How will you
understand all the parables? Mark
4:13. (See also Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45;
18:34; John 12:16; 20:9)
(See also Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; 18:34;
John 12:16; 20:9)
“32 But they did not understand the saying, and
were afraid to ask him.”
“45 But they did not understand this saying, and it
was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were
afraid to ask him about this saying.”
“34 But they understood none of these things.
This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”
“16 His disciples did not understand these things
at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things
had been written about him and had been done to him.”
“9 for as yet they did not understand the
Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”
“The
Lord remedied the apostles’ ignorance by continually teaching them the truth
(cf. Luke 24:45). Even after His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with them
‘speaking of the times concerning the kingdom of God’ (Acts 1:3)”
(cf. Luke 24:45)
“45 Then he opened their minds to understand the
Scriptures,”
I usually do not stop in the middle
of things that are numbered, but it looks like I will have to finish this
section in tomorrow mornings SD, beginning with MacArthur’s second point.
6/13/2026
10:07 PM
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