Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You

Written by John F. MacArthur

Narrated by Maurice England

Discover how God used ordinary men, Jesus's twelve chosen disciples, to change the world, and how He can accomplish the same thing through you.

You don't have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples, whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Join bestselling author John MacArthur in Twelve Ordinary Men as he draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original disciples for today's modern disciple, you! 

Jesus chose ordinary men--fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots--and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from people who were otherwise unremarkable. The twelve disciples weren't the stained-glass saints we imagine. On the contrary, they were truly human, all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith, and bitter failure. Simply put, they were flawed people, just like us. But under Jesus' teaching and touch, they became a force that forever changed the world.

MacArthur takes you into the inner circle of the disciples--their selection, their training, their personalities, and their incredible impact. As MacArthur took a closer look at the lives of the twelve disciples, he found himself asking difficult questions along the way, including:

• Why did Jesus pick each of the twelve disciples?
• How did Jesus teach them everything he could in just eighteen short months?
• Can the lessons that Jesus taught the disciples can still influence our faith today?

 

In Twelve Ordinary Men, you'll learn that disciples are living proof that God's strength is made perfect in weakness. As you get to know the men who walked with Jesus, you'll see that if he can accomplish his purposes through them, he can do the same through you.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jan 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781400223848

John F. MacArthur

Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God's Word, John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker. He has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren. John's pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You, and its satellite offices in seven countries. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly two thousand English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and digital recordings by John MacArthur. John is chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary and has written hundreds of books and study guides, each one biblical and practical. Bestselling titles include The Gospel According to Jesus, Twelve Ordinary Men, Twelve Extraordinary Women, Slave, and The MacArthur Study Bible, a 1998 ECPA Gold Medallion recipient.

Reviews for Twelve Ordinary Men

[jdgodisgood2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very helpful book! It is challenging and encouraging! Every Christian should read it!

[Brian Kevin Lagrange · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

excellent overview by John. I will read more of his works

[Gregory Jones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best synoptic views of the disciples I have ever heard/read. It was relevant to how God can pick ordinary people to do extraordinary things! I was brought to tears as the book concluded with the life of Judas, an individual who had the privilege of knowing Christ on such a spectacular level, but forfeited his place in the kingdom for 30 pieces of silver. This is a must read!!!

[Kristen Roberts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome Book
Learn about the well known disciples and those we forget about. It has a good analysis of Peter, John, and Judas, but it also teaches you about the rest of the disciples that we often forget about.

[candajaen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It is definitely a good read and I would recommend it to others with caution. Read it along with scripture so as to separate fact from speculation. There is too much speculation given as fact. Words like "seems" are used too often. There are many things we can assume based on the stereotypes of careers and culture, but not everyone fits into those molds. Also, Scripture only tells us what we need to know. We cannot assume things from Scripture that simply aren't there. It's hard to get full personality profiles based off of 2 or 3 verses. Overall, it is a pretty good read.

[highlander6022 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well done - helps us understand that God's people are ordinary people and with His shaping us, we can do great things.

[bonpetitepoodle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

very little new information but presented in a easy format