4 ms·

The reference was to the 12 apostles of Jesus - they were low in standing and generally unschooled.

Detrus 13y ago
Yea and a curious counterpoint is the church wouldn't be built without Paul, who wasn't in the original 12, was educated and a "brilliant" charmer.
- 3minus1 13y ago
  That's an interesting spin, especially in light of the way people talk about how "Romanized" many aspects of Christianity to increase it's adoption. However, I think you could also see Paul as a dedicated manager, frequently writing letters of encouragement and advice to all the churches.
- vacri 13y ago
  Also, at the time of it constituting 12 people, it wasn't a great organisation. That would come centuries, perhaps a millenia later. When it was only 12 strong, they didn't even have enough influence to make the local law look the other way.
- CamperBob2 13y ago
  Good point. Most of the protestant Christians in the contemporary United States should really call themselves "Paulistinians," or something similarly catchy and descriptive.
qohen 13y ago
And, parenthetically, the "inland lake" would be the Sea of Galilee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee#Ancient_and_Classic_Antiquity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee#Ancient_and_Cla... Much of the ministry of Jesus occurred on the shores of Lake Galilee. In those days, there was a continuous ribbon development of settlements and villages around the lake and plenty of trade and ferrying by boat. The Synoptic gospels of Mark (1:14–20), Matthew (4:18–22), and Luke (5:1–11) describe how Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James. One of Jesus' famous teaching episodes, the Sermon on the Mount, is supposed to have been given on a hill overlooking the lake. Many of his miracles are also said to have occurred here including his walking on water, calming the storm, the disciples and the boatload of fish, and his feeding five thousand people (in Tabgha).

Yea and a curious counterpoint is the church wouldn't be built without Paul, who wasn't in the original 12, was educated and a "brilliant" charmer.

3minus1 13y ago
That's an interesting spin, especially in light of the way people talk about how "Romanized" many aspects of Christianity to increase it's adoption. However, I think you could also see Paul as a dedicated manager, frequently writing letters of encouragement and advice to all the churches.
vacri 13y ago
Also, at the time of it constituting 12 people, it wasn't a great organisation. That would come centuries, perhaps a millenia later. When it was only 12 strong, they didn't even have enough influence to make the local law look the other way.
CamperBob2 13y ago
Good point. Most of the protestant Christians in the contemporary United States should really call themselves "Paulistinians," or something similarly catchy and descriptive.

qohen 13y ago

And, parenthetically, the "inland lake" would be the Sea of Galilee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee#Ancient_and_Classic_Antiquity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee#Ancient_and_Cla... Much of the ministry of Jesus occurred on the shores of Lake Galilee. In those days, there was a continuous ribbon development of settlements and villages around the lake and plenty of trade and ferrying by boat. The Synoptic gospels of Mark (1:14–20), Matthew (4:18–22), and Luke (5:1–11) describe how Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James. One of Jesus' famous teaching episodes, the Sermon on the Mount, is supposed to have been given on a hill overlooking the lake. Many of his miracles are also said to have occurred here including his walking on water, calming the storm, the disciples and the boatload of fish, and his feeding five thousand people (in Tabgha).