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

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and appreciate its detailed research into the disciples’ lives. The book provides great insight into their personalities, showing how God can work with ordinary men. While some customers find it factual, others note it contains too much speculation.

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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.

Our Top Reviews

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Interesting Read
Review: Most people know some things about the key disciples, such as Peter or John. Yet, I bet not too many can even remember the names of the rest of the disciples. MacArthur marshals forth convincing background details via jigsaw puzzle piecing of scripture references. In his usual style of clarity backed by evidence and logic, MacArthur weaves together a readable and agreeable book for all readers intrigued by the subject matter.

Reviewer: Julia Fikse
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: One of my favorites
Review: This is one of my favorite books by John Macarthur. It reminds me of God’s great love for us, how he uses us despite our flaws and it reinforces one of my favorite verses, Philippians 1:6, that says “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” I bought this copy for a graduate, because I think it’s encouraging as one sets off on their own to follow Jesus.

Reviewer: Meshia Russell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A New Favorite
Review: What an extraordinary commentary on the lives of the disciples. It’s now shelved with other favorites. Though the book has been finished, I will be mulling over what I have learned for a long time.

Reviewer: Robert
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: insightful
Review: Twelve Ordinary Men was very insightful to me. I enjoyed how the author shows the 12 apostles as genuine humans with faults, but through Grace they overcome those faults.

Reviewer: Christine LaRocca
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Very Good Book of the 12 Apostles
Review: The content of the book is good. John MacArthur is a well know pastor in Christian circles, known to be an accurate teacher of Biblical topics. Many years ago, I bought the hard cover for my husband , and he loved it. The hard cover was a larger book with text that is easier to read. I gave that copy to a friend, and I was looking to replace it, so I bought this paperback. I’m really disappointed that it is a lot smaller. than the hard cover. It’s not the size that is disappointing. It’s the smaller text and that the ink is lighter and not as easy to read. Perhaps size is reduced and less ink is used to save money. But I’d rather pay a little more and have a book that is enjoyable to read. I’m not sure if I’ll return this or not. To publishers, please note that, especially as we grow older, it is not easy to read small text let alone faint text. It makes a big difference when you’re older to be able to grow into our collection of books (read in our older years books we’ve collected over time). Sorry if I spent too much time on size and ink quality. It’s a good book and you will learn a lot about the lives of the 12 apostles. Worth reading.

Reviewer: Carolyn Stubbs
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Exceptional Read!!!!!
Review: It’s a really great book that is devastatingly sad describing the demise of our Lord, but the beautiful redemption Christ was willing to suffer to grant us eternity with God and Jesus upon his return to reign King of Kings and Lord of Lords in all his glory. The exceptional accomplishment these ordinary yet extraordinary men made stand the test of time after being the chosen group by Jesus & God have accomplished keeping the word alive and is inspirational, motivational and exceptionally told! Highly Recommend Reading this….even if you already know the ins & outs of the Bible already.❤️🙏

Reviewer: Peggy C
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Learning More About the Disciples
Review: I learned so much about the disciples that I did not know. The story of Judas Iscariot explained many things that I did not understand about his character and that even though he followed Jesus for three years, he let his greed and hubris keep him from surrendering.

Reviewer: Drew Clark
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great text from a great author
Review: Life changing

Reviewer: Sourangshu Sarkar
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: An enlightening journey through the lives of disciples, beautifully penned by John F. MacArthur. The author’s insights into how the Master shaped his followers for greatness offer profound lessons. A must-read for those seeking spiritual growth and understanding. The narrative, coupled with MacArthur’s expertise, creates a compelling and enriching experience. This book has truly captivated me, and I find myself thoroughly enjoying every page. Highly recommended for those seeking a deeper understanding of the apostolic journey and its profound teachings.

Reviewer: K.Yam
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: マッカーサー牧師の12人の女性を先に、そして今度は12人の弟子を読みます。米国のベストセラー、大変良い本です。お勧めです。

Reviewer: Enrique Gonzalez
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: In a very simple but profound way the author explains how and when di He choose His apostles. It has been a delighting reading

Reviewer: Humberto Domingos de Carvalho Junior
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The book really show us a different perspective of the life of those 12 men. How the Lord shaped each one of them, except for Judas Iscariotes, in the same way He does today, but perhaps in a more intense way. Transforming ordinary and miserable men into valuable tools in his mighty hand. Making sinful men able to follow the steps of the Master and share his loving gospel to the world. I recommend it.

Reviewer: Tricia Garvey
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I have found any book that Dr John MacArthur writes is so explanatory and presents the scriptures in a true and easy way of understanding explaining the scriptures exposing the full truth of God’s word for the ordinary person to understand. His books are so easy to read and understand full of the truth of the Gospel. He is a blessed servant of God.