New Creation Gymea/Miranda Uniting Church Young Adults Group

BOOK REVIEWS
Title	Author
Twelve Ordinary Men	John MacArthur	Review by Robert Levee

The subtitle to this easy to read book is, “How the Master shaped His disciples for Greatness, and what He wants to do with You” and I believe the author has provided exactly that. This book is a panoramic yet detailed view of how each of the disciples lived, worked, interacted with each other and with Jesus and what we can learn from each of them.

 As mentioned this book is easy to read, however I would like to make note of the fact there are a number of poignant remarks within the text concerning each of the disciples, so don’t read it too fast! Some of the remarks are relating to how we are like the disciples were before and during their time with Jesus and others are how we should and can be more like them after Jesus physically left them.

Take Peter for example, how he was very forthright with his opinions and somewhat the sub-leader of the group. He was the one who spoke up when Jesus asked “Whom do you say I am?” and he is the person who was so brash that he cut off the ear of the soldier (Malchus) in the Garden… Yet Peter was also the person who was rebuked by Christ as being a vessel of Satan, along with also being the one that denied Him three times!

There are also many interesting little things that I picked up through reading this book, apart from the greater focus of learning more about the disciples. One such snippet is the way in which Jesus calls Peter, Simon sometimes and Peter other times. It was explained in the book that this was Jesus’ way of teaching Peter subtly and politely when he was doing something that needed correction. Simon conversion name and Peter the new (Peter means Rock).

The book goes through each of the disciples and in my words, puts flesh to the words and stories of them that we have read. After seeing “The Passion of the Christ”, and reading about Peter, John and Judas, it really has helped me see them in a new light again. It’s all good!

It is a book that I have read and enjoyed and have also found myself returning to quite often to reference and refresh myself with these pillars and saints of our faith.

I’d like to finish the review with two quotes, one from the book and another from The Book (the Bible). :)

“John was always committed to truth, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but it is not enough. Zeal for the truth must be balanced by love for people. Truth without love has no decency; it’s just brutality. On the other hand, love without truth has no character; it’s just hypocrisy.

Many people are just as imbalanced as John was, only in the other direction. They place too much emphasis on the love side of the fulcrum. Some are merely ignorant; others are deceived; still others simply do not care about what is true. In each case, truth is missing, and all they are left with is error, clothed in a shallow, tolerant sentimentality. It is a poor substitute for genuine love. They talk a lot about love and tolerance, but they utterly lack any concern for the truth. Therefore even the “love” they speak of is a tainted love. Real love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 13:6)”

-John MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men

 The Bible verse I spoke of that has jumped out to my after reading this book is this one.

 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Ephesians 6:18