Five Months of Testing the Apostles 

The testing began in late August 26 CE and ended in mid-January of the next year. This somewhat monotonous period of alternate fishing and personal work proved to be a grueling experience for the twelve apostles, but they endured the test. With all their grumblings, doubts, and brief dissatisfactions, they remained true to their vows of devotion and loyalty to the Master. It was their personal association with Jesus during these months of testing that so endeared him to them. All of them (except Judas Iscariot) remained loyal and true to him, even in the dark hours of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion in April of 30 CE.

Most of the apostles were married, and some had several children. By the end of the testing period, the twelve had worked out satisfactory plans for their families' care. They went fishing on the Sea of Galilee to earn money to support their families at home so they could devote their entire energies to the Master’s work without worrying about their families' financial welfare.

During the test and in between fishing trips, Jesus sent them out in pairs to preach and teach in Capernaum, Bethsaida-Julias, Chorazin, Gerasa, Hippos, Magdala, Cana, Bethlehem of Galilee, Jotapata, Ramah, Safed, Gischala, Gadara, and Abila. In addition to these towns, they labored in many villages and the countryside.

Though Jesus’ public teaching mainly consisted of parables and short discourses, he invariably taught his apostles through questions and answers. He always paused to answer sincere questions during private and public discourses.

For the first two weeks of the five months, Jesus went out with Andrew and Peter, the second two weeks with James and John, and so on with the other pairs. In this way, he could go out at least once with each pair before he called them together to begin their public ministry.

Jesus taught his apostles to preach the forgiveness of sin through faith in God without penance or sacrifice. He taught that the Father in heaven loves all his children with the same eternal love. He taught them that faith was the only requirement for entering the Father’s kingdom, that “Faith is the open door for entering into the present, perfect, and eternal love of God.” Jesus sought to divert their minds from miracle-seeking to the finding of a real and personal experience with the indwelling spirit of God.

The apostles learned that the Master had a profound respect and sympathetic regard for every human being he met. They were tremendously impressed by the uniform and unvarying consideration he consistently gave to all sorts of men, women, and children. The apostles were at first shocked by, but became accustomed to, Jesus’ treatment of women; he made it very clear to them that women were to be accorded equal rights with men in the kingdom.

Nothing seemed as important to Jesus as the individual human who chanced to be in his immediate presence. He was a master and teacher, but he was more – he was also a friend and neighbor, an understanding comrade.Throughout these five months, they learned much about themselves, Jesus, and how to present the gospel message. The common people marveled at their teaching. The rabbis had long taught that the ignorant could not be pious or righteous. But Jesus’ apostles were both, yet they were cheerfully ignorant of much of the rabbis' learning and the world's wisdom.

This test was also a time of organization, the apostles organized their roles to handle various responsibilities efficiently.

The Master and his apostles alternately preached and fished until Sunday, January 12, 27 CE. That day, he called them together and formally ordained them ambassadors of the kingdom and preachers of its glad tidings. Soon thereafter, they prepared to start for Jerusalem and Judea on their first public preaching tour.

These five months of work with Jesus led the apostles to regard him as their best friend in all the world. This human sentiment, not his superb teachings or marvelous doings, held them together until after his resurrection. When Jesus ascended to heaven, they went out into the world, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom in Jesus’ name.