Sekuphele unyaka nohhafu kusukela esikhathini uJohane uMbhapathizi ethula ngaso uJesu njengeWundlu likaNkulunkulu. Lapho uJesu eqala inkonzo yakhe, idlanzana lamadoda aqotho laba abafundi bakhe, njengo-Andreya, uSimoni Petru, uJohane, mhlawumbe noJakobe (umfowabo kaJohane), uFiliphu noNathanayeli (obizwa nangokuthi uBartolomewu). Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, nabanye abaningi baba abalandeli bakaKristu.—Johane 1:45-47.

Manje uJesu usekulungele ukukhetha abaphostoli bakhe. Laba bazohlala beseduze naye, bathole nokuqeqeshwa okukhethekile. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba abakhethe, uJesu uyahamba aye entabeni, mhlawumbe eseduze koLwandle LwaseGalile, engekude neKapernawume. Uchitha ubusuku bonke ethandaza, cishe ecela ukuhlakanipha nesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ubizela abafundi bakhe kuye, bese ekhetha abangu-12 kubo ukuba babe abaphostoli.

UJesu ukhetha abayisithupha okukhulunywe ngabo ekuqaleni kanye noMathewu, lowo uJesu ambiza ehhovisi lentela. Abanye abahlanu abakhethwayo uJuda (obizwa nangokuthi uThadewu nangokuthi “indodana kaJakobe”), uSimoni umKhanana, uTomase, uJakobe indodana ka-Alfewu noJuda Iskariyothe.—Mathewu 10:2-4; Luka 6:16.

Laba abangu-12 bebelokhu behamba noJesu futhi ubazi kahle. Abambalwa kubo bayizihlobo zakhe. Ngokusobala izelamani uJakobe noJohane bangabafowabo bakaJesu. Kanti uma kuwukuthi u-Alfewu wayengumfowabo kaJosefa, uyise kaJesu, njengoba abanye becabanga, lokho kuyosho ukuthi indodana ka-Alfewu, umphostoli uJakobe, ungumfowabo kaJesu.

UJesu akanayo neze inkinga yokukhumbula amagama abaphostoli bakhe. Kodwa ingabe wena ungawakhumbula? Enye into engasiza, ukukhumbula ukuthi kunababili ababizwa ngokuthi oSimoni, ababili ababizwa ngokuthi oJakobe nababili ababizwa ngokuthi oJuda. USimoni (uPetru) unomfowabo u-Andreya, kanti uJakobe (indodana kaZebedewu) unomfowabo uJohane. Yilokho okungakusiza ukhumbule amagama abaphostoli abangu-8. Abanye abane bahlanganisa (uMathewu) umqoqi wentela, (uTomase) lowo kamuva owangabaza, (uNathanayeli) lowo owabizwa ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla (noFiliphu) umngane kaNathanayeli.

Abayishumi nanye kulaba baphostoli abaseGalile, indawo yakubo kaJesu. UNathanayeli ungowaseKhana. UFiliphu, uPetru no-Andreya badabuka eBhetsayida. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uPetru no-Andreya bathuthela eKapernawume, lapho kubonakala sengathi uMathewu wayehlala khona. UJakobe noJohane nabo bahlala eKapernawume noma eduze kwakhona, futhi babenebhizinisi lokudoba eduze kwalapho. UJuda Iskariyothe, kamuva owakhaphela uJesu, kubonakala sengathi nguye kuphela umphostoli owayevela eJudiya.