Twelve Ordinary Men Workbook: How Jesus Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You

by John F. MacArthur Jr.

The twelve men whom Jesus called to be His disciples weren’t saints, scholars, or religious sages. In fact, among the group were a handful of uneducated fishermen, a hated tax collector, and a political zealot. Perhaps it is because of this mix in personalities that we find the twelve disciples so fascinating. After all, they represent personality types that we encounter today. They are approachable and real.

What's more, the Bible doesn't try to hide their faults and foibles. The impulsivity of Peter. The ambition and aggressiveness of James and John. The doubt of Thomas. These men are like people we meet in our modern age with the same qualities! They are relatable to us. We understand why they stumbled at times—and are inspired when we find them "getting it right."

Eleven of these men would take up Jesus' great commission to preach the gospel to the world. They devoted their lives to this passion and triumphed against overwhelming opposition. Despite their shortcomings, they are fitting role models, revealing what Jesus can do with a life completely surrendered to Him. Getting to know these men who were close to Christ will help us to better know Christ ourselves.

The Twelve Ordinary Men Workbook has been completely revised and updated. Each lesson

A chapter-by-chapter exploration of the key themes in the bookSelected passages of Scripture with accompanying study questionsInsights from church tradition and biblical scholars on the lives of each discipleReflections from John MacArthur on what each disciple can teach us todayLESSONS

Lesson 1—Common Men with an Uncommon Calling

Lesson 2— The Apostle with the Foot-Shaped Mouth

Lesson 3— The Apostle of Small Things

Lesson 4— The Apostle of Passion

Lesson 5— The Apostle of Love

Lesson 6— The Bean Counter

Lesson 7— The Guileless One

Lesson 8—Matthew and The Tax Collector and the Twin

Lesson 9—James (the Less), Simon (the Zealot), and Judas (son of James): The Not-So-Well-Known Trio

Lesson 10— The Traitor

144 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2025

About the author

John F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.

Reviews

[Panda Incognito]

This workbook goes with the classic book "Twelve Ordinary Men" by the same author. You can use it as a study guide along with the book, or use it as a standalone. This workbook clearly explains the content and the teaching throughout, so you can get a lot out of this on its own.

This is rigorously Bible-based, and it shares helpful perspectives on each of the disciples, highlighting important takeaways from each disciple's life. The author shows both positive and negative examples from each man, and includes application questions for the reader to consider.

I appreciate that even though this focuses on men from the Bible, the book offers clear encouragement and takeaways for all Christians, male or female. This book isn't all about being a good man, but is about what it means for anyone to follow Jesus. I would recommend this to new believers who are learning more about Jesus, and to people who have been following Jesus for a long time, but would benefit from doing a deep dive into the lives of the disciples. This is a really great study workbook for personal use or in a group.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Sue]

As noted in the title, this workbook, based on the book published in 2002, is revised and updated. It is an outstanding look at who the disciples actually were, not the saints as they are usually represented, but as real men who lived flawed lives as described in the Bible as well as what can be interpolated based on knowledge of the times.

Along with terrific insights, the workbook is filled with relevant scriptures to read and questions to answer. The questions relate to information on Jesus’ teachings, the responses of the disciples, and how it applies to the reader. If you take the time to thoughtfully consider your answers, you will get even more out of the study.

This is a wonderful workbook that I would recommend to everyone.

Family friendly.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperChristian Resources. I received a complimentary copy of this workbook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Michaela Bush]

I read the original Twelve Ordinary Men book by MacArthur some time back, so I was interested to see there was an updated and expanded workbook being released. I appreciated the original book, but this workbook really sheds a lot of insight, personal introspection opportunities, and ways that we can learn from the disciples and apply it to our day-to-day life on mission for Christ and growing the Kingdom. I sincerely enjoyed going through this workbook and will be recommending it to just about anybody who wants to step up in their faith. He breaks the disciples down into understandable, relatable examples and challenges readers to see themselves--both the positives and negatives--in each disciple, not to mention ways we can serve God just as He created us to be, just like He did these ordinary disciples. Easy five stars!



**I read an advanced edition; opinions are my own!

[Book Bench]

The ten lessons in this workbook walk you through the disciples one by one from Peter the unlikely leader to Philip the bean counter to Judas the traitor. Each lesson pairs biblical study with discussion questions and life application assignments, which makes it easy to use in a group setting. Some leaders wished for fuller leader notes, but the questions spark lively conversation. It's a natural fit for adult Sunday school classes or small groups studying the Gospels.

[Doug Yonce]

Great leaning tool for the serious Bible student or the beginner as well. Stories and backgrounds help the reader learn what God can and will do in our lives if we allow Him. I recommend a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an hour review.

[B]

A Bible study for anyone wanting to know more about the men with whom Jesus surrounded himself. None of us is perfect, disciples included. And yet, we are loved. This is a wonderful study guide! Perfect for the individual or group setting.