How old were the disciples?

This past year in BSF, we studied the book of John. I have never done such an in depth study of this book and I have to say, it has been an amazing life changing experience. (side note: every encounter with God's word should be life changing, shouldn't it?) Anyway, because of this, I have decided to study Acts over the summer. For the past few days I have been thinking about the disciples and the huge responsibility that was placed on them by Jesus and I wondered: how old were they? This is what I have come up with and I WELCOME and encourage those of you with far more theological and historical knowledge to add input.

It looks to me like all of them, but Peter, were between the ages of 16 - 20. I am basing my conclusion on a couple passages of scripture. Exodus 30:11-16 explains the Temple Tax and it says that all men over the age of 20 had to pay half a shekel. In Matthew 17:24-27, we are given the story of when Jesus and Peter pay the Temple Tax with a shekel that was in the mouth of a fish that Peter had caught. All the disciples were with Jesus at this time, so if they all owed the tax, why wouldn't he pay the tax for all of them? This led me to believe that all but Peter are age 20 and under.

The other thing I saw in my research and a sermon that Michael Lukaszewski preached recently, was that all Jewish males went to Hebrew school to study under a rabbi and to learn the scriptures until the age of 12. At that time, only the "cream of the crop" went on to continue studying to eventually become a rabbi and the others went to start a trade. Since the disciples were all in a trade, they would have started it at about the age of 12, so by 16 they would have been completely entrenched in that trade as these guys were.

So what does it matter? Well, it probably doesn't, but I think it's interesting. The fate of the entire church and the spreading of the gospel was put into the hands of a group of teenagers and young adults. Oh, and the Holy Spirit, which is the lesson for me: dependence on the Holy Spirit is the ONLY way to accomplish what God has put me on this earth to do.

Let's face it, I am completely inadequate to do just about everything that God has charged me to do: raise my children, be a good wife, be a good friend, be a witness for God. I am comforted by the fact that the disciples were inadequate too and they were still able to accomplish the task that God had given them, because of the filling of the Holy Spirit. I think for this, their youth may have been an advantage! I remember at that age thinking I could do anything, be anything and that I knew everything. This attitude of invincibility probably helped them to not focus on the magnitude of the task at hand. At the same time, knowing that they were young and small in number, probably helped them to lean harder and become more dependent on the Holy Spirit.

This is my lesson: Yes, I am inadequate, but I am serving and working for a completely adequate God! I must lean hard on the Holy Spirit and never take credit as if I had anything to do with it, besides having the priviledge of witnessing His work first hand as it happens through me.