rmed a group of privileged disciples,
among whom Peter maintained a fraternal priority,[1] and to them Jesus
confided the propagation of his work. There was nothing, however,
which presented the appearance of a regularly organized sacerdotal
school. The lists of the "twelve," which have been preserved, contain
many uncertainties and contradictions; two or three of those who
figure in them have remained completely obscure. Two, at least, Peter
and Philip,[2] were married and had children.

[Footnote 1: _Acts_ i. 15, ii. 14, v. 2, 3, 29, viii. 19, xv. 7; Gal.
i. 18.]

[Footnote 2: For Peter, see ante, p. 174; for Philip, see Papias,
Polycrates, and Clement of Alexandria, quoted by Eusebius, _Hist.
Eccl._, iii. 30, 31, 39, v. 24.]

Jesus evidently confided secrets to the twelve, which he forbade them
to communicate to the world.[1] It seems as if his plan at times was
to surround himself with a degree of mystery, to postpone the most
important testimony respecting himself till after his death, and to
reveal himself completely only to his disciples, confiding to them the
care of demonstrating him afterward to the world.[2] "What I tell you
in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, that
preach ye upon the housetops." This spared him the necessity of too
precise declarations, and created a kind of medium between the public
and himself. It is clear that there were certain teachings confined to
the apostles, and that he explained many parables to them, the meaning
of which was ambiguous to the multitude.[3] An enigmatical form and a
degree of oddness in connecting ideas were customary in the teachings
of the doctors, as may be seen in the sentences of the _Pirke Aboth_.
Jesus explained to his intimate friends whatever was peculiar in his
apothegms or in his apologues, and showed them his meaning stripped of
the wealth of illustration which sometimes obscured it.[4] Many of
these explanations appear to have been carefully preserved.[5]

[Footnote 1: Matt. xvi. 20, xvii. 9; Mark viii. 30, ix. 8.]

[Footnote 2: Matt. x. 26, 27; Mark iv. 21, and following; Luke viii.
17, xii. 2, and following; John xiv. 22.]

[Footnote 3: Matt. xiii. 10, and following, 34 and following; Mark iv.
10, and following, 33, and following; Luke viii. 9, and following;
xii. 41.]

[Footnote 4: Matt. xvi. 6, and following; Mark vii. 17-23.]

[Footnote 5: Matt. xiii. 18, and following; Mark vii. 18, and
following.]

During