(1) In St Mark’s(99) list of the Apostles—the names “and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew” come together in the enumeration. If we were asked for the names of a society of twelve men whom we knew—they would occur by the twos and threes who were most together. St Peter, whom we may regard here as St Mark’s informant, gives the names as they came to mind. He recalls journeys in the hill country, when the disciples had walked in scattered groups, three or four together. In one of these little knots Andrew, Philip, and Bartholomew may commonly have been found. (2) From the way in which St Matthew’s(100) list is given we may infer something of greater interest still. St Matthew gives the names of the Apostles _in pairs_: Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew—and so on. Immediately after the list of names we have the sending forth of the Apostles to the cities of Israel. I believe that the Apostles went on this mission in the pairs which are above-named. Why else should the names be coupled together? The Evangelist had in his eye the party as they had stood listening to their Master’s words, with their staves in their hands, ready to start. He recollects their separating—two going one way, and two another,—and therefore, two by two, he puts them down in his list.(101) It is curious that though St Matthew _couples_ the names, yet he does not say, as St Mark and St Luke do, that the Apostles were sent _two and two_ together. The coupling in St Matthew is a kind of coincidence with that express direction which is preserved by St Mark and St Luke. Not only, then, is there probable evidence to shew that, out of the little body of the earliest disciples, three clung together; but also that two of them—Philip and Bartholomew—formed one of the pairs that went forth declaring to the villages of Galilee that the Kingdom of God was at hand. At all events the Synoptists testify to a special intimacy between two disciples; and circumstances, which are disclosed by St John alone, shew how this intimacy naturally arose. Thus we have, what is always worth noting, a corroboration by the Synoptists of the narrative of the fourth Evangelist. To return to the history in the Gospel of St John. Our Lord sets out on His return to Galilee, and may have been Nathanael’s guest at Cana for the night preceding the wedding. It does not fall within my scope to say more about the miracle than has been said already. The statement important for my purpose is, that our Lord manifested His glory, “and _His disciples_ believed on Him.”(102) The fact that a new teacher worked wonders and drew disciples round him made a stir in the district; and this may throw light upon the passage which follows. “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and _his_ disciples: and there they abode not many days.”(103)