You’ve probably seen the ads for a new motion picture that opened in theaters last week, entitled The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The film, based on a series of graphic novels (what we called “comic books” back in the day) by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O’Neill, features an oddly matched team of seven characters from classic literature — including Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man — joining forces to defeat a fearsome enemy in Victorian England.

The idea of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (or LXG in ad-speak) is that the villain can only be defeated if each one of the characters lends his or her (one of the “extra-ordinary gentlemen” is a woman) unique abilities to the battle. Although the seven team members appear to have little in common, none of them could best the enemy alone, without the special skills or talents of the other six.

When Jesus selected His apostles, He did not summon the great heroes of His day to His cause. Unlike the LXG, the twelve included no famous hunter like Allan Quatermain, no scientific genius like Captain Nemo, no one with the amazing powers of an Invisible Man or the brute strength of a Mr. Hyde. The apostles were a league of ordinary gentlemen: some fishermen, a tax collector (Matthew Levi), a member of a radical political sect (Simon the Zealot), and several others so obscure we know little about them aside from their names. Jesus chose them, not because they were the best or the brightest, the most powerful or talented, the wealthiest or most renowned, but because He saw in their simple faith a quality that He could use to accomplish the mission of carrying to the world the gospel of the kingdom of God.

Paul — perhaps the only apostle who was already extraordinary before heeding His Master’s voice — wrote to a first-century church, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). When the Christians at Corinth looked around their assembly, they did not see the legendary, the lordly, or the lofty — “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age?” (1 Corinthians 1:20). They were, like the apostles before them, a league of ordinary gentlemen.

The names of faithful early disciples we know from the New Testament are recorded, not because they were generals or princes or captains of industry, but because they demonstrated their faith in Christ in ordinary ways:

• Ananias had enough courage to go and baptize a man with authority to put him in prison, or even execute him (Acts 9:10-18).
• Tabitha made clothes for poor widows, and did other acts of charity (Acts 9:36-41).
• Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers (Acts 18:2-3) who privately taught the eloquent orator Apollos the way of truth (Acts 18:24-26) and bravely supported Paul even at peril of their lives (Romans 16:3-5).
• Phoebe served churches in Cenchrea and Rome (Romans 16:1-2).
• Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14) and historical writer (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3).
• Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis labored in the Lord (Romans 16:6, 12).
• Epaphroditus ministered to the needs of Paul even when he himself was deathly ill (Philippians 2:25-30; 4:18).
• Timothy demonstrated sincere care for others (Philippians 2:19-23).
• Gaius walked in the truth (3 John 1-3).

Look about you in the worship today. What do you see? People who make their living selling real estate and auto parts. People who work in banks, markets, retail stores, and offices. Schoolteachers. Retirees. Homemakers. People who work for insurance companies. A mechanical engineer. A printer. Satellite dish installers. A police dispatcher. A writer. Everyday people. A league of ordinary gentlemen and ladies.

But in these also you see the local assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven (Hebrews 12:23); the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). A people purchased with the blood of the Lamb (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20), each member responsible for contributing to the Lord’s work according to his or her ability (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:16; Titus 2:1-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11). Such you would find in similar assemblies around the world — congregations of God’s own special people (1 Peter 2:9-10).

And there’s nothing at all ordinary in that.