Answers like this are always difficult to give when you consider what we know about Gandalf not only from The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, but also from the Silmarillion. While it is doubtful that Gandalf would have known where choosing Bilbo would lead not only the group, but the entire world, it can be argued that he may have suspected that important things were destined for that little Hobbit. Gandalf had powers that we cannot completely understand so, while it may seem random that he chose Bilbo for the trip, he may have had his reasons all along.
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It's just a class. In a party or group of adventurers many different skill sets are needed. You need a wizard, a strong warrior, a sneaky person who can pick locks and move undetected. A burglar is basically the sneaky one, that's why earlier in the movie when they catch those goblins stealing the horses they choose Bilbo to follow them.
Bilbo is an unlikely choice because he is a hobbit. Hobbits are known for just lying around and doing the same things everyday. They don't like adventures or any type of fun.
He is clever, he is quite small, and he has The Ring at his disposal, so basically he can become invisible whenever he likes. That makes for a very good burglar, don't you think?
Gandolf decided that a burglar would be a better choice because of the danger of the mission. It was to dangerous to take the dragon on head on so he resulted to burglary.
Gandalf believes in Bilbo, and he says in the book that he wouldn't of brought-en him if he wasn't in good use.
Gandalf was sent for a task, and that task is to thwart Sauron, and bring about his destruction. Gandalf is actually Olorin the wisest of the Maiar spirits from Valinor. He was sent over with 4 others to stop Sauron's evil. They were sent in the forms of old men. Gandalf wants to use others to fight Sauron
He really doesn't use any powers on the trolls. He does throw his voice. He used it to create an argument among them, that distracted them so that they didn't notice the rising sun.
Until the end of The Return of the King, when he went to the Undying Lands with the elves and Frodo.
Gandalf is a Maia, a minor god or angel. In the Third Age, he and a few others like him were sent on a mission to help the peoples of Middle-earth against Sauron. Naturally incorporeal and able to take any shape, they have been given the shape of old men for this mission. These body limited them, both by being physically old men, but they also could not use their full power or knowledge. In Middle-earth this group is known as the Istari, and mortals have called them "wizards".When he was killed by the Balrog his freed spirit left the physical world, but was sent back by Eru (God). He awoke again where he had been killed, but now again had access to more of his power and memory than before when he had been Gandalf the Grey. The changed colour in his title refers to that change, but also in his taking over of Saruman's position. ---- Gandalf (the gray) is pulled into the dark pit in Moria by the Balrog. There he battles with the Balrog until he defeats him, but it almost kills him. Gandalf lies there for what he recalls as feeling like centuries, near death. He is sent back from death because he has not completed his job, which is helping Frodo and the good peoples of Middle Earth to defeat Sauron. He is forced to return to life as Gandalf the White, similar but not exactly the same as he was before he fell.