The Twelve Apostles

The twelve were disciples before they were apostles.

Jesus chose 12 men to train as His disciples to preach His Gospel. In reading the four different accounts of the Gospel, the names of the twelve get confusing, as different writers use different names for the same disciple.

The names are important because Revelation 21:14 says the foundations of the New Jerusalem will number 12 and be named after the 12 apostles of Christ.

“The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

The Disciples were those chosen by Jesus to learn His teachings and then to teach others. The 12 became known as Apostles after Christ ascended to His Father.

Apostle means “one who is sent on a mission.”

The Apostles were commanded by Jesus to be witnesses for Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The word missionary comes from the word apostle.

Since Judas betrayed the Lord and hung himself, Matthias was chosen by the eleven to replace him.

Matthias was possibly one of the 70 that Jesus sent out and possibly a disciple of John. He would have been with Jesus from His baptism to His Ascension as stipulated as a requirement to replace Judas. (Acts 1:22)

There are contradicting stories about his ministry and death. Some even believe that the disciples got ahead of Christ in choosing Matthias. Saul or Paul was raised up after Pentecost and could have been the one whom Jesus meant to replace Matthias. At any point, we don’t hear anymore about Matthias in the New Testament.

The Names of the Twelve Disciples and how they died-

1. Simon is also called Peter and Cephas-crucified upside down
2. Andrew a brother to Simon and a disciple of John the Baptist-crucified
3. James the elder brother to John-Killed with a sword
4. John the beloved brother to James the elder-survived being boiled alive, then died of old age on Isle of Patmos
5. James the less or the younger-stoned/beaten with clubs
6. Jude also called Thaddeus and Lebbeus-crucified
7. Philip-scourged and crucified
8. Bartholomew called Nathanael-beaten & crucified or skinned alive & beheaded
9. Matthew known as Levi-stabbed in the back
10. Thomas also called Didymus known as the doubter-killed with a spear
11. Simon the Zealot or the Cananaean-crucified
12. Judas Iscariot the betrayer-hanged himself-suicide
13. Matthias-unknown
14. Saul known as Paul-beheaded

Simon Peter-

Peter was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum. He did evangelistic and missionary work among the Jews, going as far as Babylon. Tradition says he was crucified, head downward, in Rome. He wrote I & II Peter.

Andrew brother to Simon Peter-

He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was a fisherman before Jesus called him. Originally he was a disciple of John the Baptist. Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus. He is the first to have the title of Home and Foreign Missionary. Many scholars say that he preached in Scythia, Greece and Asia Minor.

According to tradition, it was in Achaia, Greece, in the town of Patra that Andrew died a martyr. Andrew, feeling unworthy to be crucified on the same shaped-cross as his Master, begged that his be different. So, he was crucified on an x-shaped cross.

James the Elder-

James the Elder, Boanergesm son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of Apostle John; a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. He preached in Jerusalem and Judea and was beheaded by Herod, AD 44

Jude-

Jude, Thaddeus, or Lebbeus, son of Alpheus or Cleophas and Mary. He was a brother of James the Younger. He lived in Galilee. Tradition says he preached in Assyria and Persia and died a martyr in Persia. He was killed with arrows at Ararat.

Philip-

Tradition says that disciple Philip preached in Phrygia and died a martyr at Hierapolis. Philip came from Bethsaida, the town from which Peter and Andrew came.

Scholars disagree on Philip. In Acts 6:5, we have Philip as one of the seven ordained deacons. Some say this is a different Philip. Some believe this is the Apostle. He led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8:26). He also stayed with Paul in Ceasarea and was one of the major figures in the missionary enterprise of the early church.

The Gospel of John shows Philip as one of the first to whom Jesus addressed the words, “Follow Me.” When Philip met Christ, he immediately found Nathanael and told him that “we have found him, of whom Moses … and the prophets, did write.” Nathanael was skeptical. But Philip did not argue with him; he simply answered, “Come and see.”

It is said that he died by hanging. While he was dying, he requested that his body be wrapped not in linen but in papyrus for he was not worthy that even his dead body should be treated as the body of Jesus had been treated.

Bartholomew or Nathanael-

Bartholomew Nathanael, son of Talmai, lived in Cana of Galilee. Tradition says he was a missionary in Armenia. A number of scholars believe that he was the only one of the 12 disciples who came from royal blood, or noble birth, tracing his bloodline to King David.

Tradition indicates he was a great searcher of the Scripture and a scholar in the law and the prophets. He developed into a man of complete surrender to the Carpenter of Nazareth, and one of the Church’s most adventurous missionaries. He is said to have preached with Philip in Phrygia and Hierapolis; also in Armenia. Tradition says that he preached in India, and his death seems to have taken place there. He died as a martyr for his Lord. He was flayed alive with knives.

Matthew-

Matthew, or Levi, son of Alpheus, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name. He died a martyr in Ethiopia.

The King James Version calls him a publican, which in Latin is Publicanus, meaning engaged in public service, a man who handled public money, or a tax gatherer.

Matthew was unlike the other Apostles, who were mostly fishermen. He could use a pen, and by his pen he became the first man to present to the world, in the Hebrew language, an account of the teaching of Jesus. Matthew became the first man to write down the teachings of Jesus. He was a missionary of the Gospel, who laid down his life for the faith of his Master.

Thomas-

Thomas Didymus lived in Galilee. Tradition says he labored in Parthia, Persia, and India, suffering martyrdom near Madras, at Mt. St. Thomas, India.

Thomas was his Hebrew name and Didymus was his Greek name. Thomas appeared in the raising of Lazarus, in the Upper Room where he wanted to know how to know the way where Jesus was going. In John 20:25, we see him saying unless he sees the nailprints in Jesus’ hand and the gash of the spear in His side he will not believe. That’s why Thomas became known as Doubting Thomas.

When Jesus rose, he came back and invited Thomas to put his finger in the nail prints in his hands and in his side. Here, we see Thomas making the greatest confession of faith, “My Lord and my God.” Thomas’ doubts were transformed into faith. By this very fact Thomas’ faith became great, intense and convincing. It is said that he was commissioned to build a palace for the king of India, and he was killed with a spear as a martyr for his Lord.

Simon the Zealot-

Simon, the Zealot, one of the little-known followers called the Canaanite or Zelotes, lived in Galilee. Tradition says he was crucified.

The Zealots were fanatical Jewish Nationalists who had heroic disregard for the suffering involved and the struggle for what they regarded as the purity of their faith. The Zealots were crazed with hatred for the Romans. It was this hate for Rome that destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Josephus says the Zealots were reckless persons, zealous in good practices and extravagant and reckless in the worst kind of actions.

Yet, Simon clearly emerged as a man of faith. He abandoned all his hatred for the faith that he showed toward his Master. Tradition says he died as a martyr.

Judas Iscariot-

Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the son of Simon who lived in Kerioth of Judah. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and afterwards hanged himself. (Matthew 26:14,16).

It is said that Judas came from Judah near Jericho. He was a Judean and the rest of the disciples were Galileans. He was the treasurer of the band and among the outspoken leaders. It is said that Judas was a violent Jewish Nationalist who had followed Jesus in hope that through Him his nationalistic flame and dreams might be realized. No one can deny that Judas was a covetous man and at times he used his position as treasurer of the band to pilfer from the common purse.

Saul or Paul-

Saul was his Hebrew name given to him by his parents. Paul was his Roman name because his father was a Roman Citizen. He was born in Tarsus. Paul was a strict Pharisee of the Law. He studied under Gamaliel in Jerusalem.

He was present as Stephen’s stoning and a zealous persecutor of Christians until his experience on the road to Damascus.

Christ appeared to Him and a blinding light and called him to be a missionary to the Gentile nations. He suffered many things for preaching the Gospel as outlined in II Corinthians 11:25.

He is credited with three missionary journeys in the Book of Acts.

He corrects Peter at the Jerusalem Council where James, the Lord’s brother is the Pastor.

He is arrested, taken to Caesarea for two years, then taken to Rome via ship which wrecks. He is under house-arrest in Rome. Some believe he was released and traveled to Spain, then re-arrested, taken back to Rome and then martyred. He wrote 13 of the letters in the New Testament. He wrote 4 letters from his prison cell.