The Twelve Apostles

According to the list occurring in each of the following Synoptic Gospels:

• Mark 3:13-19

  ¹³ Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons. ¹⁶ These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter ¹⁷ James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

• Matthew 10:1-4

  ¹ He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

  ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

• Luke 6:12-16

  ¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: ¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

"Simon, whom he named Peter" (Grk. Σίμων Πέτρος Simōn Petros, petra; Aram. kēf; Engl. rock), also known as Simon bar Jonah and Simon bar Jochanan (Aram.) and earlier (Pauline Epistles were written first) Cephas (Aram.) by Paul of Tarsus and Simon Peter, a fisherman from Bethsaida "of Galilee" (John 1:44; cf. 12:21)

Simon was the son of Jona, born in Bethsaida (John 1:42-44). He lived in Capernaum, he was married (Matthew 8:5-14), was a fisherman and brother of Andrew (Matthew 4:18). According to Luke, he was a partner with James and John (Luke 5:10). Simon was one of the "pillars" of the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9) who preached boldly, healed and spoke to both Jews and Gentiles after Pentecost (Acts 2-12). He was imprisoned by Herod for preaching yet was rescued by an angel of the Lord (ACts 12:3-19). He wrote 1 and 2 Peter.

According to Matthew, Simon was Impulsive, yet cowardly, hot tempered, yet tenderhearted, insightful, yet dense. After Pentecost, he became bold, courageous and solid.

Jesus called Simon to be a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19) and he left everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11). Along with James and John the brother of James, Simon was one of the three in the prominent nucleus of disciples (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 13:3; 14:33). Simon is the one who said Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God. Jesus named him Peter, the rock.

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

¹⁷ Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:16-19)

James, son of Zebedee (Grk. Ἰάκωβος Ζεβεδαῖος, Iakōbos Zebedaios) (Matthew 4:21) and son of Salome (Matthew 27:56; Mark 16:1) along with his brother John, was also known as Boanerges (son of thunder), James the Elder and James the Great.

He was a fisherman along with his father and brother John (Matthew 4:18-22). James was a partner with Peter (Luke 5:10), and along with Peter and his brother, one of the "pillars" of the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9). James was put to death by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2).

James was vengeful and fiery (Luke 9:54), selfish and conceited (Mark 10:35-37), yet committed to Christ and strong and courageous to the end (Acts 12:2).

Like Peter, he was called to be a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19) and left everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11). James was one of the three in the prominent nucleus of disciples (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 13:3; 14:33). He and his brother John were named "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus (Mark 3:17). Jesus rubuked him and his brother for requesting God to rain fire on a Samaritan village (Luke 9:54,55). He witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, where Jesus' divinity was revealed (Mark 9:2-8).

⁷ And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." ⁸ And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. Mark 9:7,8

James was with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) and witnessed the miracle of the catch of fish at the Sea of Galilee:

² Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." ⁶ He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. (John 21:2-7)

"Andrew" son of Jona (Grk. Ἀνδρέας Andreas) (John 1:42), brother of the Apostle Peter, "Protokletos," (the First Called Apostle) a Bethsaida fisherman (Mattew 4:18) and disciple of John the Baptist John 1:35-40). Andrew was born in Bethsaida (John 1:44) and lived in Capernaum with Peter (Mark 1:29). He was listed as one of Christ's twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; &version=ESV;" target="_blank">Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16).

Andrew was enthusiastic about Christ

³⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" ³⁹ He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). (John 1:35-42)

Jesus sent him on a mission to the the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. He was told, "You received without paying; give without pay." (Matthew 10:5-8) He told Jesus about the boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:8,9), he was present when Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection (John 20:19-25), he was present for the Great Commission when Jesus sent his disciples to all the nations (Matthew 28:16-20), and he also witnessed Jesus being taken up into heaven (Acts 1:8,9).

Philip (Grk. Φίλιππος Philippos) was born in Bethsaida (John 1:44) and was well versed in scripture (John 1:44-46). He is listed as on of Christ's twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16). He has often been confused with "Philip the evangelist" found in Acts. He most likely spoke Greek (John 12:20,21).

Philip was Practical (John 6:7), helpful (John 12:20,21) but also literal and confused. He once said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." (John 14:8).

Philip was the third of the disciples to be called by Jesus (John 1:43), who called Bartholomew to Jesus (John 1:45,46). He was tested by Jesus during the feeding of the multitude

⁵..Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" ⁶ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. ⁷ Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."

Philip informed Jesus that several Greeks wanted to see him (John 12:20-22).

Philip was present at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:20).

"Bartholomew": in Aramaic "bar-Talemai?", Greek: Βαρθολομαῖος Bartholomaios, "son of Tolmai" or from Ptolemais, often identified with the Nathanael of John 1:45-1:51. The name Nathanael is derived from the Hebrew: "Nathanael" a male given name that means "gift of God" (from Hebrew natan "he gives" + el "God").

Bartholomew was born in Cana of Galilee (John 21:2). When Philip told him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46Nathanael said to him,(F) "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." (John 1:46)

He was listed as one of Christ's twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; &version=ESV;" target="_blank">Matthew 10:2-4; Acts 1:13).

He was honest

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" (John 1:47)

and he was faithful (John 1:49).

Jesus told him "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:50:51)

He was a witness of the miracle catch of fish and ate with Jesus after his resurrection (John 21:2-7).

"Matthew": some identify with Levi son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14) was a Tax collector in Galilee (Matthew 9:9) was listed as one of Christ's twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; &version=ESV;" target="_blank">Matthew 10:2-4; Acts 1:13), and wrote the Gospel of Matthew. The name Matthew is derived from Hebrew: "gift of God." Matthew was remorseful:

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

Matthew invited Jesus to his home to take a meal with him and his depraved friends (Matthew 9:10) and Jesus sent him on a mission, with the other eleven disciples, to the the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. He was told, "You received without paying; give without pay." (Matthew 10:5-8).

He was present at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:20).

"Thomas" (Grk. Θωμᾶς Thōmas): also known as Judas Thomas Didymus - Aramaic T'oma' = twin, and Greek Didymous = twin and also known as "Doubting Thomas." He was a twin (John 20:24) and listed as one of Christ's twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; &version=ESV;" target="_blank">Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16). He was curious (John 14:5), doubting (John 20:24,25), brave (John 11:16), and faithful

²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." ²⁸ Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:24-29).

With the other disciples, he also witnessed the miracle of the catch of fish and ate with Jesus after his resurrection (John 21:2-7).

"James the son of Alphaeus" (Grk. Ἰάκωβος Ἁλφαῖος Iakōbos Halphaios) (Mark 3:18): commonly identified with James the Younger or James the Less. He may have been the brother of Matthew (Levi) the tax collector who is also the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). James was listed as one of the twelve disciples of Christ (Matthew 10:3, Acts 1:13). He is often confused with James the brother of Jesus (the writer of the book of James), and sometimes confused with James the brother of Joseph.

James the son of Alphaeus was sent on a mission to the the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. He was told, "You received without paying; give without pay." (Matthew 10:5-8)

"Thaddeus": (Grk. Λεββαῖος Θαδδαῖος Lebbaios Thaddaios) The identity of the other apostle of the twelve, traditionally called St. John, varies between the Synoptic Gospels and also between ancient manuscripts of each gospel: Mark names him as Thaddaeus; Different manuscripts of Matthew identify him as either Thaddeus or Lebbaeus (some later Latin manuscripts name him "Judas the Zealot", but this is regarded as an unlikely reading); Luke names him as Judas, son of James (translated in the KJV as: "Judas the brother of James" Luke 6:16). He is listed as one of the twelve disciples of Christ (XXXMatthew 10:2-4; Acts 1:13). He is sometimes confused with Judas the brother of Jesus, Judas Barsabbas and Judas Iscariot.

He was sent on a mission to the the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. He was told, "You received without paying; give without pay." (Matthew 10:5-8)

Thaddeus was curious but confused

²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 14:22)

He was present with the other disciples at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:20)

"Simon the Zealot:" (Grk. Σίμων Ζηλωτής Simōn Zēlōtēs) (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) sometimes referred to as "Simon the Cananean" and some identify with Simeon of Jerusalem, which others dispute on the grounds that Simeon was described at the time of Jesus' birth some thirty years before, as an old man not far from death.

Simon the Zealot was listed as one the the twelve disciples of Christ (Matthew 10:2-4; Acts 1:13). Simon, the name, stems from the Hebrew "Shimon" which means "hearing." The word "Cananean" stems from old Aramaic, meaning "zealous one."

He was chosen as one the Christ's twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; Acts 1:13), sent on a mission to the the lost sheep of the house of Israel to preach "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. He was told, "You received without paying; give without pay." (Matthew 10:5-8), present with the other disciples at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:20), and was with the other disciples for the Great Commission and Christ's Ascension (Matthew 28:16-20).

"Judas Iscariot the Betrayer": (Grk.Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώθ παραδίδωμιIoudas Iskariōth paradidōmi) also Judas the son of Simon. The name Iscariot may refer to the Judaean towns of Kerioth or to the sicarii (Jewish nationalist insurrectionists), or to Issachar. Also referred to (e.g. at John 6:71 and 13:26) as "Judas, the son of Simon". He was replaced as an apostle in Acts by Matthias.

Judas was the treasurer for the disciples, and he was a thief (John 12:5,6; 6; 13:29). He betrayed Jesus and later hanged himself after "throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple" and telling the chief priests and elders, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." (Matthew 27:3-10) The chief priests used the money to purchase a potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. It became known as the Field of Blood.

³ Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." ⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. ⁶ But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money." ⁷ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸ Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me." (Matthew 27:3-10)

• Peter
• Andrew (identified as Peter's brother)
• the sons of Zebedee
• Philip
• Nathanael
• Thomas (identified as also being called Judas and Didymus (John 20:24))
• Judas Iscariot

The individual that the Gospel of John names as Nathanael is traditionally identified as the same person that the Synoptic Gospels call Bartholomew, and most would agree that the sons of Zebedee is likely to be a reference to James the Great and John. Noticeably missing from the Gospel of John are James the Less, Matthew, and Simon the Canaanite/Zealot. James the Just was, according to the Book of Acts, the leader of the Jerusalem church, and Matthew is noticeably the most "Jewish" of the Gospels, and it may be the case that the author of John deliberately left out these two figures for a motive opposed to Jewish Christianity. By the second century, the presence of two Simons in the list of the Synoptic Gospels allowed a case to be made for Simon Magus being the other of the Simons, and hence one of the twelve apostles; and it may have been for this reason that John left the other Simon out.

Recruitment by Jesus

Simon and Andrew are, according to Matthew, the first two apostles to be appointed, and Matthew identifies them as fishermen. Mark does not identify Simon as also being called Peter until a long time after Simon is introduced in the narrative, but Matthew immediately makes the connection as soon as he is first mentioned. This has the effect of changing the later passage where Jesus names Simon as Peter from one where Jesus bestows the name onto Simon into one where Jesus merely starts using a long held nickname. Both Andrew and Peter are names of Greek origins, which France sees as a reflection on the multicultural nature of Galilee at this time, although evidence exists that Andrew was used by Jews as a name since at least 169 BC in the early period of Hellenic influence. Simon however is the Greek form of the Hebrew nameShimeon, a common Jewish found referring to several other individuals in contemporary works such as Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus as well as in the Old Testament.

Despite Jesus only briefly requesting that they join him, the two are described as immediately consenting, and abandoning their nets to do so. Traditionally the immediacy of their consent was viewed as an example of divine power, although this statement isn't made in the text itself. The alternative and much more ordinary solution is that Jesus was simply friends with the individuals beforehand, as implied by the Gospel of John, which states that Andrew and an unnamed other had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and started following Jesus as soon as Jesus had been baptised. As the son of a carpenter, it is eminently plausible for Jesus to have taken his father's trade, and been employed to build and repair fishing vessels, thus having many opportunities to interact with and befriend such fishermen.

William F. Albright extrapolates from Simon and Andrew abandonment's of their nets, that Matthew is emphasising the importance of renunciation by converting to Christianity, since fishing was profitable, though required large start-up costs, and abandoning everything would have been an important sacrifice. Regardless, Simon and Andrew's abandonment of what were effectively their most important worldly possessions, was taken as a model by later Christian ascetics.

Matthew describes Jesus meeting James and John, also fishermen and brothers, very shortly after recruiting Simon and Andrew. While Matthew identifies James and John as sons of Zebedee, who is also present in their ship, Mark makes no such proclamation. Luke adds to Matthew and Mark that James and John worked as a team with Simon and Andrew. Matthew states that at the time of the encounter, James and John were repairing their nets, but readily join Jesus without hesitation. This parallels the accounts of Mark and Luke, but Matthew implies that the men have also abandoned their father (since he is present in the ship they abandon behind them), and Carter feels this should be interpreted to mean that Matthew's view of Jesus is one of a figure rejecting the traditional patriarchal structure of society, where the father had command over his children; most scholars, however, just interpret it to mean that Matthew intended these two to be seen as even more devoted than the other pair.

The synoptics go on to describe that much later, after Jesus had later begun his ministry, Jesus noticed, while teaching, a tax collector in his booth. The tax collector, Levi according to some Gospels, Matthew according to others, is asked by Jesus to become one of his disciples. Matthew/Levi is stated to have accepted and then invited Jesus for a meal with his friends.Tax collectors were seen as villains in Jewish society, and the Pharisees are described by the synoptics as asking Jesus why he is having a meal with such disreputable people.The enigmatic reply Jesus gives to this is now well known: it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick .. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

Fishers of men

The phrase fishers of men, used both in the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew, is how Jesus is presented as describing the role he is offering, to the men he recruits. Christians have frequently moved the reference from the disciples to Jesus, calling him the fisher of men, and the image of Jesus as a fisherman has become second only to that of Jesus as a shepherd. This image probably went some way towards the reason for the adoption of the Ichthys symbol as the main representative of Christianity, in early times. This is one of famous quotes in the New Testament, and it has appeared a number of times in art and culture, such as in literary works like Chaucer's "Summoner's Tale", Byron's Don Juan, Tennyson's Harold, Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and G. K. Chesterton's "The Innocence of Father Brown."

What the phrase is getting at is matter of debate, but it has the strongest resonance amongst Evangelical groups, who view it as a metaphor forevangelism, and the most important such metaphor. Some scholars question whether the metaphor has a universal meaning at all, postulating that instead it is simply a phrase tailored simply to fit people who are fishers - that if Jesus had met a teacher he would have asked them to teach for him, and if he had met a solider he would have asked him to do battle for him.

The exact methodology implied by the phrase is generally disputed, particularly by Evangelical groups. A similar reference to fishing occurs in the Book of Jeremiah 16:15, upon which this phrase may be based, and there it is placed in the context of actively hunting down sinners. Wallace argues that the common view of fishing with a line and hook and bringing each fish in individually is misplaced, Simon and Andrew would have used nets to fish and would have brought in large numbers of fish at once through grand acts. Wuellner presents an alternate view arguing that the disciples may have caught fish individually, and even by hand. Manek believes that to fully appreciate the metaphor one must understand how the sea was viewed at the time, arguing that throughout the Old Testament the sea is presented as unholy, and in stories such as that of Jonah, the depths of the sea are portrayed as synonymous with the underworld, hence in Manek's view the act of fishing is a metaphor for bringing people from the domain of sin and death to one of God. The water reference might also be linked to the idea of baptism, which towards the end of Matthew is explicitly linked to the disciples' mission.

Deaths of the Twelve

Judas Iscariot, originally one of the Twelve, died after the death of Jesus. Matthew 27:5 says that he hanged himself, and Acts 1:18 says that he fell, burst open, and his "bowels gushed out." Matthias was elected to take his place as one of the twelve.

According to Christian tradition:

• Peter, crucified upside-down in Rome circa 64 A.D.
• James, son of Zebedee was beheaded in 44 A.D., first of the twelve to be assassinated
• John, son of Zebedee, natural causes due to old age, last of the twelve to die, only one of the twelve to die naturally
• Andrew, Peter's brother, was crucified.
• Philip was crucified in 54 A.D.
• Bartholomew was crucified.
• Matthew killed by a halberd in 60 A.D.
• Thomas was killed by a spear in Mylapore, Madras, India in AD 72.
• James, son of Alphaeus, beaten to death by a club after being crucified and stoned.
• Saint Jude was crucified.
• Simon the Zealot was crucified in 74 A.D.
• Judas Iscariot, according to the gospels, hanged himself after betraying Jesus.
• Matthias, Judas' replacement, was stoned and beheaded.

The Thirteenth Apostle

Paul of Tarsus

Many historians maintain that Paul and Simon Peter certainly disagreed on the extent of Paul's authority as an Apostle, with Peter maintaining Paul was not one of those chosen by Jesus, or by his chosen after his death.

Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church considers Paul an Apostle; it honors Paul and Peter together on June 29.

Constantine the Great

Other apostles

Judas Iscariot

Judas having betrayed Christ and then in guilt committed suicide before Christ's resurrection (in one Gospel account), the apostles then numbered eleven. According to Acts 1:16–20, Peter states, "Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus… For he was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry… For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be made desolate, Let no one dwell therein,' and, 'Let another take his office.'"

Matthias

Between the ascension of Christ and the day of Pentecost, the remaining apostles elected a twelfth apostle by casting lots, a traditional Jewish way to determine the Will of God as a replacement of Judas. The lot fell upon Matthias, who then became the last of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament.

Beloved Disciple

Jesus Himself

The writer of the Hebrews 3:1 refers to Jesus as the "apostle and high priest of our professed faith" and of rank greater than that of Moses.

Barnabas

In Acts 14:14, Barnabas, the man who introduced Paul to the circle of disciples and the Desposyni at Jerusalem, is referred to as an apostle.

James the Just

Brother or relative of Jesus, James the Just, described by Paul as: "James, Cephas, and John, who were reputed to be pillars" (Gal 2:9) and described in Acts as leader of the Jerusalem Church, is not called an apostle in the Gospels, though Paul in Galatians 1:19 states that he is one and according to Orthodox Christian Tradition he is the first of the Seventy of Luke 10:1-20. Many believe that the Seventy were also called apostles. The Greek text doesn't use the noun form apostolos but uses the verb form apostello which means to send away and in combination with the rest of the text strongly implies that they are apostles.

Andronicus and Junia

In Romans 16:7 Paul states that Andronicus and Junia were "of note among the apostles", indicating that he considered these two as well to be apostles. Most evidence points to Junia being a woman, thus this is cited as an example of gender neutrality in the early church.

However, the tag "of note among the apostles" can also be considered to mean simply that the apostles considered them to be noteworthy Christians. This is the preferred interpretation of most conservative theologians, and renders the gender argument irrelevant. Following is a quote from Matthew Henry:

"They were of note among the apostles, not so much perhaps because they were persons of estate and quality in the world as because they were eminent for knowledge, and gifts, and graces, which made them famous among the apostles, who were competent judges of those things, and were endued with a spirit of discerning not only the sincerity, but the eminency, of Christians."

Later Christianizing apostles

Roman Catholic tradition

• Apostle to the Abyssinians: Saint Frumentius
• Apostle of the Alleghanies: Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, 1770–1840
• Apostle of Andalusia: Juan de Avila, 1500–1569
• Apostle of the Ardennes: Saint Hubert, 656–727
• Apostle to the Armenians: Saint Gregory the Illuminator, 256–331
• Apostle to Brazil: José de Anchieta, 1533–1597
• Apostle to Karantania: Bishop Virgilius of Salzburg (745–84)
• Apostle to the Cherokees: Cephas Washburn
• Apostle to China: Hudson Taylor
• Apostle to the English: Saint Augustine, died 604
• Apostle to the Franks: Saint Denis (3rd century)
• Apostle to the Franks: Saint Remigius, ca 437–533
• Apostle to the Frisians: Saint Willibrord, 657–738
• Apostle to the Gauls: Saint Irenaeus, 130–200
• Apostle to the Gauls: Saint Martin of Tours, 338–401
• Apostle to the Georgians: Saint Nino, 320s
• Apostle to the Gentiles: Saint Paul
• Apostle to the Germans: Saint Boniface, 680–755
• Apostle to the Goths: Bishop Ulfilas
• Apostle to Hungary: Saint Anastasius, 954–1044
• Apostle to India: Saint Thomas;died around 53 AD
• Apostle to India: Saint Francis Xavier; 1506–1552
• Apostle to India (Protestant): William Carey
• Apostle to the "Indians" (Amerindians): John Eliot, 1604–1690
• Apostle to the Indies (West): Bartolomé de las Casas, 1474–1566
• Apostle to the Indies (East): Saint Francis Xavier, 1506–1552
• Apostle to Ireland: Saint Patrick, 373–463
• Apostle to the Iroquois, Francois Piquet, 1708–1781
• Apostle to Noricum: Saint Severinus
• Apostle to the North: Saint Ansgar, 801–864
• Apostle to the Parthians: Saint Thomas
• Apostle of the Permians: Saint Stephen of Perm, 1340–1396
• Apostle of Peru: Alonzo de Barcena, 1528–1598
• Apostle to the Picts: Saint Ninian, 5th century
• Apostle to the Polish: Saint Adalbert
• Apostle to the Pomeranians: Saint Otto of Bamberg, 1060–1139
• Apostle to the Scots: Saint Columba, 521–597
• Apostle to the Slavs: Saint Cyril, c 820–869
• Apostle to the Slavs: Saint Methodius
• Apostle of Spains: James the Great (d. 44)
• Apostle of Mercy: Saint Faustina Kowalska, 1905–1938

Some Eastern Orthodox saints are given the title specific to the Eastern rites "equal-to-the-apostles", Kosmas Aitolos. The myrrh-bearing women, who went to anoint Christ's body and first learned of his resurrection, are sometimes called the "apostles to the apostles" because they were sent by Jesus to tell the apostles of his resurrection.

References

• Navarre RSV Holy Bible. Four Courts Press, Dublin, Ireland, 1999.
• Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
• Carson, D.A. "The Limits of Functional Equivalence in Bible Translation - and other Limits Too." The Challenge of Bible Translation: Communicating God's Word to the World. edited by Glen G Scorgie, Mark L. Strauss, Steven M. Voth.
• Carter, Warren. "Matthew 4:18-22 and Matthean Discipleship: An Audience-Oriented Perspective." Catholic Bible Quarterly. Vol. 59. No. 1. 1997.
• Clarke, Howard W. The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
• "Fisher's of Men." A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature. David Lyle Jeffrey, general editor. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992.
• France, R.T. The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary. Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
• Manek, Jindrich. "Fishers of Men." Novum Testamentum. 1958 pg. 138
• Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975
• Wuellner, Wilhelm H. The Meaning of "Fishers of Men". Westminster Press, 1967.
  1. Catholic Encyclopedia: The Brethern of the Lord: "His [James the brother of the Lord] identity with James the Less (Mark 15:40) and the Apostle James, the son of Alpheus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18), although contested by many Protestant critics, may also be considered as certain."
  2. Catholic Encyclopedia: The Brethren of the Lord: "Some identify him [Symeon of Jerusalem] with the Apostle Simon the Cananean (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18) or the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)."