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They were men. They were just men. Despite their humanity that subjected them to flaws and weaknesses, Jesus called them. They were disciples first, together with the 70. But they distinguished themselves from the 70, imposing themselves on the world and on history as apostles. Called to ensure the stewardship of the grace of God offered by faith in Jesus Christ, they had the privilege of being witnesses to the Resurrection of the Son of God. For this privilege granted to them, He entrusted them with a mission after His resurrection from the dead. To go and make disciples of all nations. To baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But who were these men who followed and accompanied Jesus in His travels and teachings? As a Christian, it is important to have detailed answers to such questions in order to affirm your faith and strengthen your assurance in the work to which you have been called. We discuss them in this article.
At the beginning of his ministry, they were there. Jesus took the time to choose them and call them one by one in order to make them workers in his mission of evangelization. Their number? 12. 12, like the number of tribes of Israel descended from the 12 sons of Jacob. 12, like the number of months in a year. 12, like the number of stars making up the crown of the woman dressed in the sun representing the church in the Apocalypse. 12, like half the number of elders spoken of in the Apocalypse.
And even when their number had been reduced to 11, they had arranged for one person to occupy this position. The number 12 had to be maintained. Why? What we know is that the apostles have always occupied a fundamental place in Christianity. (You can view our cross jewelry on our dedicated website.)
Chosen to enjoy close proximity to the Lord, they were powerful instruments in the propagation of Jesus' teachings after his death and resurrection. As many as they were, they each had their own personality, their own history, and a particular role in the life and mission of Jesus Christ.
More commonly known as Peter, Simon Peter is the most popular of the twelve apostles. He is also their spokesperson and the one on whom Jesus Christ will rely to establish His Church. But Peter was not actually his name. By birth, he was called Simon. It was Jesus Christ who gave him the nickname Peter, an Aramaic name meaning "Rock", "Stone".
Professionally, Peter was a fisherman before he met Jesus Christ. He was then in Bethsaida in Galilee. In the Christian tradition, Peter is a key figure in the spread of the word of God and the building up of the Church of Christ.
Moreover, Catholic confessions consider him to be the very first Pope in the history of the Catholic Church. He is generally considered the spokesman of the apostles. Even if some weaknesses are recognized in him, notably because he was the one who openly denied Jesus Christ three times before he was crucified, Peter remains a great name in the New Testament and one of God's strategic instruments in the events that occurred in the Acts of the Apostles.
It is interesting to note that Andrew is the brother of Simon Peter. Like his brother, he was also a fisherman by profession before his encounter with Jesus Christ.Moreover, when reading the Gospel of John, we note that Andrew had met Jesus and that it was he who encouraged Peter to go and meet Jesus.
Previously a disciple of John the Baptist, he became a disciple of Jesus, but would not achieve the same stature as his brother among the 12, since we hear less about him than about Peter, whether in the Gospels or in the Acts of the Apostles.
This does not mean that Andrew was insignificant among the disciples. Christian tradition recognizes that he played a very important role in the work of the Lord Jesus. This is why he was declared the Patron Saint of a number of countries, namely Scotland, Russia, etc. For example, according to tradition, he preached in Asia Minor and Greece. When he died, he was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Since then, this type of cross has been called "the cross of Saint Andrew".
He is also called James the Greater. Indeed, there are two different James among the disciples of Jesus. The son of Zebedee is therefore called "James the Greater" in order to differentiate him from the other James. He is the brother of the apostle John.
Like the two apostles presented previously, they are also fishermen. With Peter and John, he belonged to the very restricted circle of Jesus. We will note for example that it is these three disciples who are present during the transfiguration. It is also these three who witness the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.
According to tradition, James, the son of Zebedee, is often presented as the very first of the apostles to be martyred. Indeed, as can be seen in the Acts of the Apostles, just in the year 44 AD, Herod Agrippa I had him executed. Some post-biblical traditions associate him with the Iberian Peninsula. It must be believed that he evangelized Spain. Currently his relics are venerated in Santiago de Compostela.
As we have previously stated, John is one of the three most popular disciples of Jesus in the scriptures. He is the brother of James, having been born of the same father as him, Zebedee. He is the author of several books in the Bible.
He is the author of the Gospel of John, the three epistles of John, and the Apocalypse of John. While he was part of Jesus' inner circle, John had an advantage over the other two, particularly Peter and James. He was often referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This intimacy with Jesus is clearly evident in the quality, style, and unique theological content of his gospel.
It should also be noted that John played a role in the early Church. This "beloved disciple" of Jesus settled in Ephesus where he died at a very advanced age. Moreover, according to Christian tradition, he lived a life of fidelity and love.
Originally from Bethsaida, Philip is also one of the first disciples of Jesus, like Andrew and Peter. In the Gospels, we meet him in significant episodes. For example, he is the one who brought Nathaniel (or Bartholomew) to Jesus. He is also the main figure in the multiplication scene. We also find him near Jesus, asking Jesus to show him the Father. This was during the Last Supper.
Christian tradition considers Philip to be involved in the Christian mission in Asia Minor. And according to the details found in the apocryphal writings, Philip died in Phrygia at Hierapolis by crucifixion.
Often seen with Nathanael who appears in the Gospels of John, Bartholomew is from Cana. Unfortunately, the Gospels provide very few details about this Galilean. We do know, however, that he is mentioned among the apostles in the synoptic Gospels as well as in the Acts of the Apostles.
According to Christian tradition, he was involved in missionary activities in Armenia and India. It was in Armenia that he was martyred. In Christian art, he is often depicted holding a knife in his hand. This representation refers to the type of death he suffered, death by flaying. He is stripped of his skin, like a common rabbit.
Very famous because the first person in the New Testament bears his name, Matthew, also called Levi, is one of the disciples whose conversation had a major impact in his time. Indeed, Matthew was a tax collector by profession. It was a particularly despised profession since tax collectors have a moral reputation for not being very virtuous in the practice of their profession.
According to Christian tradition, Matthew is considered to have written the Gospel according to Matthew. Some scholars contradict this attribution on the basis of a number of hypotheses. However, Matthew continues to be considered the author of this gospel. Furthermore, he is said to have lived in Ethiopia, where he preached and suffered martyrdom.
Of all the disciples, Thomas is one of the most iconoclastic. He is also called Didymus, a Greek word meaning "Twin." He became famous for his incurable unbelief, and was nicknamed "Doubting Thomas." In fact, in the Gospel of John, he is seen doubting the resurrection of Jesus. In order to believe in this miracle, he demanded to see with his own eyes and touch Jesus' wounds.
It is interesting to know that this characteristic doubter became very fervent. Christian tradition notes that he was a very great missionary. He even went to India where he established a Christian community called "the Christians of Saint Thomas". This community exists to this day.
He is the second James in the team of Jesus' apostles. Son of Alphaeus, he is often considered James the Less since he played a relatively minor role compared to James, son of Zebedee. He is also often confused with James, the brother of Jesus, a question that continues to be debated in scholarly circles to this day.
In any case, there is not much information about James in the gospels. He is simply listed among the apostles. Post-biblical accounts reveal that he was one of the great leaders of the early church in Jerusalem. He is also said to have preached the gospel in Egypt and then in Palestine. before suffering martyrdom.
Many people confuse Thaddeus with Judas Iscariot, because he is also called Judas. But they are two different disciples. This one is less known than the traitor. Indeed, Thaddeus is the son of James.
The Gospels are very sparse about his life and ministry. However, Christian tradition considers him to be the author of the Epistle of Jude, a book of the New Testament, one of the biblical books composed of only one chapter. He is said to have preached in Mesopotamia and Persia before suffering martyrdom.
It is curious how confusing the names of the apostles are. But Simon the Zealot is quite different from Simon Peter. The term "the Zealot" seems to be a reference to his membership in a group of zealots denouncing the Roman occupation. However, there is no absolute evidence to demonstrate this.
In the Gospels, Simon the Zealot remained rather inconspicuous. For this reason, what we know about him comes mainly from traditions. Thus, he is said to have preached in Persia, Great Britain or Egypt. He is also said to have suffered martyrdom because of his faith.
Judas is a name that often needs no introduction. Infamous, this disciple sees his name enter history as the one who betrayed Jesus. It was he who accepted thirty silver shillings to hand Jesus over to the Jewish authorities so that they could put him to death. Because of his betrayal, Jesus was arrested and crucified.
Judas was still one of the most important disciples among the 12. He was responsible for the apostles' treasury. But the biblical writings present him as a greedy and resolutely dishonest person. After the death of Jesus, Judas, filled with remorse, committed suicide by hanging himself.
Each of these twelve apostles, even Judas Iscariot, contributed in his own way to the accomplishment of Jesus’ mission on earth. After Jesus’ resurrection and rapture, they scattered and spread the good news of the kingdom to the ends of the earth, as they had been commanded to do.
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