The original twelve apostles may be considered, with one exception (Judas), to be some of the most fortunate people that ever lived. Often referred to simply as The Twelve, they were chosen by Jesus Christ Himself, and actually lived and worked with Him during His Ministry.
The names of The Twelve are listed in 4 places in The Bible (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:12-19, Acts 1:13) with some minor differences due to the various uses of first, family, or nicknames at different times.
Simon More generally known as Peter. The brother of Andrew. A fisherman from the Sea of Galilee. Considered to be the most impulsive of the group, always ready to speak up or swing a sword. Some traditions hold that he was eventually crucified, upside down, by the Romans.
Andrew He was active in bringing people to Jesus, including his brother Peter.
James James was the older brother of John. He was the first of The Twelve to be martyred.
John The beloved, who wrote the book of Revelation on the Island Of Patmos.
Philip From Bethsaida, as were Andrew and Peter. Eventually martyred, possibly at Hierapolis.
Bartholomew He was one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection. He was also a witness of the Ascension.
Thomas He was also called Didymus which is the Greek version of his name. Not easily convinced, he has the nickname "Doubting Thomas" because he wanted to actually see and touch Jesus after His Resurrection. Certainly a good witness for us today, because he wanted indisputable proof of what he was expected to report about, and he got it.
Matthew Formerly a tax-collector at Capernaum, he became one of the more prominent apostles.
James Known as James the Younger, or James the Less, he wrote the epistle which bears his name.
Thaddaeus Also known as "Judas the brother of James;" while John probably referring to the same person, speaks of "Judas, not Iscariot."
Simon the Zealot The Zealots were a nationalistic sect with very strong political views. There seemed to be a wide variety of personalities among the apostles.
Judas Iscariot The thief and traitor to Jesus.
Matthias To bring the number back up to twelve after Judas fell away, Matthias was chosen by the remaining eleven apostles.
What Happened To The Apostles?
Some have commented how wonderful it must have been to have been chosen as one of the apostles, or to have been John the Baptist, or to have been among the earliest of Christians who actually saw and heard Jesus Christ in person. It certainly would have been a great honor and joy to have been among those pioneers of the true church.
However, with the knowledge and understanding came responsibility. They were expected to go out into the world and be active witnesses of what they saw and heard. That was their purpose. In the political and religious climate of that time, the God-defying hatred that got Jesus Christ killed, many of them lost their lives as well.
The Bible does not record what happened to all of the apostles, however there are other references to their activities. Some are more like folklore, while others are very trustworthy.
From the information that we have, it is very likely that John was the only one of the original Twelve Apostles to escape martyrdom, at least at an early age. After he wrote the book of Revelation, while a prisoner of the Romans, even he too may then have been martyred. |
• 
