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Apostles

Apostles in Called Order

Peter – (“Kephas”, the rock) - "simple, unpretentious, pure person", the first Apostle called. He is further described as “impetuous but humble, quick to anger and forgive, capable of great depth and feeling. http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/peter.html  He was the first to announce Christ as the "Son of the Living God".  He hated his own weaknesses and fears.  He was a shifting personality, sometimes quiet and others vivacious, the exact opposite of what you would consider a rock.  But it is the palm tree that survives the hurricane, not the oak.  Maybe the ability to bend with the storms is more important for a foundation of love than rigidity.  Peter was a Galilean from the city of Bethsaida, possibly from the tribe of Naphtali. Peter was always listed as the first of the Apostles in all of the New Testament accounts and was a member of the inner circle of Jesus, along with James and John. He is recorded more than any other disciple, and was with Jesus at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. He helped organize the Last Supper and played a major role in the events of the Passion. The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, and when the Lord came before the disciples at Tiberias, he gave to Peter the famous command to Feed my lambs... Tend my sheep... Feed my sheep. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5358 The foundation of New Jerusalem is “clear as crystal”.  The diamond is the hardest substance found on earth and of pure carbon.  A clear or white stone reflects the pureness of heart.  It can also represent a bearer of "good seed".  To fully tend to the needs of the "sheep", you must first understand your own weaknesses.  And then learn to forgive as Jesus forgave Peter for his denial.  Only then could Peter forgive himself and become the kind and sympathetic yet strong leader of Christ's church.  A church that even the "Gates of Hell will not prevail against".  Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down out of respect for his Savior, but he could have been beheaded or even burned alive as one of Nero’s many scapegoats for the great fire. Andrew ("Andreios", brave or strong) - brother of Peter, follower of John the Baptist, was the first to meet Jesus but the second called. "A man of courage, valor, and manliness."  A man of the sea.  Blue is often shown as the color of the heavens but can also be used to represent the sea and water along with the color green.  While Andrew, as bishop of Patras (at that time Patrae) in Achaia, was preaching the Gospel, he was condemned to die on the cross by the governor Aegeates (also Aegeas). So that the pangs of torture would be the more excruciating and prolonged, he was scourged and the sentence was carried out, but not without the people begging his judge to have mercy.  Andrew continued to live for two days on the cross. Thousands ran to the place of execution and pleaded for his release.  Even the brother of the governor, Stratocles, is said to have tried to reason with the ruler, but to no avail.  It is believed that Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross. http://www.standrews.co.in/demo/new/detailed.php?fn_id=13 Andrew could also be placed in the fourth position (moving James and John to 2nd and 3rd respectively) as it seems he did not belong to the elite three (Peter, James and John). Some place Paul as the second Apostle due to his contributions to the New Testament, but others place Paul as the friend of the bride that will introduce "her" at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  In keeping with that theory and Jewish wedding tradition, John the Baptist would have to be the friend of the Bridegroom that introduces our precious Savior once again. James Z “the greater”– (He who supplants) one of the three elite along with Peter and John, and the third Apostle called.  As a son of Zebedee his name means "gift of God".  He was labeled a "Son of Thunder" by Jesus and the first apostle to be martyred.  He was described as "a man of strength, an upright man full of expression and energy". http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/stjames.html  His mother and brother were at Calvary with Jesus.  He wanted to call fire and brimstone down from heaven on Samaria for rejecting Jesus.  When Jesus raised Jairus' daughter when all thought her dead, he only allowed James, John, and Peter to come with him. Even more importantly, when he went up to the mountain to pray, he wanted James, John, and Peter to go with him. And it was there on the mountain they were privileged to witness what no one else had seen -- Jesus transfigured in his glory, speaking to Moses and Elijah, as the voice of God spoke from a cloud. It's no wonder then that James, along with John, felt that he had the right to go to Jesus and ask him to give them whatever they asked. As a mark of his love, Jesus didn't rebuke them but asked them what they wanted. They showed their lack of understanding of his mission when they asked that he let one of them sit on his right and the other on his left when he came into his glory. He replied that they didn't know what they were asking. They didn't see the cross in his future, but an earthly throne. Could they drink of the cup he would drink of? They replied that they could. James did drink of the cup Jesus drank of, all too shortly after the Resurrection. Acts 12:1 tells us that King Herod Agrippa I killed him with a sword in an early persecution of the Church. There is a story that the man who arrested James became a convert after hearing James speak at his trial and was executed with him. http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/stjames.html James is called James the Greater because another younger apostle was also named James. His remains are thought to be in and pilgrimages are made to Santiago. John – (Yahweh is merciful) brother of James Z, one of the 3 elite along with Peter and James.  He was a follower of John the Baptist, called the "Beloved Disciple" and also the other "Son of Thunder".  He was the disciple Christ entrusted the care of His mother to and the only one (that we know of) that seems to have died a natural death.  Most notably, he was the only apostle to stay with Jesus at the cross.  He was also thought to be of the priesthood due to the trial areas he was allowed into.  John and Matthew were the only apostles to write a gospel and it was through John that the future of the world, the "Book of Revelation" was written, thus making him a prophet as well as a priest and disciple.  It is believed that John was actually transported in spirit to the future.  “John, the "beloved" apostle, was outstanding for his nobility and dignity. Although he ranked second in the college of the apostles, and his authority was less than that of Peter, he surpassed him in knowledge and love.” http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/stjohn.html  "Tradition has assigned to him the symbol of an eagle”, which could be in keeping with Scorpius (Ophiuchus), the third sign or the eagle decan Lyra of Sagittarius, the fourth sign.  But his gospel, which is definitely written from that eagle-Deity perspective, is placed fourth. In the Apocalypse, he uses the language of a fisherman when he makes continuous reference to water, the sea, fish, lightning, thunder, and clouds.  He always describes Jesus as the "Lamb" which he first heard from John the Baptist.  John focused more on life than the other gospel writers; "life from God, life in God, life by God, life for God". John could study and master the brilliant philosophical systems of his contemporaries without falling into the errors of their thoughts. http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/stjohn.html  He had been one of the specially favored three who went to the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ; "there he gazed upon the splendor and grandeur and glory of the majesty of God". http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com   John, the beloved disciple, was the “first one at the Communion, the first one at the tomb, and the only one at the cross”.  It was his great love that won John a special place in the Savior’s heart. Phillip – (Pinchas-“oracle”) The Gospel of John describes Philip's calling as a disciple of Jesus. [Jn 1:43] Philip is described as a disciple from the city of Bethsaida, and connects him to Andrew and Peter, who were from the same town.[1:43–44] It further connects him to Nathanael (sometimes identified with Bartholomew). The gospels tells how Philip introduced Nathaniel to Jesus.[Jn 1:45–47] The authors of the Synoptic Gospels also describe Philip as a disciple of Jesus.[Mt 10:3] [3] [Mk 3:18] [Lk 6:14] http://en.wikipedia.org Of the four Gospels, Philip figures most prominently in the Gospel of John. His two most notable appearances in the narrative are as a link to the Greek-speaking Jewish community: Philip introduces members of this community to Jesus;[Jn 12:20–36] and, during the Last Supper when he asked Jesus to see the Father, providing Jesus the opportunity to teach about the unity of the Father and the Son. [Jn 14:8–11] http://en.wikipedia.org Philip is always listed fifth among the apostles. Five barley loaves, five thousand in multitude (John 6:5-10) Christian stories about St Philip's life and ministry can be found more often in the extra-canonical writings of later Christians than in the New Testament and it remains uncertain as to exactly how Philip died. Later stories about Saint Philip's life can be found in the anonymous Acts of Philip, probably written by a contemporary of Eusebius.[7] This non-canonical book recounts the preaching and miracles of Philip. Following the resurrection of Jesus, Philip was sent with his sister Marianne and Bartholomew to preach in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria.[8] Included in the Acts of Philip is an appendix, entitled "Of the Journeying’s of Philip the Apostle: From the Fifteenth Act Until the End, and Among Them the Martyrdom." This appendix gives an account of Philip's martyrdom in the city of Hierapolis.[9] According to this account, through a miraculous healing and his preaching Philip converted the wife of the proconsul of the city. This enraged the proconsul, and he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Marianne all tortured. Philip and Bartholomew were then crucified upside-down and Philip preached from his cross. As a result of Philip's preaching the crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they not release him, and Philip died on the cross. http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com Bartholomew – (son of Ptolemy, ploughman) was the sixth called of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel (alternate spelling: Nathanael-“God has given”)[1] (mentioned in the first chapter of John's Gospel). He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per (John 1:43-51), where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in (John 21:1). The name Nathaniel is the one used for him in St. John’s Gospel. The relationship between St. Philip and Nathaniel is noted as per John 1:43-51. Bartholomew (Greek: Βαρθολομαίος, transliterated "Bartholomaios") comes from the Aramaic bar-Tôlmay (תולמי‎‎‎‎‎-בר‎‎), meaning son of Tolmay (Ptolemy) or son of the furrows (perhaps a ploughman). http://en.wikipedia.org  Six is the number of man who comes from the earth and red is identified with man via blood or earth. Though Bartholomew was listed among the Twelve Apostles in the three Synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and also appears as one of the witnesses of the Ascension,[Acts 1:4,12,13] each time named in the company of Philip, he is one of the apostles of whom no word is reported nor any individual action recorded in the New Testament. In the Gospel of John,[1:45-51] Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip. He is described as initially being skeptical about the Messiah coming from Nazareth, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?", but nonetheless, follows Philip's invitation. Jesus immediately characterizes him as "Here is a man in whom there is no deception." Some scholars hold that Jesus' quote "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you", is based on a Jewish figure of speech referring to studying the Torah. Nathanael recognizes Jesus as "the Son of God" and "the King of Israel". http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com  Nathanael reappears at the end of John's gospel [21:2] as one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection. Thomas - also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "Twin" or "two"), was the seventh (listed 8th in Mark 3:17) of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for disbelieving Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in John 20:28. He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also believed to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Parthian Empire and India. Thomas speaks in the Gospel of John. In John 11:16, when Lazarus has just died, the apostles don't want to go back to Judea, where Jesus' fellow Jews had attempted to stone him to death. Thomas says bravely: "Let us also go, that we might die with him" (NIV). In Thomas' best known appearance in the New Testament, [Jn. 20:24-29] he doubts the resurrection of Jesus and demands to touch Jesus' wounds before being convinced. After seeing Jesus alive, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!". St. Thomas is believed to have sailed to India in 52AD to spread the Christian faith among the Cochin Jews, the Jewish diaspora present in Kerala at the time. He landed at the ancient port of Muziris (which became extinct in 1341 AD due to a massive flood which realigned the coasts) near Kodungalloor. He then went to Palayoor (near present-day Guruvayoor), which was a Hindu priestly community at that time. He left Palayoor in AD 52 for the southern part of what is now Kerala State, where he established the Ezharappallikal, or "Seven and Half Churches". These churches are at Kodungallur, Kollam, Niranam (Niranam St.Marys Orthodox Church, Nilackal (Chayal), Kokkamangalam, Kottakkayal (Paravoor), Palayoor (Chattukulangara) and Thiruvithancode Arappally - the half church. A Syrian ecclesiastical calendar of an early date reads: "3 July, St. Thomas who was pierced with a lance in India. His body is at Urhai [the ancient name of Edessa] having been brought there by the merchant Khabin. http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com Matthew “the Evangelist” – (Gift of Yahweh), was the eighth (listed 7^th in Mark 3:17) of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and the first of the four Evangelists (Gospels). Eight is the number of new beginnings. Among the early followers and apostles of Jesus, Matthew is mentioned in Mt 9:9 and Mt 10:3 as a former tax collector from Capernaum who was called into the circle of the Twelve by Jesus. He is also named among the number of the Twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15 and Acts 1:13. He is often equated with the figure of Levi, son of Alpheus, also a tax collector, who is mentioned in Mk 2:14 and Lk 5:27. His Tax Office was located in Capernaum. Jews, who became rich in such a fashion, were despised and considered outcasts. http://en.wikipedia.org As a disciple, Matthew followed Christ, and was one of the witnesses of the Resurrection and the Ascension. When Matthew is mentioned, he is usually found paired with Thomas. He was a first century Galilean and as a tax collector he would have been literate in Aramaic and probably Greek as well. After his call, Matthew invited Jesus home for a feast. On seeing this, the Scribes and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This prompted Jesus to answer, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” Mt, Mk, Lk. Matthew, for 15 years, preached the Gospel in Hebrew to the Jewish community in Judea (the New Testament and the early Talmud affirm he was of the sect of Nazarenes). Later in his ministry, he would travel to Gentile nations (presumably following Jesus' Great Commission) and spread the Gospel to the Ethiopians (actually an Egyptian ancestry population by the Caucasus and not the African population in the earlier tradition), Macedonians, Persians, and Parthians. The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church each hold the tradition that Matthew died as a martyr. http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com James A “the lesser” – (He who supplants; Alphaeus "changing") – cousin (brother and cousin are of the same wording) of Jesus, brother of Jude, Simon, and Joseph; is considered the ninth  Apostle called. He is termed "the Just One and the defending wall of the people". Wine and intoxicating beverages he did not drink. He remained in Jerusalem to continue the Jewish conversion, a Moses of his time, from Law to Grace. This could be reflected in Pisces or the two horns of Taurus. But he was devoted to and very knowledgeable of the Law and Jewish ways. A tradition holds that Saint James, though strongly clinging to Jewish law, was sentenced to death for having violated the Torah. He was arrested along with an unspecified number of Christians and was subsequently beheaded by Herod in persecution of the church. (Acts 12:1,2) But according to Josephus, “After the death of the procurator Festus, when Albinus was about to succeed him, the high-priest Ananius considered it a favorable opportunity to assemble the Sanhedrin. He therefore caused James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, and several others, to appear before this hastily assembled council, and pronounced upon them the sentence of death by stoning.” (Antiquities 20:9) In Christian art, he is depicted holding a fuller's club because he was supposedly martyred when beaten to death with a fuller's club at Ostrakine in Lower Egypt, where he was preaching the Gospel. http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com Jude Thaddaeus – (close friend, younger brother) - was the tenth of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is generally identified as Thaddeus, and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com  He is sometimes identified as Jude, "brother of Jesus", but is clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, another disciple and later the betrayer of Jesus. Saint Jude's attribute is a club. He is also often shown in icons with a flame around his head. This represents his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles. Another common attribute is Jude holding an image of Jesus Christ, in the image of Edessa. In some instances he may be shown with a scroll or a book (the Epistle of Jude) or holding a carpenter's rule. According to the Armenian tradition, Saint Jude suffered martyrdom about 65 AD in Beirut, in the Roman province of Syria, together with the apostle Simon the Zealot, with whom he is usually connected. Their acts and martyrdom were recorded in the Acts of Simon and Jude that was among the collection of passions and legends traditionally associated with the legendary Abdias, bishop of Babylon, and said to have been translated into Latin by his disciple Tropaeus Africanus, according to the Golden Legend account of the saints. http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/stjude.html Sometime after his death, Saint Jude's body was brought from Beirut to Rome and placed in a crypt in St. Peter's Basilica which is visited by many devotees. The Armenian Apostolic Church honors Thaddeus along with Saint Bartholomew as its patron saints. In the Roman Catholic Church, he is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes. Saints Simon and Jude are venerated together in the Roman Catholic Church on October 28. http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com Simon – (God has heard) - called the Cananean or the Zealot, was the eleventh Apostle called. According to legend, he preached in various places in the Middle East and suffered martyrdom by being sawed in two. Some believe "Simon the Cananean" was the bridegroom at Cana, for whom the Lord worked His first public miracle by changing water into wine. Nothing is known of his works nor did he write an Epistle.  It is very possible though, that he and his brothers were from the tribe of Zebulun. By calling a zealot who worked against the dominating Romans, Jesus laid Himself open to the suspicions of the leaders striving for power in official circles. http://en.wikipedia.org The color of tan or light brown is often associated with a traitor or heretic which the Romans would have seen Simon as.  But it was logical for Jesus to call him as an ally because the Savior fought against the "spirit of religion or Pharisee" for His entire ministry.  It is this spirit that finally killed Him and some sources say the color that Judas Iscariot dressed in.  Those who consider Christianity just another religion of rules, regulations, and “vain repetitions”, simply have no understanding of what Jesus really did.  In taking the sin of the world on Himself and paying the penalty, He freed all of imperfect humanity to enjoy a one on one relationship with a God of Perfection.  Christianity is the truest freedom one can ever know. The most plausible account of Simon is that, after the death of his oldest brother James in the year 62, he succeeded him as Bishop of Jerusalem. Matthias - (gift of God) - very little is known of Matthias and he did not contribute any writings to the New Testament.  It is believed that he was from the tribe of Judah.  After Judas' betrayal and suicide, Peter thought it necessary to keep the number of disciples at twelve as Jesus had done but also to fulfill prophecy. http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/stmatthias.html The disciples prayed and cast lots (an accepted method of seeking God's favor for a choice) and it was Matthias over Joseph Barabbas.  Both men had been with the group since the beginning of Jesus' ministry and were a party to all His teachings.  Some say that if the disciples had waited on God, He would have chosen the final disciple.  Jesus did choose Paul (the writer of most of the New Testament) to serve Him by blinding him on his way to Damascus and telling him to stop persecuting His people.  After Paul converted, he became the main contributor in bringing the gospel to the gentiles, and as such, moving the message of salvation from Jew to gentile. However, Paul was not among that first group that received the spirit on the first Pentecost, and Matthias was. Judas Iscariot (the original twelfth called) did manage the money for the apostles and was quite caught up in Jesus bringing in the new “Kingdom”.  Most believe that Jesus' refusal to accept that role led Judas to stop believing and betray Him. Only the Gospel of Matthew mentions Judas' actions after Christ's sentencing as repentance and his gruesome death would indicate that he died lost or condemned.  If only he had run to the cross and back to Jesus instead of away from it and further into himself. References http://www.12apostlesofthecatholicchurch.com http://www.hsccfv.com/apostles/12apostles http://amazingbibletimeline.com/bible_questions/q6_apostles_die http://www.bibleprobe.com/apostles.htm http://www.12.eu/home http://en.wikipedia.org