12 Apostles of Jesus



12 Apostles of Jesus

It is stated in the bible that Jesus named 12 apostles but it was actually 13 when Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. 12 Apostles of Jesus were appointed to pay homage to the 12 tribes of Israel and they preached the new faith across thousands of miles during the first century AD which literally changed history making Jesus one of the most influential men in history.

Several early converts such as Matthias, Mary Magdalene, Mark and Luke also became apostles. Paul who before his conversion was known as Saul (who persecuted Christians) spread the word throughout the Mediterranean

12 Apostles of Jesus

Peter

Jesus gave some disciples a second name. Simon the fisherman was also known as Peter the rock and was the first to invite non Jews to join the Christian faith.

Andrew

Persuaded by John the Baptist, Andrew and his brother Peter became Jesus first followers. Andrew later preached in Greece and the Ukraine.

James the Greater

He was a fisherman with his brother John and was beheaded in Jerusalem. It is believed he preached in Spain and was buried there.

John

John and his brother James known as the sons of Zebedee were in Jesus inner circle. The fourth Gospel, three epistles and the Book of Revelation are attributed to John.

Philip

As did nearly all the apostles Philip came from Galilee the region in northern Israel where Jesus was centred. It is reported he was martyred in Hierapolis.

Bartholomew

It is believed by some that he is in fact Nathanael who questioned the Messiah’s village origin and it was stated he said “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”. He may have gone to Turkey, India or Armenia.

Thomas

He was known as “Doubting Thomas” as he needed to touch the wounds of Jesus to be convinced of the resurrection. He became a fervent missionary who is said to have preached in India.

Matthew

Jesus shocked Jewish society by dining with Levi whose job as a tax collector had made him an outcast. As an apostle Levi was called Matthew and wrote the first Gospel.

James the Lesser

The bible says little about James, only that he is a son of Alpheus. It is thought by most scholars that it was a different James wrote the biblical epistle of that name.

Thaddaeus

Several stories connect Thaddaeus also known as Lebbaeus or Jude to Persia. It is stated by Eastern tradition that he converted the whole of the city of Edessa after healing it’s king.

Simon

The bible calls him Simon the Zealot probably a reference to his political affilliation. He is later depicted as a missionary to Persia where he was martyred.

Judas Iscariot

He is famous for his betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver for leading Roman soldiers to Jesus in the Gardenof Gethsemane. It is reported that Judas later repented and hung himself.

Matthias

Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot as chosen by the other apostles who was previously a disciple in Jesus ministry. Post biblical history states that he preached in the land of the cannibals.

Mary Magdalene

Mary was from Magdala and followed Jesus after he cured her of seven demons. She is reported to have stayed near him during the Crucifixation and he was first to see him after his resurrection.

Mark

Mark was also called John as he was mentored by Peter and was the likely source for writing the second Gospel. It is reported that he travelled with Paul to Antioch and Mark founded the Church of Alexandria.

Luke

He was reported to be a gentle physician from Antioch who joined Paul’s missions. Luke chronicled the development of the early church in the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.

12 Apostles of Jesus

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