The Apostles

Apostles (from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος, “envoy”, from the verb “to send”) are the disciples of Jesus Christ whom He chose and sent out to serve.

In the narrow sense, the Bible calls apostles the twelve closest disciples of Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul, whom Christ chose and sent out after His resurrection. In a broader sense, the name is also given to the apostles of the Seventy — seventy (in some ancient manuscripts, seventy-two) of Jesus Christ’s closest companions who preached His teaching in the first century, apart from the Twelve and the apostle Paul.

The Twelve Apostles

The calling of the twelve apostles is told in three Gospels: Matthew 10:1–4, Mark 3:13–19, Luke 6:12–16.

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Luke 6:12–16 · KJV (66 books)King James (without Apocrypha)

1. Andrew

In Scripture: Matthew 4:18–20
Father: Jonah, or John; brother of Simon Peter
Birthplace: born in Bethsaida, lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:21, Mark 1:29)
Occupation: fisherman
Ministry: preaching in Scythia, Greece and Asia Minor (tradition)
Death: according to tradition, crucified on an X-shaped cross around AD 70 in Patras

2. Simon

Other names: Peter, Cephas
Father: Jonah, or John; brother of Andrew
Birthplace: born in Bethsaida, lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:21, Mark 1:29)
Occupation: fisherman
Writings: 1 Peter and 2 Peter
Ministry: preaching in Judea, in Antioch and as far as Rome
Death: crucified upside down in Rome (tradition)

3. James son of Zebedee, the Greater

In Scripture: Matthew 4:21, 22
Other names: Boanerges, or “sons of thunder” — together with his brother John
Father: Zebedee; brother of John
Birthplace: born in Bethsaida, lived in Jerusalem
Occupation: fisherman
Ministry: preaching in Jerusalem and Judea
Death: beheaded by Herod in AD 44 in Jerusalem

4. John, the beloved disciple

In Scripture: Matthew 4:21, 22
Other names: Boanerges, or “sons of thunder” — together with his brother James
Father: Zebedee; brother of James
Birthplace: born in Bethsaida, lived in Jerusalem
Occupation: fisherman
Writings: the Gospel of John; 1 John, 2 John and 3 John; Revelation
Ministry: labored among the churches of Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus
Death: was exiled to the island of Patmos; according to tradition, he returned from exile and died a natural death

5. James son of Alphaeus, the Less

In Scripture: Matthew 10:3
Parents: Alphaeus (or Clopas) and Mary; brother of Judas of James
Birthplace: Galilee
Writings: the Epistle of James
Ministry: preaching in Palestine and Egypt; head of the church in Jerusalem
Death: thrown from the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 63 (Josephus, Hegesippus)

6. Judas of James

In Scripture: Luke 6:16
Other names: Lebbaeus, Thaddaeus
Parents: Alphaeus (or Clopas) and Mary; brother of James son of Alphaeus
Birthplace: Galilee
Writings: the Epistle of Jude
Ministry: preaching in Assyria and Persia (tradition)
Death: martyred in Persia (tradition)

7. Philip

In Scripture: Matthew 10:3
Birthplace: Bethsaida
Ministry: preaching in Phrygia
Death: beheaded (by another account, crucified upside down) in AD 80 in Hierapolis in Phrygia (early tradition in Ephesus)

8. Bartholomew

In Scripture: Matthew 10:3
Other names: Nathanael
Birthplace: Cana in Galilee
Death: flayed alive (tradition)

9. Matthew

In Scripture: Matthew 9:9
Other names: Levi son of Alphaeus
Father: Alphaeus
Birthplace: Capernaum
Occupation: tax collector, publican
Writings: the Gospel of Matthew
Ministry: preaching among the Jews and in Africa
Death: martyred in Ethiopia around AD 60 (tradition)

10. Thomas

In Scripture: Luke 6:15
Other names: Didymus, “the Twin”
Birthplace: Paneas, Galilee (tradition)
Ministry: preaching in Syria, Persia and India
Death: killed by an arrow while praying (tradition)

11. Simon the Cananaean

In Scripture: Matthew 10:4
Other names: the Cananaean, the Zealot
Birthplace: Galilee
Death: crucified (tradition)

12. Judas Iscariot

He betrayed Jesus Christ. After his death, Matthias took his place among the Twelve.

In Scripture: Mark 3:19
Other names: Iscariot
Birthplace: Kerioth in Judea
Death: suicide

12a. Matthias

In Scripture: Acts 1:23–26
Birthplace: Judea

The Apostle Paul

Paul was a persecutor of the Church. As he was going to Damascus, Christ appeared to him on the road; after that Paul was converted and baptized.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:3–6 · KJV (66 books)King James (without Apocrypha)

Name: Saul
Other name: Paul
Origin: his father was a Pharisee; of the tribe of Benjamin
Birthplace: Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia
Occupation: Pharisee; persecutor of the Church of God; tentmaking
Writings: the epistles to the Romans, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews
Death: according to the traditional view, the apostle Paul endured much suffering and, being a Roman citizen, was not crucified but beheaded in Rome under Nero

The Life and Work of the Apostle Paul

The Apostles of the Seventy

The choosing of the seventy disciples⁵ took place in the last year of Jesus Christ’s earthly life. After that He gave them instructions like those He had given the twelve apostles.

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Luke 10:1, 2 · KJV (66 books)King James (without Apocrypha)

Many of the disciples turned back from Jesus Christ, and so the Church also counted among the seventy apostles other preachers of the Gospel — disciples of the twelve apostles and of the apostle Paul.

The Gospels do not name the apostles of the Seventy. The names of almost all of them are known from the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles of the apostle Paul. This is how we know the names of the first seven deacons, chosen by the twelve apostles, although Scripture nowhere calls them apostles directly. The lists of the Seventy were compiled several centuries after the Gospel events, and they differ from one author to another.

James, the brother of the Lord — Matthew 13:55; Mark 15:40; Mark 6:3; Acts 12:17; Acts 15:13; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:9–12; the Epistle of James
Mark the Evangelist — 1 Peter 5:13
Luke the Evangelist — Colossians 4:14
Cleopas, brother of Saint Joseph the Betrothed — Luke 24:18; John 19:25
Simeon, kinsman of the Lord — possibly Matthew 13:55
Barnabas (Joseph) — Acts 4:36
Jesus Justus (Joses, Joseph, Barsabbas) — Acts 1:23
Thaddaeus — not mentioned in Scripture
Ananias — Acts 22:12
Stephen the First Martyr — Acts 6:5, Acts 6:8; Acts 7
Philip — Acts 6:5; Acts 8:26; Acts 21:8
Prochorus — Acts 6:5
Nicanor — Acts 6:5
Timon — Acts 6:5
Parmenas — Acts 6:5
Timothy (Timotheus) — Acts 16:1–3; Romans 16:21; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2
Titus — 2 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 8:16, 2 Corinthians 8:23; Galatians 2:1; Titus 1:4
Philemon — Philemon 1:1
Onesimus — Colossians 4:9; Philemon 1:10
Epaphras — Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:12; Philemon 1:23
Archippus — Colossians 4:17; Philemon 1:2
Silas — Acts 15:22, Acts 15:40; Acts 16:25
Silvanus — 1 Peter 5:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:1
Crescens — 2 Timothy 4:10
Crispus — Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:14
Epaenetus — Romans 16:5
Andronicus — Romans 16:7
Stachys — Romans 16:9
Ampliatus (Amplias) — Romans 16:8
Urbanus (Urbane) — Romans 16:9
Narcissus — Romans 16:11
Apelles — Romans 16:10
Aristobulus — Romans 16:10
Herodion (Rodion) — Romans 16:11
Agabus — Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10, 11
Rufus — Mark 15:21; Romans 16:13
Asyncritus — Romans 16:14
Phlegon — Romans 16:14
Hermas — Romans 16:14
Patrobas — Romans 16:14
Hermes — Romans 16:14
Linus — 2 Timothy 4:21
Gaius — Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4; Romans 16:23; 3 John 1:1
Philologus — Romans 16:15
Lucius — Acts 13:1
Jason — Acts 17:5–10; Romans 16:21
Sosipater — Acts 20:4
Olympas — Romans 16:15
Tertius — Romans 16:22
Erastus — Acts 19:22; Romans 16:23
Quartus — Romans 16:23
Euodius — not mentioned in Scripture
Onesiphorus — 2 Timothy 1:16
Clement — Philippians 4:3
Sosthenes — Acts 18:17; 1 Corinthians 1:1
Apollos, bishop in Caesarea (Smyrna) — Acts 18:24; Acts 19:1; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:22; Titus 3:13
Tychicus, bishop in Colophon (Chalcedon) — Acts 20:4
Epaphroditus — Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:18
Carpus — 2 Timothy 4:13
Quadratus — not mentioned in Scripture
John Mark, nephew of Barnabas — Acts 15:37; Acts 13:5
Zenas — Titus 3:13
Aristarchus, bishop in Amasea — Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4; Acts 27:2; Colossians 4:10
Pudens — 2 Timothy 4:21
Trophimus — Acts 20:4
Mark — Colossians 4:10
Artemas — Titus 3:12
Aquila — Acts 18:2; Romans 16:3–5; 1 Corinthians 16:19
Fortunatus — 1 Corinthians 16:17
Achaicus — 1 Corinthians 16:17
Dionysius the Areopagite — Acts 17:34
Simeon Niger — Acts 13:1

Ancient Greek Ἰκόνιον; today the city of Konya in central Anatolia, Turkey. ↩︎
Called Melita in the King James Version. ↩︎
Today the city of Reggio Calabria in Italy. ↩︎
Today the port city of Pozzuoli in Italy. ↩︎
Some ancient manuscripts read “seventy-two”. ↩︎