Whatever happened to the 12 Apostles?

 

 

 

Apostle

Biography Brief

Death

1

Peter ‡ ·A fisherman whom Jesus called the rock.

·First Bishop of Rome

Martyr Crucified at Rome under Nero.

Crucified up-side-down at his request because he did consider himself worthy to be crucified like Jesus.

2

Andrew

[brother of Peter]

·Introduced Peter to Jesus

·Brought the lad with five loaves and fishes to Jesus.

Martyr Crucified at Patræ, Achaia [southern Greece].

Hung alive on the cross two days, exhorting spectators all the while.

3

James ‡ ·A fisherman

·With Jesus in Gethsamane

Martyr Killed 10 years after the first martyr, Stephen.

His accuser was converted by James courage and the two were beheaded together.

4

John ‡

[brother of James]

·Known as the "beloved disciple."

·James and John "sons of thunder"

·At foot of cross with Jesus Mother

Natural Death The only apostle who did not meet a martyrs death. Banished by Roman Emperor Domitian to Isle of Patmos where he received The Revelation of Jesus Christ.,the last book in the Bible.

5

Phillip ·The name Phillip is a Greek name

·Brought Bartholomew [Nathaniel] to Jesus

Martyr Crucified about 54AD

Preached the Gospel in Phrygia which was in the Roman Province of Asia near Ephesus [Turkey].

6

Bartholomew [Nathaniel] ·Jesus saw him under a fig tree. Martyr Crucified by the idolaters of India.

Preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia [Iraq], Persia [Iran] and India.

7

Thomas

[Didymus]

·A fisherman on the same crew as Peter and Andrew.

·Called the "doubter."

Martyr Thrust through with spear in India .Preached the Gospel in Parthia [Iran] and in Kerala, [southern India] where yet today the Mar Thoma Church exists.

8

Matthew ‡ ·Also called Levi

·Tax collector for the Romans

Martyr Killed with a sword about 60AD.

Preached the Gospel in Ethiopia.

9

James

[son of Alphaeus]

·Called James, the less [younger]

·First Bishop of Jerusalem

Martyr Stoned by Jews at his age 90, and ended up with his brains bashed out with a fuller’s club [used in dyeing clothes].

10

Jude ‡

[Thaddeus]

·Writer, Book of Jude Martyr Crucified 72AD at city of Edessa [Turkey].

11

Simon

[The Canaanite]

·Called "The Zealot" because he was associated with that sect. Martyr Crucified in Britain in 74AD.

Also preached in Africa.

12

Judas Iscariot ·Treasurer of the apostolic group

·The Devil entered into Judas and he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. ­John 13:2

Suicide And Judas cast down the 30 pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went out and hanged himself. ­Matthew 27:5

In addition to the original 12 apostles: Martyr Mark‡ was dragged to death, Martyr Luke‡ was hanged on an olive tree, Martyr Matthias [who filled the place of Judas] was stoned at Jerusalem, and Martyr Paul‡ was beheaded by Emperor Nero at Rome.

And I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? –Revelation 6:9-10 ‡ New Testament writer.

The New Testament of the Bible records events that took place from the birth of Jesus Christ up through the time that Paul and the Apostles were traveling around the Roman Empire and evangelizing Christianity, at great risk to their own personal safety. The New Testament records few if any events after the 60s. Many of the Apostles were still alive at that time.

However, there are writings, outside of the Bible, that have been handed down to us by people who lived during the second, third and fourth centuries of this era, claiming that many of the Apostles were crucified, beheaded and otherwise martyred for their beliefs.

It should be understood that these non-Biblical sources might vary greatly in terms of their accuracy.

It should also be understood that it is clear from the Bible and from non-Biblical sources that many early Christians were persecuted and martyred for their beliefs.

Some examples include the Bible's New Testament book of Acts, which records the martyrdom of the Apostle James the son of Zebedee, and of Stephen, a believer who was killed while evangelizing.

Another example comes from Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, who wrote about another person named James, an early Christian church leader, who was executed because of his beliefs. Josephus wrote in his book called Antiquities of the Jews, book 20 (or book XX), chapter 9:

"Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned ... "

There are other examples. As for the Apostles, below is a summary of various traditions involving the manner of death for the Apostles. For convenience, the Apostles are listed in the same order in which they appear in Leonardo's famous painting, The Last Supper:

Bartholomew
There is a non-Biblical document called the "Martyrdom of Bartholomew," which claims that Bartholomew was martyred by King Astyages in Armedia:

"And when he had thus spoken, the king was informed that this god Baldad and all the other idols had fallen down, and were broken in pieces. Then the king rent the purple in which he was clothed, and ordered the holy apostle Bartholomew to be beaten with rods; and after having been thus scourged, to be beheaded." - Martyrdom of Bartholomew.

Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles and is mentioned in the Bible's New Testament, in Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; and Acts 1:13.

According to Eusebius, Christian writer who lived during the 4th Century of this era (about 1600 years ago), Bartholomew traveled to India to preach to the people there, leaving behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew: "Pantaenous is said to have gone among the Indians where a report is that he discovered there the Gospel according to St. Matthew among some who knew Christ; Bartholomew, one of the Apostles had preached to them and had left them the writings of St. Matthew in Hebrew letters."

James son of Alphaeus
James son of Alphaeus, according to Foxs' Book of Martyrs, was beaten, stoned and clubbed to death.

Andrew
Andrew might have been martyred in Achaia or Patrae, both of which are places in the western part of Greece. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "It is generally agreed that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin and Greek Churches keep 30 November as his feast."

Peter
It is believed that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome during the 60s.

Judas
Judas Iscariot was not a martyr. He killed himself after betraying Jesus.

John
John is believed to have died of natural causes, and he might have been the only Apostle to have done so.

Jesus
Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Some people consider Stephen, who was not one of the 12 Apostles, to be the first martyr. Others say that we should also count John the Baptist and Jesus, which would mean that Jesus was the second martyr and Stephen was the third.

Thomas
Thomas was killed with a spear, according to Foxs' Book of Martyrs: "Called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear."

James son of Zebedee
The martyrdom of James son of Zebedee is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible, in Acts 12:1-2. He was executed, with a sword, by order of King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44 AD:

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. - Acts 12:1-2.

We also learn in Acts, chapter 12, that King Herod Agrippa I also imprisoned Peter for a while.

Philip
Philip was crucified, according to Foxs' Book of Martyrs: "He labored diligently in Upper Asia, and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis, in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A.D. 54."

Matthew
Matthew was killed with a spear, according to Foxs' Book of Martyrs: "The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60."

 Thaddeus (Jude)
Jude was crucified, according to Foxs' Book of Martyrs: "The brother of James, was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa, A.D. 72."

Simon
Simon was crucified, according to Foxs' Book of Martyrs: "Surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, in which latter country he was crucified, A.D. 74."