I love it when I come across some detail about Bible characters that I did not previously discover. I hope you enjoy these amazing details about the 12 Apostles [1] in the Bible that I have found.
Apostles with Special Privileges (The Inner Circle)
Jesus’ Inner Circle of Apostles included the three listed below. Read Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:13-16 to see what God’s word says.
Simon
- Also called Peter or Cephas which literally interpreted means “a rock”.
- He was the son of Jonas
- He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum
- He was a fisherman
- He was tenderhearted and affectionate (Matthew 26:75; John 13:9, 21:1-17)
- He was self-sacrificing (Mark 1:18)
- He was courageous and stood firm (Acts 4:19, 20; 5:28, 29, 40, 42)
- He had the gift to perform miracles (Acts 3:7; 5:5, 10, 15; 9:34, 40)
- He penned the books of 1 Peter and 2 Peter
- He was an evangelist to the Jews
- History says he was crucified to death, head down
James the Elder
- Also called one of the Sons of Thunder
- He was the son of Zebedee and Salome
- He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and Jerusalem
- He was a fisherman
- He preached in Jerusalem and Judea
- He was beheaded by Herod (Acts 12:12)
John
- Also known as the beloved disciple, and James the Elder’s brother, also known as one of the Sons of Thunder
- He was the son of Zebedee and Salome
- He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and Jerusalem
- He was a fisherman
- He was ambitious (Mark 10:35-37)
- He was intolerant (Mark 9:38)
- He was vindictive (Luke 9:54)
- He was energetic (Mark 3:17)
- He was entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother (John 19:28)
- He penned the books of The Gospel of John; 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation
- Spent most of his time in the area of Ephesus
- He was banished to the island of Patmos
- History says he is the Apostle who lived the longest and he died of natural causes
The Silent Servants
Andrew
Andrew was Simon’s brother and the son of Jonas. He was also a fisherman. He was one of John the Baptist’s original disciples. Tradition says he preached in Scythia, Greece and Asia Minor and that he was crucified on a St. Andrew’s cross (an X-frame cross also called the Saltire and crux decussate).
Philip
The Bible does not tell us about Philip’s parents. He lived in Bethsaida. We don’t know his occupation but tradition says he preached at Phrygia and died a martyr at Hierapolis.
Bartholomew
His sir name was Nathaneal and his father’s name was Tolmal. He lived in Cana of Galilee. History says he was a missionary in Armenia and he was whipped (flayed) to death.
Thomas
His sir name was Didymus. I could not find record of his parent’s name. He was from Galilee. Best known for doubting the identity [2] of the risen Jesus. His work was in Parthia, Persia and India. He is said to have died a martyr near Madras.
Matthew
Sir name was Levi. Father’s name was Alphaeus. His home was Capernaum. He was a tax collector (also called a publican). He penned the Book of Matthew. Tradition is that he died a martyr in Ethiopia.
The Least Popular
James (The Less)
His parents were Alphaeus and Mary. He was from Galilee. Penned the Epistle of James. Preached in Palestine and Egypt. Died of crucifixion in Egypt.
Jude
Sir named Thaddaeus or Labbaeus. His parents were Alphaeus and Mary. He was from Galilee. Wrote the Epistle of Jude. He preached in Assyria and Persia and died a martyr in Persia.
The Traitor
Judas Iscariot was the son of Simon Iscariot. He was from Kerioth of Judea. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and later hanged himself (Matthew 26:14-16; 27:3-5)
Final Thoughts
Sometimes a little more information sheds light on what we read in the Bible. I hope that these few amazing details about the 12 Apostles in the Bible are useful to you as you study God’s word.
Read more about the Apostles here: Which Of The Apostles Were Martyred? [3]
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version