And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…
Luke 6:13 ESV
This past Sunday our text was Luke 6:12-19, where Jesus gives 12 men from his group of disciples a new job title: apostle. I defined an apostle as “A witness of the resurrected Christ, appointed by Jesus to carry on His mission with His authority.” These 12 men, plus a few others, are introduced in the New Testament are the founding members of the Christian faith, as the culmination of the Jewish religion.
One of the strangest things about these men, is how little we know about them. We are told very little about their pasts in scripture, and even less about their future. The lack of biblical evidence as to the legacy of their lives, is one of the main reasons I said so little about these men in my sermon on Sunday. However, as I look to my blog post this week, I think it is worth taking some more time to explore the history, legacy, and in some cases, legends of the apostles.
Peter
Peter, the apostle formerly known as Simon has the largest volume of references in the biblical text in regard to his life and legacy. We know that Jesus dealt with Peter’s denial of him directly (John 21:15-17), and that Jesus predicted Peter’s manner of death (John 21:18). Peter lead the infant Christian movement and was a pillar of authority and influence – though he was not without faults (Galatians 2:11). While scripture does not record Peter’s death, Eusebius, an early Christian historian, cites that after being forced to watch the crucifixion of his own wife, he was then crucified and begged to be hung upside down because he did not think himself worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord Jesus. Peter died because he would not recant his message of salvation in Jesus Christ alone.
Andrew
Andrew was Peter’s brother, and one of his primary roles in the gospel stories is to bring people to Jesus. Andrew is responsible for Peter’s first introduction to Jesus (John 1:41). The Bible gives us no information about Andrew after Pentecost. Tradition and the account of Eusebius say that Andrew went North with the Gospel as far as Scythia (Southern Russia), which is why Andrew is the Patron Saint of Russia today. He is also the Patron Saint of Scotland, so there is some confusion there. Two separate accounts agree that Andrew was crucified after refusing to stop preaching the gospel.
James
James is the only apostle in the book of Acts who is martyred. Acts 12:1-2 says,
About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword.
James, the Son of Thunder, brother of John, was killed by the Jewish authorities in the Church’s most infant days. His reward is in glory as he waits for the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to return.
John
John, the author of five New Testament books, is the only apostle we know of that died of old age. He was the disciple who reclined against Jesus’ shoulder and is referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). We know from the book of Revelation that he was exiled for his faith on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Tertullian (2nd century christian author) states that this exile took place after John survived an attempted execution by being plunged into boiling oil. Tradition says he pastored the church at Ephesus founded by the Apostle Paul, and died there in about A.D 98. In his final days, Eusebius notes that John was so frail he had to be carried to church. John, most likely, outlived the other apostles, fulfilling the words of Jesus (John 21:23).
Philip
From Philip, down the rest of this list, we have less and less biblical information for the legacies of the apostles and have to rely on ancient tradition and histories. Philip is said to have taken the gospel to Heliopolis, a city of ancient Egypt, and was one of the first apostles after James to suffer martyrdom.
Bartholomew (Nathanael)
All we know about Nathanael in the Bible is the story of his call to discipleship in John 1. Traditions are mixed on where he ministered and how he died, but he may have taken the gospel as far as Persia, India, and Armenia. He was executed for his faith in one of three ways: skinned alive, crucified, or thrown into the sea while tied in a sack.
Matthew
From tax collector to author of one of our four Gospel records, Matthew’s writing was for a Jewish audience. He quotes more Old Testament scriptures than any other Gospel writer. Tradition says he ministered to Jews throughout the Roman Empire before being martyred. The most reliable account suggests he was burned at the stake.
Thomas
Doubting Thomas, the man who had the audacity and privilege to put his hands in Jesus’s wounds and then confess, “My Lord, and my God” (John 20:28). His legacy in the Bible may be that doubting, but his legacy in Christian tradition is the opposite. He is a man of confident resolve to see the message of Jesus carried to the ends of the earth. There are reliable traditions from churches in South India that claim being founded by Thomas. He was killed for his faith by being thrust through with a spear, a wound that matches his Saviour’s in glory.
James, the son of Alpheaus
The common nature of the name “James” in the Bible can make tracing the accounts of these men tricky. We know very little of this James from Acts, but tradition claims he was crucified for preaching the gospel in Egypt.
Simon, the Zealot
Simon is associated with the rebel movement that developed in Judea in response to the Roman occupation. Groups of armed rebels that sought to restore the glory of the Jewish people by force. We know very little about this apostle, but the man who once was ready to kill to see his people freed from oppression, is said to have been killed in the British Isles for preaching the gospel. Jesus transformed this man completely.
Judas, the son of James
Judas, the son of James, is probably the apostle who hated his name the most, which might be why he went by Thaddeus in Matthew’s Gospel. There are several accounts that say he went into Turkey to preach the gospel and did an amazing act of healing for the King of Edessa. The traditional symbol of the apostle Thaddeus is a club, perhaps to allude to the manner of his death.
Legacy of Suffering and Fruitfulness
After reading those short summaries of the lives of the apostles, you might be a little bummed out. Out of 11, only one lived to old age, and that one only got there after a failed recipe of chicken-fried-Christian. All of these men leave a legacy of death, sacrifice, and martyrdom. Jesus said,
‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.(John 15:20)
These men followed the example of Jesus to their dying breath, so we could sit in our homes today knowing Jesus, and have free access to his word and worship. The legacy of the apostles is not glamorous, but it is remarkable. God used the most ordinary and marginalized men to create a movement that spans the globe and now includes billions. We need to be humbled and challenged by the example of the apostles. We need to take up our own cross and follow Jesus in pursuit of seeing His glory proclaimed to all nations. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
References
Content for this blog was references from John MacArthur’s book Twelve Ordinary Men. For a thorough summary of all the biblical references we have to these 12 men you can check out the book.
