The word apostle is derived from the Greek apostolos, or messenger. After the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples shook up by His death and the miracles that followed tried to continue His work as much as they could. "To study the lives of the Apostles," Stewart said, "is a bit like what we've been doing with the Hubble telescopegetting as close as we can to seeing these earliest galaxies. The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) say that the Last Supper was the Passover meal and that Jesus was crucified after the Passover meal.. On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Where do you want us to make preparations for Carrying banners with the scallop shell symbol, Charlemagne's armies marched to Spain threw the Muslims out of Castile and Len, Galicia. Four of them were local missionaries in Jerusalem or Judah. After the Great Fire of Rome, the apostle was assassinated in Rome by Emperor Nero in the year 64 AD. Permissions After Jesuss death John was busy winning converts in Jerusalem. Topics: Crucifixion. Peter, however, believing himself unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as his Savior, begged to be crucified upside down, on an inverted crucifixion, which he was granted. In John we see two pairs, the unnamed women, the mother of the Lord and her sister; and the two women who are named, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. The soldiers are said to have penetrated his body with their spears, causing him to die on the spot. We really have some biblical literature to support this claim, which comes from Acts chapter 12 verses 1-2: Around that time, Herod the king extended his hands in an attempt to annoy particular members of the church. BibleAskTeam is dedicated to His service. Both were martyred in Rome in the year 66 AD, during Emperor Neros persecution of Christians. Jesus wanted to Andrew traveled to the former Soviet Union, which is now known as Russia. He did not remain at Antioch for long, yet he is often regarded as the citys first bishop. According to one account, he was stoned to death by cannibals in Ethiopia (Georgia). was an apostolic band of followers. Traditionally, Matthias is linked with Armenia, which is located on the northern banks of the Black Sea, before returning to Jerusalem, where he is said to have been stoned to death by a hostile mob in 51, making him most likely the second of the twelve apostles to perish. Bartholomew (cf. WebEven though the Apostles and disciples didn't fully understand, their faith, love, and loyalty was part of their "staying power" that, despite their fear, kept them in Jerusalem. "Near the cross of Jesus stood his Simonis is frequently depicted with Judas Thaddeus, and some scholars believe that the two of them preached as a team. March 11, 2005 I knew in my head that some of them had been slain very violently, but I was still taken aback by some of the specifics of their deaths. How do you I stop my TV from turning off at a time dish? Following his death, his body was transported to Spain, where it is presently ensconced in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Tradition holds that they were both martyred in Rome in around the year 64. Obtain some inspiration by reading 15 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know By Heart, which you may download and share with friends and family. He is credited with extensive missionary journeys, including trips to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, as well as Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, according to legend. According to Foxes Book of Martyrs, in India, he was at long last horribly thrashed and finally crucified by the eager idolaters, as the story goes. Paul, another apostle of Jesus, also stayed in Caesarea for a while. Little is known about the lives of the Apostles. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For his missionary efforts in the Aegean Andrew was said to have been crucified on an X-shaped cross in Patras Greece (the source of St. Andrews Cross). Unique Circular Format see more in less space. He is attributed for authoring the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, in that location. What did the Twelve Apostles do after Jesus died? The Vatican then ordered a translation (the removal of a relic a suitably holy site). It was a difficult existence. James the Less: James the Less is the son of Alphaeus. Santiago de Compostela (in northwestern Spain), one of Europe's most enduring and famous pilgrimage destinations, became a major pilgrimage center after the discovery of the body of St. James in 810 in field not far from town. Matthias, the thirteenth, was a local missionary in Jerusalem who died of old age. The majority of legends indicate that Thomas died on 3 July AD 72 as a result of stab wounds inflicted by Hindu priests near Madras. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Slightly more than half say they are walking for "religious reasons" and most are Spaniards or Germans. Many people consider the apostles to be among of the most revered and googled human beings to have ever lived on the face of the world. At least, not from the standpoint of the typical individual, at any rate. Zaehner (Barnes & Noble Books, 1959); King James Version of the Bible, gutenberg.org; New International Version (NIV) of The Bible, biblegateway.com; Egeria's Description of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem users.ox.ac.uk ; Complete Works of Josephus at Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL), translated by William Whiston, ccel.org , Metropolitan Museum of Art metmuseum.org, Frontline, PBS, Encyclopedia of the World Cultures edited by David Levinson (G.K. Hall & Company, New York, 1994); National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Times of London, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Comptons Encyclopedia and various books and other publications. Contact Us. James the Lesser, courtesy of a user on Wikimedia Commons: a disciple of Rembrandt Theory 1: James was martyred while serving as a missionary in Egypt (please note that Wikipedia is the source for this information). As an apostle one year after Christs ascension, Paul began his ministry in Jerusalem and traveled as far as Illyricum (Croatia), Italy, and Spain, teaching the Gospel for a total of 35 years. Since the early Middle Ages, millions of pilgrims from all Europe, have converged on Santiago de Compostela to pay their respect to St. James. Andrew, Peters brother, is often referred to as the Apostle to the Greeks after Pentecost, according to numerous historical legends. Navarre and La Rioja. According to the fourth theory, as James was preaching on a wall, Jewish religious officials plotted to toss him off of it. The apostle Philip labored as a committed missionary until he was tortured and executed by Phrygian Jews about the year 54 A.D. Christian historians think Simon was one of the apostles who traveled the most, proclaiming the gospel in places as diverse as Egypt, Libya, and Persia before dying at the hands of a Syrian ruler in 74 A.D., according to Christian tradition. Matthew, one of the four evangelists, is most known for his Gospel, which he wrote. DISCLAIMER: The details of these deaths are somewhat graphic, so be prepared for that. After the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples shook up by His death and the miracles that followed tried to continue His work as much as they could. Paul was executed by beheading. The apostle Peter, who was called the rock upon which Christ built His Church (Matt. In the apocryphal book of Acts of Andrews, it is stated that this apostle was crucified in the Greek city of Patras about the year 60 AD. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Andrew Todhunter wrote in National Geographic: In the early days, Columba Stewart, a Benedictine monk and historian at Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota, told me, "the organizational structure, the great institution of the churchsignified for Roman Catholics today by the Vatican and its complex hierarchysimply wasn't there. To exact retribution, the proconsul had Philip imprisoned and then mercilessly executed. They healed people of physical and psychological illness, perhaps utilising the reputation of their remarkable leader to gain the acceptance and belief of converts. Of course, he had near him the soldiers who crucified him and the thieves who died alongside him. After Jesuss death, the disciples became the Apostles (a Greek word that means ones sent forth) and Judas We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Traditionally, it is considered that Peter was the one who initially arrived to Antioch and founded a community there. A heavenly summons to faith and repentance in the rising Christ, the Messiah, and the forgiveness of sins. They may have had to take out loans to pay for equipment and had to hand over much of their catch in taxes to the Roman authorities who held considerable political and economic power over the entire region. Some of his relics are believed to be housed in Saint Peters Basilica in Rome, although this has not been confirmed. The Gospels refer to this group as crowds. [Source: Reza Aslan, Washington Post, September 26, 2013]. Biblical Names Meaning: In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Arimathea is: A lion dead to the Lord. For whatever reason, the Lord has chosen to keep certain truths secret and others must be trusted only on the basis of faith. One is that James was never executed in Jerusalem and died in Spain. Two missionaries, Andrew and Paul, were killed or crucified at the town of Achaia in modern-day Georgia/Bulgaria (an region next to the Black Sea and near Turkey) (Greece) He was a Galilean fisherman who was also Peters brother. WebJesus (c. 4 BC AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Roman born Jewish preacher and Rest in Jesus!. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. According to Luke VI 12-13: Jesus went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. Paul is often included in the Apostles, because it was said that his deeds and passions equaled that of the original twelve. Come, follow Me, Jesus invited, promising to turn his followers into fishermen. For the sake of curiosity, I conducted my own investigation into the same subject, which you can read about further down in this article. It is claimed on one Christian website that Matthew become a missionary and was jailed in Ethiopia. It was at this location that he was staked or impaled to the ground with spears before being beheaded. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In the New Testament, only two of them are certain to die: Judas, who betrayed Jesus and afterwards hung himself, and Jamesthe son of Zebedee, who was murdered by Herod about 44 AD after he refused to repent of his actions (seeActs 12:2). This was the big bang moment for Christianity, with the Apostles blasting out of Jerusalem and scattering across the known world." Even while its interesting to learn a little bit more about how these apostles died, its far more significant to look into what they accomplished and taught during their lives. According to Matthew 27:3-5. There is very little information available concerning Bartholomews death. Judas Thaddaeus, sometimes known as Jude, according to Christian academics such as Michael Patton of Credo House Ministries, continued to evangelize after the death of Christ. Travelling from village to village in Galilee and beyond to Jerusalem, they may have encountered bandits on solitary mountain tracks. He said, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father A cross in the shape of an X is said to have been used at his execution in Patrason, where it is claimed that he preached to Greek communities. Scholars think that Saint James the Less was the author of the Epistle of St. James, which may be found in the Bible. In this moment, Peter seems to transition from a hot-tempered disciple to a leader who -- in the Acts 13:28 reports that the people of Jerusalem had condemned Jesus, then laid him in a tomb. Whoever believes in Him shall live even if he dies. The second category was composed of those who followed Jesus from town to town, village to village. According to legend, Philip served as a prominent missionary at Carthage, North Africa, and subsequently in Asia Minor, where he was credited with converting the widow of a Roman proconsul. Following His resurrection, Jesus gave the Great Commission to eleven apostles (the twelfth, Judas Iscariot, having already died) who were tasked with spreading His teachings and the Gospel message to people all over the world. The legend surrounding Simon the Zealot is that he served as a minister in Persia before being assassinated for refusing to provide sacrifices to idol sun gods. The shrine and cathedral built to house the tomb became one of the holiest churches in the world. He traveled farther than even the indefatigable Paul, whose journeys encompassed much of the Mediterranean. Copyright 2023 WisdomAnswer | All rights reserved. How Old Was Peter When Jesus Called Him, How Long Did It Take For Jesus To Resurrect , What Ever Happened to the Disciples? Philip preached and was executed in what is now eastern Turkey, according to Hippolytus: Philip preached in Phrygia and was crucified in Hierapolis with his head downward during the reign of Domitian, and he was buried in Hierapolis. In accordance with the Orthodox Church in America, Jude was in Armenia when he was crucified and shot with arrows, which occurred around 45 years (give or take a few years) after the death of Jesus Christ. ", Ossuary of James determined to be a fraud. He did, however, subsequently travel to Rome to meet with Peter, and it is said that he came close to being crucified when stepping away from a pot of boiling oil. Despite the fact that nothing is known about Bartholomews death, Christians believe that he remained loyal to the very end, when he was crucified. Matthew, a tax collector who also happened to be the author of the Gospel of Matthew, served in Persia and Ethiopia. Judas of Galilee was guerilla leader who, Josephus said, was "a very clever rabbi" who "aspired to royalty." Theory 3 states that he was a missionary who served in Africa and later England before being crucified about the year 74 AD. Matthew appears to have been involved with the Jewish communities of Palestine for a long period of time. In Caesarea, Peter, one of Jesus apostles, baptized Cornelius who was a centurion and a gentile. They were instrumental in spreading his teachings and the Christian religion after his death. Philip was hanged against a pillar at Heropolis (Abyssinia). This tale of Peter and Paul is supported by the fact that their names are still commemorated in the cemetery of that location to this very day. But Jesus transformed them into the foundation of the church and entrusted them with the most amazing mission imaginable: summoning the entire world, including the mightiest empire the world had ever seen, to repentance and faith in the resurrected Christ. They were all afraid when Jesus was crucified. His grave is the last endpoint of the centuries-old pilgrimage route known as El Camino, which is still in use today. Indeed, another idea says that Bartholomews skin was ripped to bits as a result of a harsh lashing. [Source: Andrew Todhunter, National Geographic, March 2012 |~|], In the first years after the Crucifixion, Christianity was only the seed of a new religion, lacking a developed liturgy, a method of worship, and a namethe earliest followers called it simply "the way." It has been claimed by Christians in that country that he was the first person who delivered the Gospel message to their country. He was one of the 72 apostles who spoke in Jerusalem, and he died and was buried in the city. Not from without, but from within. On the 29th of June in the year 67, he was crucified upside-down. Apostles and Disciples The Twelve Apostles were the disciples of Jesus sent out after Christs Crucifixion to spread word of the newborn faith. According to the gospels, Christ came to Peter a few days after his crucifixion and death. Lives of the Saints: Catholic.org catholicism.org, Jesus and the Historical Jesus ; Britannica on Jesus britannica.com Jesus-Christ ; Historical Jesus Theories earlychristianwritings.com ; Wikipedia article on Historical Jesus Wikipedia ; Jesus Seminar Forum virtualreligion.net ; Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ bible.org ; The first was made up of those who came to hear Him speak or to be healed by Him whenever He entered a village or town. Its easy to condemn those disciplesbut how often does this happen to us? On the first Peter was nailed to a cross. Matthias was the victor, while Barsabus was the loser. Guide to Early Church Documents iclnet.org; Early Christian Writing earlychristianwritings.com ; This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. After being beaten, lashed, and crucified to a crucifixion, Jesus died in plain sight in front of the entire world. The Armenian Church regards him as the Apostle to the Armenians, and he is regarded as such. It was also in that place where he was imprisoned. The faith's first martyr, according to the Bible, was St. Stephen, a young Christian leader who enraged a Jewish community by suggesting that Christ would return and destroy the Temple of Jerusalem. According to second theory, St. James body was exhumed in Jerusalem by disciples who had followed James from Spain. We know nothing of his death, but we do know that his sons continued the struggle against Rome, two were crucified and another claimed to be a Messiah. Thomas (also called Didymous and the doubter) was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel, in the east Indies. Some say three years, others as little as one. The apostle who was picked to take Judas place. Source2: Eusebius He was the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and he is referred to as the Father of Church History since he wrote about the history of the Christian church. What did the disciples do after Jesus died? 8 Simon/Peter missionary to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Betania, Italy, and Asia; martyred/crucified upside down in Rome; a disciple of Jesus Christ. This event appears to mark Peters transformation from a fiery follower to a powerful leader who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, displays miraculous signs and preaches with fervor. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise (Mark 9:31). They were unremarkable, unexceptional, and hardworking guys with little or no social standing. Can banks make loans out of their required reserves? Your email address will not be published. However, only two apostles are mentioned in the New Testament: Judas (who betrayed Jesus and then walked out and hung himself), who betrayed Jesus again and was crucified by Herod in 44 AD, and James the son of Zebedee (who was murdered by Herod in 44 AD) (Acts 12:2). Home Saints engravings. These were called disciples, and according to the Gospel of Luke, there were 70 or 72 of them, depending on which version of the text you believe. Despite popular belief, only two apostles are mentioned in the New Testament: Judas, who betrayed Jesus before going outside and hanging himself, and James the son of Zebedee, who was murdered by Herod in 44 AD. We take it then for granted that four women are mentioned as being present at the crucifixion of the Lord. Back then, Christian missionaries were not particularly well-liked by the general public. Privacy By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. After years of missionary activity in Armenia and India, Bartholomew also known as Nathanael is thought to have met his end by martyrdom in the year 70 A.D., following a similar path as Andrew. They were, in other words, the chief missionaries of the Jesus movement. Then there is Mary of Magdala who did not abandon Jesus but remained with him through his death. Peter was the movement's first champion; in the Acts of the Apostles we hear of his mass conversions and miraclemakinghealing the lame, raising the deadand in an un-Christian flourish, calling down a supernatural death upon one couple who held back a portion of their donation to the community. |~|. Professor L. Michael White told PBS: We don't know precisely what happened to either Peter or Paul. He wrote about James death in his book Hippolytus, which dates from the second and third centuries: And James the son of Alphaeus, while preaching in Jerusalem, was stoned to death by the Jews and buried there alongside thetemple, according to Hippolytus. Changed. That is, once again, the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit! The majority of what we know about the deaths of the other apostles comes from ancient Christian literature and church tradition, neither of which can be verified. Im curious how many people you know who have names such as John or Pete or Tom or Andy or Jim, or Bart or Phil. (listed alphabetically). John, the beloved disciple (elder son of Zebedee, brother of James, both James and John we also called Sons of Thunder or Boanerges), died of extreme old age in Ephesus. Will Graham Devotion: The Criminal on the Cross, Will Graham Devotion: How the Cross Met Our 4 Greatest Needs. Simon bar Jonah (Simon bar Jonah): With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the rock on which Christ formed His Church brought together 120 confused and disillusioned disciples of Jesus and within days had built a Church with a membership of more than 5,000 people. James and Mark were described as "the fierce, wrathful ones." At least one of Judas's offspring died at Masada. Why, then, did they flee and act so frightened when He was arrested? After being named the replacement apostle, according to one version, Matthias established a church in Cappadocia and preached to Christians along the coastlines of the Caspian Sea, among other things. However, Jesus transformed them into the foundation of the church and entrusted them with the most amazing mission imaginable: summoning the whole world, including the mightiest empire the world had ever known, to repentance and faith in the resurrected Christ. Andrew, like his brother Peter, did not believe that he was worthy of dying in the same way that Jesus had died. Matthew/Levi missionary to Parthia (Iran); died of old age. These places served as the foundations for the spread of Christianity. They were instrumental in spreading his teachings and No one is sure why the scallop shell was chose as the symbol for St. James and his pilgrims. After Jesus crucifixion the disciples were left rudderless and disorientated but his appearance to them and the intensely motivating events of Pentecost rallied their spirits. Rather of nailing him on a cross, Andrew was scourged and fastened to the stake instead, in order to prolong his agony before death.