Get to Know Jesus' 12 Apostles, Including Peter, John, and More (2024)

Peter

Many people can identify with Peter, a disciple who was one minute walking on water by faith and the next sinking in doubt. Impulsive and emotional, Peter is best known for denying Jesus when the pressure was on. Even so, Christ dearly loved Peter and gave him a special place among the Twelve.

Peter, a spokesman for the apostles, stands out in the Gospels. Whenever the men are listed, Peter's name is first. He, James, and John formed the inner circle of Jesus' closest companions. These three alone were given the privilege of experiencing the transfiguration and a few other extraordinary revelations of Christ.

After the resurrection, Peter became a bold evangelist and missionary, and one of the greatest leaders of the early church. He was passionate until the end: Historians record that when sentenced to death by crucifixion, Peter requested to face toward the ground because he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Savior.

Andrew

The apostle Andrew abandoned John the Baptist to become the first follower of Jesus of Nazareth, but John the Baptist did not mind. He knew his mission was to point people to the Messiah.

Like many of us, Andrew lived in the shadow of his more famous sibling, Simon Peter. All four Gospels identifyAndrewas Peter's brother. The pair was fromBethsaida, a town north of the Sea of Galilee.

Andrew led Peter to Christ, then stepped into the background as his boisterous brother became a leader among the apostles and in the early church.

The Gospels do not tell us a great deal about Andrew, but reading between the lines reveals a person who thirsted for truth and found it in the living water of Jesus. In the life of Andrew, we discover how a simple fisherman dropped his nets on the shore and went on to become a remarkable fisher of men.

James

Each of the synoptic Gospels identifies James as an early disciple of Jesus. James, the son of Zebedee, often called James the Greater to distinguish him from the other apostle James, was a member of Christ's inner circle, which included his brother, the apostle John, and Peter.

Not only did James and John earn a special nickname from the Lord — "sons of thunder" — they were privileged to be at the forefront of three supernatural events in Christ's life. In addition to these honors, James was the first of the 12 apostles to be martyred for his faith, in A.D. 44.

John

Jesus nicknamed the apostle John, brother to James the Greater, one of the "sons of thunder," but it is said John liked to call himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved." John was probably younger than James since he is usually mentioned after him. With their father Zebedee, the brothers were fishermen when Jesus called them.

With his fiery temperament and special devotion to the Savior, John gained a favored place in Christ's inner circle. His enormous impact on the early Christian church and his larger-than-life personality make him a fascinating character study. His writings reveal contrasting traits. For instance, on the first Easter morning, with his typical zeal and enthusiasm, John raced Peter to the tomb after Mary Magdalene reported that it was empty. Although John won the race according to the Gospel (John 20:1-9), he initially stopped short of entering the tomb, and Peter entered first.

According to tradition, John outlived all of the apostles, dying of old age in Ephesus, where he preached a gospel of love and taught against heresy.

Philip

Philip was one of the first disciples to follow Jesus and he wasted no time encouraging others, like Nathanael, to do the same. Philip plays a larger role in the Gospel of John than he does in the other three Gospels.

In John 14:8–9, Philip asks Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replies, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!"(NLT)

Although little is known about him after the ascension of Christ, Bible historians believe Philip preached the gospel in Phrygia, in Asia Minor, and died a martyr there at Hierapolis. One thing we know for certain, Philip’s search for the truth led him directly to the promised Messiah.

Nathanael (Bartholomew)

Nathanael, believed to be the disciple Bartholomew, experienced a jarring first encounter with Jesus. When the apostle Philip called him to come and meet the Messiah, Nathanael was skeptical, but he followed along anyway. As Philip introduced him to Jesus, the Lord declared, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Immediately Nathanael wanted to know, "How do you know me?"

Jesus got his attention when he answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Well, that stopped Nathanael in his tracks. Shocked and surprised, he declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Nathanael garnered only a few lines in the Gospels, nevertheless, in that instant, he became a loyal follower of Jesus Christ.

Matthew

Levi, who became the apostle Matthew, was a customs official in Capernaum who taxed imports and exports based on his own judgment. The Jews hated him because he worked for Rome and betrayed his countrymen.

But upon hearing two words from Jesus, "Follow me," Matthew left everything and obeyed. Like us, he longed to be accepted and loved. Matthew recognized Jesus as someone worth sacrificing for, so he gave up his comfortable life to serve and follow him.

Thomas

The apostle Thomas is often known as "Doubting Thomas" because he refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw and touched Christ's physical wounds. As far as disciples go, however, history has dealt Thomas a bum rap. After all, each of the 12 apostles, except John, abandoned Jesus during his trial and death at Calvary.

Thomas was prone to extremes. Earlier, he had demonstrated courageous faith, willing to risk his own life to follow Jesus into Judea. There is an important lesson to be gained from studying Thomas: If we are truly seeking to know the truth and are honest with ourselves and others about our struggles and doubts, God will faithfully meet us and reveal himself to us, as he did for Thomas.

James the Less

James the Less is one of the most obscure apostles. The only things we know for certain are his name and that he was present in the upper room of Jerusalem after Christ ascended to heaven.

In Twelve Ordinary Men, a book about the apostles, John MacArthur suggests that James the Less's obscurity may have been the distinguishing mark of his life. It is quite possible that James' complete anonymity reveals something profound about his character.

Simon the Zealot

Who is not intrigued by a good mystery? One puzzling question is the exact identity of Simon the Zealot, the Bible's own mystery apostle.

Scripture tells us almost nothing about Simon. The Gospels mention him in three places, but only to list his name. In Acts 1:13, we learn that he was present with the apostles in the upper room of Jerusalem after Christ ascended to heaven. Beyond those few details, we can only speculate about Simon and his designation as a Zealot.

Thaddeus (Jude)

Listed together with Simon the Zealot and James the Less, Thaddeus completes a grouping of the least-known apostles. In Twelve Ordinary Men, Thaddeus is characterized as a tender-hearted, gentle man who displays childlike humility.

Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot is the apostle who betrayed Jesus with a kiss. For this supreme act of treachery, some would say Judas made the greatest error in history.

Down through time, people have had mixed feelings about Judas. Some experience a sense of hatred toward him, others feel pity, and some have even considered him a hero. No matter how you react to Judas, one thing is certain, believers can benefit greatly by taking a serious look at his life.