The 12 apostles of Jesus Christ include Andrew, Peter, John, James, Philip, Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James Alphaeus, Judas Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot.
Beginning the preaching of the Gospel, the Lord said that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37). The Son of God needed followers who would show people the path to salvation with their own lives. 12 apostles of Christ are involved in the ministry.
Peter
- (Kephas - stone) that’s what the Lord called him, and his first name was Simon. Fisherman from Capernaum. Jesus stayed in his house, once healing Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. With the permission of the Lord, Peter walked with Him for some time on the water. He was the first to believe that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, but he also denied the Teacher when he was captured by the servants of the Jewish high priest. Repentance came to Peter immediately. And the Lord forgave him, moreover, he placed him first over the other disciples. Read more…
How Saul became Paul
Saul of Tarsus really hated the representatives of the new religious movement with all his heart. He even went from Judea to Syria in order to cleanse the Syrian lands of Christians. According to the book “The Acts of the Apostles,” when Saul was crossing the desert, a light from heaven descended on him and someone’s voice asked: “Saul! Why are you chasing me?" Saul asked who was speaking to him. “It is I, Jesus, whom you are persecuting!” - answered the voice.
After this amazing vision, Saul immediately went blind. He reached the city of Damascus, where the Christian and later holy martyr, Ananias, lived. Ananias healed Saul, and he regained his sight.
Having experienced the miracles performed by the Christian faith, Saul began to preach the doctrine, whose followers he had recently so mercilessly tortured and executed. Saul converted a large number of people to Christianity, including a high-ranking official, the proconsul of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus. It was after this incident that Saul took his new name Paul.
John the Theologian (Zevdeev)
(Theologian) - author of the fourth Gospel and other books of the New Testament. He is nicknamed the Theologian because in his Gospel there is a lot of direct speech of Christ, the Word of God. Like Andrei, before meeting Jesus he was a disciple of John the Baptist. John, the youngest and most beloved disciple of Christ. It was he who reclined on the Savior’s shoulder during the Last Supper. He was the only one of the disciples who dared to be on Calvary during the Crucifixion, and before that he was next to the Lord during interrogations by the high priest and Pontius Pilate. Jesus bequeathed to him to take care of the Mother of God. After the Teacher left earthly life, John took Mary to his house.
The only apostle who died a natural death and in old age. Read more…
Who are the apostles
Having received baptism from John on the Jordan River, overcoming devilish temptations during a forty-day fast in the desert, the Lord begins open service to the human race. Jesus calls the first disciples, whom he determined to call apostles. The Greek word άπόστολος is translated as “ambassador, messenger.”
All the apostles, with the exception of Judas, who alone was a native of Judea, came from Galilee. The Old Testament Bible prophesies that in this pagan country the people will see a great light (Isa. 9:1-2). According to Paul, the Savior chose “the weak things of this world” in order to “put to shame the strong things” (1 Cor., chapter 1, v. 27).
Works that the apostles of Jesus Christ should have done (Matthew 10:7-10):
- preach the Kingdom of Heaven;
- heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons;
- don't take money;
- Do not take extra clothes and shoes on the road.
Table 1. Twelve apostles called by Jesus Christ to serve
| Name | Where are you from? | Family ties | Occupation | Mission areas | Demise | Memory (new century) |
| Andrey | Bethsaida | Son of Jonah, younger brother of Peter | Fisherman | Asia Minor, Abkhazia, Macedonia, Scythia, Hellas | Patras, crucified on an X-shaped cross ca. '67 | December 13th |
| Peter | Bethsaida | Son of Jonah, elder brother of Andrew | Fisherman | Jerusalem, Syria, Macedonia, o. Sicily, Rome | Rome, crucified on an inverted cross in 67 | July, 12 |
| John | Galilee | Son of Zebedee, younger brother of Jacob | Fisherman | Asia Minor, Rome, o. Patmos | Ephesus, peaceful repose in 100 | May 21, July 13, October 9 |
| Jacob | Galilee | Son of Zebedee, elder brother of John | Fisherman | Jerusalem | Jerusalem, killed by sword in 44 | May 13, July 13 |
| Philip | Bethsaida | Scribe | Ethiopia, Greece, Arabia | Hierapolis, crucified upside down in 80. | November 27 | |
| Nathanael | Cana of Galilee | Scribe | Asia Minor, India, Armenia | Albaku, crucified upside down, then beheaded at the end of the 1st century | May 5, June 24, July 13, September 7 | |
| Matthew | Capernaum | Son of Alpheus, brother of Jacob Alpheus | Publican | Persia, Ethiopia | Myrmenakh, nailed to the ground and burned in 74. | November 29, July 13 |
| Thomas | Peneady | India | Mylopor, pierced by spears in 72 | July 13, October 19 | ||
| Jacob Alfeev | Capernaum | Son of Alpheus, brother of Matthew | Publican | Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt | Ostratsyn, crucified on the cross in 62. | July 13, October 22 |
| Judas Thaddeus | Nazareth | Son of Joseph the Betrothed, half-brother of Jesus Christ | Mesopotamia, Persia, Armenia | Mount Ararat, crucified ca. 80 | July 2, July 13 | |
| Simon the Canaanite | Cana of Galilee | Son of Joseph the Betrothed, half-brother of Jesus Christ | Africa, Mauritania, Britain, Persia, Abkhazia | Sukhumi, crucified on the cross in 107 | May 23, July 13 | |
| Judas Iscariot | Judea | Son of Simon | Jerusalem, hanged himself in 33 |
Attention! On the night of his arrest, Jesus gathered only his close disciples for a farewell meal. At the Last Supper, the Lord established the order of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Christ predicted hard labor and persecution and martyrdom for the preachers of the Gospel.
Figure 1. Last Supper
Thomas
— known to everyone by the nickname “The Unbeliever.” He doubted the Resurrection of the Lord, but soon Christ appeared to the disciples and invited Thomas to put his finger into his wounds, after which Thomas finally believed what had happened. However, distrust was only a detail in Thomas’s character - stubborn and decisive. When danger loomed over Jesus, Thomas, contrary to warnings, decided to return to Jerusalem. It was Thomas who suggested that the apostles go with the Teacher, even to death. He confesses Jesus as God for the first time. Read more…
Jesus was careful about who He called "friends"
Many churches and even Christians try to form friendships just to have a good time together. However, a true Kingdom of God relationship must have the ultimate goal of getting closer to someone for the purposes of the Kingdom of God. Most people are too quick to call someone a friend and/or choose friends only because they have something in common. We must choose our friends much more seriously than simply being ready to become friends with someone with whom we work or with whom we enjoy watching a football match. Just because you like someone shouldn't be the only criterion.
There are many people I would like to equally spend time with. But when it comes to the Kingdom of God, there is something more. I have to ask myself if I am called to build it with someone before making a long-term commitment to him or her. The reason is obvious - a person's destiny is often determined by those closest to him in terms of the quality of time spent, common goals and joint intentions. You are the one you choose to spend the most time with.
The following lines represent the criteria by which Jesus chose his friends:
He prayed about it.
In Luke 6:12-13, Jesus prayed all night before choosing the twelve closest people. This shows that He didn't choose friends at random—we shouldn't do that either.
His friends lived in obedience to the Lord.
In John 15:14 Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” It would be foolish for a believer to choose his closest and most trusted people among those who live without a purpose before the Lord. This does not say that we cannot have friends who do not follow Christ. Jesus sometimes spent time with sinners (Luke 7:34). However, He interacted with them not just to have a good time, but to win them to His Father so that they would eventually begin to live a life of obedience to God. He also did not devote most of his time to these “sinners” until they became His disciples. Paul encouraged Timothy to seek righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord with all their hearts (2 Timothy 2:22).
Accordingly, we should not be close friends with anyone who is not serious about seeking the things of God in his life.
Jesus chose friends to send onward.
Mark 3:14 says that the first thing He expected of those whom Jesus chose as friends was to spend time with Him. They had to learn to “create life” together, not just study the Bible or attend synagogue. But, nevertheless, the end result of their intimacy with Him was to send them out to preach. After all, how could they proclaim a Jesus they did not know, and how could they know Him except by spending time with Him? No one can rush to call someone a friend unless they have spent a lot of quality time together and gotten to know each other personally.
Jesus chooses friends to whom He can open his heart.
John 15:15 teaches us that Jesus opened His heart to friends who understood Him. In Matthew 13:11, Jesus tells his friends, “to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (not friends) it has not been given.” If someone cannot understand your heart or share your vision, it is difficult for them to become a true friend to you.
Jesus actively chose his friends.
John 15:16 teaches us (in the context of choosing friends) that men did not choose Him, but vice versa. Although this passage also refers to salvation, it also shows that His ways of choosing friends were active (not reactive), and based on the calling of people to build with Him. Accordingly, we must discern in our hearts whose friendship we should seek. Don't just choose those who want to be close to you; choose actively based on God's leading. Not everyone who wanted to be close to Jesus was given such access; out of the multitude of people He had a circle of three closest friends, then twelve and then seventy.
Others only had access to Him for short moments in their lives. If you are going to be fruitful for the kingdom of God, you cannot spend a lot of time with all the people you meet. For example, I don't feel guilty about not responding to every Facebook message or every email - if I did, I would quickly burn out, leave important work undone, or lose my purpose and miss my calling.
Jesus' friends accepted His harsh words.
In John 6:66-68, many of His disciples left Him because they could not take the solid food of the Word! Thus His true friends were separated from those who were merely temporary acquaintances. Your true friends will be there for you even when God gives you a harsh word or calls you to do something that many other people don't understand.
Jesus' friends were those who stood with him through his trials to the end.
Luke 22:28-29 shows that His closest friends were those who endured His earthly trials with Him to the end. God often allows severe trials in your personal life or ministry to test the people around you and show you who your true friends are. You can only build with those who are faithful to you in difficult times, and not only when everything is good.
Author - Joseph Mattera / josephmattera.org
Based on materials from ieshua.org
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Icon and Feast of the 12 Apostles
The cathedral, that is, the general celebration of all ascetics, is July 13 (according to the old style - June 30). This date was established back in Art. IV. On this day, it is customary to exalt the sacrificial service of the Savior’s disciples, thanking them for their unparalleled courage, dedication and philanthropy.
In addition, there is a special type of image in which all the righteous are depicted. A prayer to the 12 apostles, said in front of such a relic, will be heartfelt, sincere and full of repentance, will protect you from temptations and vices, strengthen you in faith and warn you from bad deeds. And you can purchase such a shrine in our online store “Yantar Polesie”!
JUDAS ISCARIOT
- traitor and thief. Subsequently, at the Apostolic Council, his place was taken by lot by the Apostle MATTHIAS.
The Council of the 12 Apostles of Christ is an ancient holiday. The church celebrates it on July 13th. Indications of this celebration are found in the 4th century. The Holy 12 Apostles - Peter and his brother Andrew the First-Called, James Zebedee and his brother John the Theologian, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas the Twin, Matthew, James Alphaeus, Judas, the brother of the Lord or Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Matthias - commemorated at different times of the year, with ancient times are also honored by the Church in a general celebration the day after the memory of the glorious and supreme apostles Peter and Paul.
Cathedral of the 12 Apostles
