{{Short description|Primary disciples of Jesus}} {{Distinguish|Disciple (Christianity)}} {{Redirect|Twelve Apostles}} {{For multi|apostles in general|Apostle|other uses|Apostle (disambiguation)}}{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} [[File:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[The Last Supper (Leonardo)|''The Last Supper'']], a late 1490s mural painting by [[Leonardo da Vinci]], is a depiction of the last supper of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles on the eve of his crucifixion. [[Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan|Santa Maria delle Grazie]], [[Milan]].]] [[File:Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles by Constantinople master (early 14th c., Pushkin museum).jpg|thumb|The [[Synaxis]] of the Twelve Apostles. Russian, 14th century, Moscow Museum]] {{Christianity|state=collapsed}} In [[Christian theology]] and [[ecclesiology]], the '''apostles''', particularly the '''Twelve Apostles''' (also known as the '''Twelve Disciples''' or simply '''the Twelve'''), were the primary [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]] of [[Jesus]] according to the [[New Testament]]. During the [[Life of Jesus in the New Testament|life]] and [[ministry of Jesus]] in the [[Christianity in the 1st century|1st century AD]], the [[apostle]]s were his closest followers and became the primary teachers of [[the gospel]] message of Jesus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Apostle|title="Apostle", Britannica.com|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603080145/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Apostle|archive-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> There is also an [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian]] tradition derived from the [[Gospel of Luke]] that there were [[Seventy disciples|seventy apostles]] during the time of Jesus' ministry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/01/04/100017-synaxis-of-the-seventy-apostles |website=www.oca.org |publisher=The Orthodox Church in America |access-date=22 April 2024}}</ref>
The [[commissioning of the Twelve Apostles]] during the ministry of Jesus is described in the [[Synoptic Gospels]]. After his [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]], Jesus sent eleven of them (as [[Judas Iscariot]] by then had [[Judas Iscariot#Death|died]]) by the [[Great Commission]] to spread his teachings to all nations.
In the [[Pauline epistles]], [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]], although not one of the original twelve, described himself as an apostle,<ref name="Bibleref2|Romans|1:1">{{Bibleref2|Romans|1:1}}</ref> saying he was called by the [[Resurrection of Jesus#Biblical accounts|resurrected Jesus]] himself during his [[Conversion of Paul the Apostle|road to Damascus]] event. He later describes himself as "an apostle to the [[Gentiles]]".<ref>{{Bibleref2|Romans|11:13}}</ref> The period and associated events in timeline of early Christianity during the lifetimes of the twelve apostles is called the [[Apostolic Age]].<ref name="ODCC self" />
==Etymology== {{Further|Apostle#Terminology}} [[File:Rom, Domitilla-Katakomben, Fresko "Christus und die 12 Apostel" und Christussymbol "Chi Rho" 1.jpg|thumb|Jesus and his Twelve Apostles, [[fresco]] with the [[Chi Rho|Chi-Rho symbol <big>☧</big>]], [[Catacombs of Domitilla]], [[Rome]]]]
The term ''apostle'' comes from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''apóstolos'' ({{lang|grc|{{linktext|ἀπόστολος}}}}) – formed from the prefix ''apó-'' ({{lang|grc|{{linktext|ἀπό-}}}}, 'from') and root ''stéllō'' ({{lang|grc|{{linktext|στέλλω}}}}, 'I send, I depart') – originally meaning 'messenger, envoy'. It has a stronger sense than the word ''messenger'', and is closer to a 'delegate'.<ref name="Coppieters">{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01626c.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Apostles|access-date=7 January 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123101735/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01626c.htm|archive-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>
==Biblical narratives== {{Bibleref2|Mark|6:7–13}} states that Jesus initially sent out these twelve in pairs ([[cf.]] {{Bibleref2|Mt|10:5–42}}, {{Bibleref2|Lk|9:1–6}}) to towns in [[Galilee]]. The text states that their initial instructions were to [[Faith healing|heal the sick]] and [[Exorcism|drive out demons]].<ref name="Coppieters" /> They are also instructed to "take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, but to wear sandals, and not put on two [[tunic]]s", and that if any town rejects them they ought to shake the dust off their feet as they leave, a gesture which some scholars think was meant as a contemptuous threat.<ref>{{cite book|title=Walking with the Apostles: Forth-Five Days in the Book of Acts|last=Miller|first=Denzil R.|date=2016|publisher=PneumaLife Publications|page=26}}</ref>
Later in the Gospels, the Twelve Apostles are described as [[Great Commission|having been commissioned to preach]] the Gospel to "all the nations",<ref>{{Bibleref2|Mt|28:19}}, {{Bibleref2|Mk|13:10}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Mk|16:15}}</ref> regardless of whether [[Jews|Jew]] or [[Gentile]].<ref>{{Bibleref2|Acts|15:1–31}}, {{Bibleref2|Galatians|2:7–9}}, {{Bibleref2|Acts|1:4–8}}, {{Bibleref2|Acts|10:1–11:18}}</ref> Paul emphasized the role of the apostles in the church of God when he said that the household of God is "built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone."<ref>{{bibleverse|Ephesians|2:19–20}}</ref>
===Calling by Jesus=== [[File:Ghirlandaio, Domenico - Calling of the Apostles - 1481.jpg|thumb|''[[Vocation of the Apostles]]'', a fresco in the [[Sistine Chapel]] by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]], 1481–82]] [[File:Brooklyn Museum - The Exhortation to the Apostles (Recommandation aux apôtres) - James Tissot.jpg|thumb|[[James Tissot]], ''The Exhortation to the Apostles'']] All four canonical [[Gospel]]s record the circumstances in which some of the disciples were recruited.<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|4:18–22}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|1:16–20}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|5:1–11}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|John|1:35–51}}</ref> According to the [[Gospel of John]], [[Andrew the Apostle|Andrew]], a who was the disciple of [[John the Baptist]], and another unnamed disciple of John the Baptist, traditionally believed to be [[John the Apostle|John]], upon hearing the Baptist point out Jesus as the "Lamb of God", followed Jesus and spent the day with him, thus becoming the first two disciples called by Jesus. For this reason the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] honours Andrew with the name ''Protokletos'', which means "the first called".<ref name=Benedict>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20060614.html|title=General Audience of 14 June 2006: Andrew, the "Protoclete"|author=Benedict XVI|date=14 June 2006|publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana|access-date=27 July 2023|archive-date=26 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626182733/https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20060614.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Despite Jesus only briefly requesting that they join him, they are all described as immediately consenting and abandoning their nets to do so. The immediacy of their consent has been viewed as an example of divine power, although this is not stated in the text. Another explanation is that some of the disciples may have heard of Jesus beforehand, as implied by the Gospel of John, which states that Andrew was a disciple of [[John the Baptist]], and that he and his brother started following Jesus as soon as [[Baptism of Jesus|Jesus had been baptized]].<ref>{{Bibleref2|John|1:40–42}}</ref>
[[File:De zielenvisserij - Fishing for souls (Adriaen Pietersz. van de Venne).jpg|thumb|[[Adriaen van de Venne]]'s ''[[Fishing for Souls]]'', oil on panel, 1614]] Matthew describes Jesus meeting James and John, also fishermen and brothers, shortly after recruiting Simon and Andrew. Matthew and Mark identify James and John as sons of [[Zebedee]]. Luke adds that James and John worked as a team with Simon and Andrew. Matthew states that at the time of the encounter, James and John were repairing their nets, but readily joined Jesus without hesitation.<ref>{{Bibleref2|Matthew|4:21}}</ref>
This parallels the accounts of Mark and Luke, but Matthew implies that the men have also abandoned their father (since he is present in the boat they abandon behind them), and Carter feels this should be interpreted to mean that Matthew's Jesus is rejected the traditional patriarchal structure of society, where the father had command over his children; most scholars interpret it to mean that Matthew intended these two to be seen as more devoted than the other pair or that Jesus expected the coming of the kingdom.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Marginal Jew, II|last=Meier|first=John P.|publisher=Doubleday|year=1994|isbn=978-0385469920|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/mentormessagemir00john}}</ref>
The Synoptic Gospels go on to describe that later in Jesus' [[Ministry of Jesus|ministry]] he noticed a [[tax collector]] in his booth. The tax collector, called Matthew in {{Bibleref2|Matthew|9:9}}, and Levi in {{Bibleref2|Mark|2:14}} and {{Bibleref2|Luke|5:27}}, is asked by Jesus to become one of his disciples. Matthew/Levi is stated to have accepted and then invited Jesus for a meal with his friends. Tax collectors were seen as [[villain]]s in Jewish society, and the [[Pharisees]] are described as asking Jesus why he is having a meal with such disreputable people. The reply Jesus gave is now well known: "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."<ref>{{Bibleref2|Mark|2:17}}.</ref>
===Commissioning of the Twelve Apostles=== The [[commissioning of the Twelve Apostles]] is an episode in the ministry of Jesus that appears in the three Synoptic Gospels. It relates the initial selection of the Twelve Apostles among the [[Calling of the disciples|disciples of Jesus]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The First Gospel|last=Riley|first=Harold|date=1992|isbn=0-86554-409-3|page=47|publisher=Mercer University Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Mercer Dictionary of the Bible|date=1998|last1=Mills|first1=Watson E.|last2=Bullard|first2=Roger Aubrey|isbn=0-86554-373-9|page=48|publisher=Mercer University Press }}</ref>
In the [[Gospel of Matthew]], this event takes place shortly before the [[Miracles of Jesus|miracle]] of the [[Healing the man with a withered hand|man with a withered hand]]. In the gospels of [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] and of Luke, it appears shortly after that miracle.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Life of Jesus|last=Strauss|first=David|author-link=David Strauss|year=1860|publisher=Calvin Blanchard|page=340}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.|Matthew 10:1–4<ref>{{bibleref2|Matthew|10:1–4}}</ref>}}
{{blockquote|He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John (not the Baptist) the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.|Mark 3:13–19<ref name=mark313-19> {{bibleref2|Mark|3:13–19}}</ref>}}
{{blockquote|One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.|Luke 6:12–16<ref>{{bibleref2|Luke|6:12–16|NIV}}</ref>}}
== Lists of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament ==
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 15464 Jesus and the 12 apostles in Domus Galileae.JPG|thumb|Monument of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles in [[Domus Galilaeae]], Israel]]
Each of the four listings of apostles in the New Testament<ref>{{Bibleref2|Mark|3:13–19|9}}, {{Bibleref2|Matthew|10:1–4|9}}, {{Bibleref2|Luke|6:12–16|9}}, and {{Bibleref2|Acts|1:13|9}}</ref> indicate that all the apostles were men. According to Christian tradition they were all Jews.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tadgell |first=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k9ZiDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT937 |title=Antiquity: Origins, Classicism and The New Rome |date=2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-80213-3 |pages=937 |language=en}}</ref><ref>[[Origen]]. [[Contra Celsum]]. [[wikisource:Ante-Nicene_Fathers/Volume_IV/Origen/Origen_Against_Celsus/Book_II/Chapter_II|Book 2, Chapter 2]].</ref> The [[canonical gospels]] and the book of [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] give varying names of the Twelve Apostles; ancient biographies could display flexibility when reporting events, though the Synoptics were more conservative than other contemporary historians in adaptation of sources.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Licona|first=Mike|title=Why are there Differences in the Gospels? What we can Learn from Ancient Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2016|isbn=978-0190264260|pages=2}}</ref> The list in Luke mentions "Judas, the son of James" instead of "Thaddaeus".{{efn|For more information, see [[Jude the Apostle]].}} All listings appear in three groupings, always with the same four apostles in each group. Each group is always led by the same apostle, although the order of the remaining three names within the group varies. Thus, [[Saint Peter|Peter]] is always listed first, [[Philip the Apostle|Philip]] is always listed fifth, and [[James, son of Alphaeus]] is always listed ninth. [[Judas Iscariot]] is always listed last.
Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the [[Gospel of John]] does not offer a formal list of apostles. Although it refers to "the Twelve",<ref>{{Bibleref2|John|6:67–71|9}}</ref> the gospel does not present any elaboration of who these twelve actually were, and the author of the Gospel of John does not mention them all by name. There is also no separation of the terms "apostles" and "disciples" in John.
According to the New Testament there were only two pairs of brothers among the Twelve Apostles: [[Saint Peter|Peter]] and [[Saint Andrew|Andrew]], the sons of Jonah, as well as [[James, son of Zebedee|James]] and [[John the Apostle|John]], the sons of Zebedee. Since the father of both [[James, son of Alphaeus]] and [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] is named [[Alphaeus]], according to the tradition of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] the two were brothers as well.<ref name="Prologue of Ohrid">{{cite web| url=http://westserbdio.org/en/prologue/657-october-9 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502033042/http://westserbdio.org/en/prologue/657-october-9 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2017-05-02 | title=Nikolaj Velimirović ''Prologue of Ohrid''}}</ref><ref name="ibn Kabar">{{cite web | url=https://stnoufer.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/the-lamp-that-lights-the-darkness-ibn-kabar.pdf | title=Shams ibn Kabar ''The Lamp that Lights the Darkness in Clarifying the Service'' | access-date=21 October 2022 | archive-date=13 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013175903/https://stnoufer.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/the-lamp-that-lights-the-darkness-ibn-kabar.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref> According to the tradition of the [[Catholic Church]] based on the writing of the [[Apostolic Father]] [[Papias of Hierapolis]] the apostles [[James, son of Alphaeus]], and [[Jude the Apostle#Possible identity with Thaddeus|Thaddaeus]] were brothers and sons of [[Alphaeus]] (named also [[Clopas]]) and his wife [[Mary of Clopas]] who was the sister of [[Mary, mother of Jesus|the mother of Jesus]].<ref name= "papias">{{cite book |chapter-url= http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/papias.html |title= Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord |chapter= Fragment X |first= Papias |last= of Hierapolis |publisher= Peter Kirby |access-date= 10 September 2015 |archive-date= 24 September 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150924003641/http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/papias.html |url-status= live }}</ref> The [[Golden Legend]], compiled by [[Jacobus de Voragine]] in the 13th century, adds to the two apostles also [[Simon the Zealot]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=de Voragine |first1=Jacobus |title=The Golden Legend or Lives Of The Saints |date=1275 |url=https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume6.asp |access-date=28 October 2018 |archive-date=29 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029031055/https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume6.asp |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Saint Simon the Apostle2">{{cite book |last1=Stracke |first1=Richard |title=Golden Legend: Life of SS. Simon and Jude |url=http://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/simonAndJude.htm |access-date=28 October 2018 |language=en |archive-date=29 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029043501/http://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/simonAndJude.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left; width:100%;" !style="width:20%"|[[Gospel of Matthew]]<ref>{{Bibleref2|Matt|10:1–4}}</ref> !style="width:20%"|[[Gospel of Mark]]<ref name=mark313-19/> !style="width:20%"|[[Gospel of Luke]]<ref>{{Bibleref2|Luke|6:12–16}}</ref> !style="width:20%"|[[Gospel of John]] !style="width:20%"|[[Acts of the Apostles]]<ref>{{bibleref2|Acts|1:13}}</ref> |- |[[Saint Peter|Simon]] ("also known as Peter")||Simon ("to whom he gave the name Peter")||Simon ("whom he named Peter")||Simon Peter<ref name="bibleref2|John|6:67–71">{{bibleref2|John|6:67–71}}</ref> / [[Saint Peter|Cephas]] "which is translated Peter"<ref>{{bibleref2|John| 1:42}}</ref>||Peter |- |[[Andrew the Apostle|Andrew]] ("his [Peter's] brother")||Andrew||Andrew ("his [Peter's] brother")||Andrew ("Simon Peter's brother")||Andrew |- |[[James the Great|James]] ("son of [[Zebedee]]")||James ("son of Zebedee") / one of the "[[Language of Jesus#Boanerges_(Βοανηργές)|Boanerges]]"||James||one of the "sons of Zebedee"||James |- |[[John the Apostle|John]] ("his [James's] brother")||John ("brother of James") / one of the "Boanerges"||John||one of the "sons of Zebedee" / the "[[disciple whom Jesus loved]]"{{efn|This is a traditional conflation of [[John the Apostle]] with [[John the Evangelist]], currently disputed by many textual scholars.}}||John |- |[[Philip the Apostle|Philip]]||Philip||Philip||Philip||Philip |- |[[Bartholomew the Apostle|Bartholomew]]||Bartholomew|||Bartholomew||[[Nathanael (follower of Jesus)|Nathanael]]||Bartholomew |- |[[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]]||Thomas||Thomas||Thomas ("also called Didymus")<ref>{{Bibleref2|John|11:16}}{{Bibleref2|John|20:24}}{{Bibleref2|John|21:2}}</ref>||Thomas |- |[[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] ("the [[publican]]")||Matthew / Levi||Matthew / Levi||not mentioned||Matthew |- |[[James, son of Alphaeus|James]] ("son of [[Alphaeus]]")||James ("son of Alphaeus")||James ("son of Alphaeus")||not mentioned||James ("son of Alphaeus") |- |[[Jude the Apostle#Possible identity with Thaddeus|Thaddaeus]] (or "Lebbaeus"); ||Thaddaeus||[[Jude the Apostle|Judas]] ("son of James," referred to as ''brother'' in some translations)||Judas ("not Iscariot")<ref>{{Bibleref2|John|14:22}}</ref>||Judas ("son of James," referred to as ''brother'' in some translations) |- |[[Simon the Zealot|Simon]] ("the Canaanite")||Simon ("the Cananaean")||Simon ("who was called the [[Zealots|Zealot]]")||not mentioned||Simon ("the Zealot") |- |[[Judas Iscariot]]||Judas Iscariot||Judas Iscariot||Judas ("son of Simon Iscariot")<ref name="bibleref2|John|6:67–71"/>||(Judas replaced by [[Matthias the Apostle|Matthias]]) |}
=== Inner circle among the Twelve Apostles === [[Saint Peter|Peter]], [[James son of Zebedee]], and James's brother [[John the Apostle|John]] formed an informal [[triumvirate]] among the Twelve Apostles in the [[Gospel]]s. Jesus invited them to be the only apostles present on three notable occasions during his public ministry: the [[Raising of Jairus' daughter]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|5:37}}</ref> the [[Transfiguration of Jesus|Transfiguration]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|17:1}}</ref> <ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Goodacre|first=Mark|title=The Fourth Synoptic Gospel: John’s Knowledge of Matthew, Mark, and Luke|publisher=Eerdmans|year=2025|isbn=978-0802875136|pages=175|quote=}}</ref> and the [[Agony in the Garden|Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|26:37}}</ref>
At the time of the [[Early Christianity|Early Christian Church]] as a leading trio among the apostles were recognized Peter, John and [[James, brother of Jesus]], known collectively as the three ''[[Early Christianity#Jerusalem church|Pillars of the Church]]''.<ref>{{bibleverse|Galatians|2:9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/galatians/2-9.htm|title=Galatians 2:9 And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John--those reputed to be pillars--gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.|website=biblehub.com|access-date=22 October 2022|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329230622/https://biblehub.com/galatians/2-9.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the tradition of the Catholic Church based on the writing of [[Jerome]] this James is identified with the apostle [[James, son of Alphaeus]].<ref>John Saward – ''Cradle of redeeming love: the theology of the Christmas mystery'' p18 2002 "St Jerome concludes that St James, son of Alphaeus, and St James, brother of the Lord, are one and the same person.169 But why is James, son of Alphaeus, called our Lord's 'brother'? St Jerome's answer is as follows. In Matthew 13:55 we hear of four 'brothers' of our Lord: James and Joseph, Simon and Jude. Later, in the Passion narrative, St Matthew mentions a Mary who is the mother of James and Joseph (cf Mt 27:56) "</ref><ref>''The brother of Jesus: James the Just and his mission'' p17 Bruce Chilton, Jacob Neusner – 2001 "Given that James has been identified as the son of Alphaeus, Jerome indicates he cannot explain the connection of Mary the ... Chrysostom (347–407) was first to suggest that James the brother of the Lord is the son of Clopas though ..."</ref>
Two of the leading triumvirate, Peter and John, were additionally sent by Jesus into the city to make preparation for the final [[Passover]] meal (the [[Last Supper]]),<ref>{{bibleverse|Lk|22:8}}</ref> and were also the only two sent by the collective apostles to visit the newly converted believers in [[Samaria]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|8:14}}</ref> If John is to be identified with the [[disciple whom Jesus loved]], then it was also only Peter and John who followed behind Jesus after his capture in the [[Gethsemane|Garden of Gethsemane]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Jn|18:15–16}}</ref> and who ran to the empty tomb after [[Mary Magdalene]] bore witness to the [[resurrection of Jesus]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Jn|20:1–10}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author-first1=R. Alan |author-last1=Culpepper|title=John, the Son of Zebedee: The Life of a Legend|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-6O2UTnPrMQC&dq=Peter+and+John++leading+apostles&pg=PA47|year=1994|publisher=Univ of South Carolina Press|isbn=0-87249-962-6|page=47|access-date=29 January 2023|archive-date=21 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421160633/https://books.google.com/books?id=-6O2UTnPrMQC&dq=Peter+and+John++leading+apostles&pg=PA47|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Replacement of Judas Iscariot === {{Main|Matthias the Apostle}}
After Judas betrayed Jesus (and then in guilt committed suicide<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/question/How-did-Judas-Iscariot-die|website=Britannica|date=22 April 2020|access-date=9 February 2025|title=How did Judas Iscariot die?}}</ref> before Christ's [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]], one Gospel recounts), the apostles numbered eleven. The group is referred to as "the eleven" in [[Mark 16#Alternate endings|Mark 16:14]] (part of the "longer ending" of Mark) and in [[Luke 24|Luke 24:9,33]]. In [[Acts 1#Verse 26|Acts 1:26]] they are "the eleven apostles", in [[Matthew 28:16]] they are "the eleven disciples". When Jesus had been taken up from them, in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit that he had promised them, Peter advised the brethren: {{blockquote|Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus... For he was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry... For it is written in the [[Psalms|book of Psalms]], "Let his habitation be made desolate, Let no one dwell therein", and, "Let another take his office"... So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, must become with us a witness to his resurrection.|{{Bibleref2|Acts|1:15–22}}}}
So, between the [[Ascension of Jesus]] and the day of [[Pentecost]], the remaining apostles elected a twelfth apostle by [[Sortition|casting lots]], a traditional Israelite way to determine the will of God (see {{Bibleref2|Proverbs|16:33}}). The lot fell upon [[Saint Matthias|Matthias]] according to {{Bibleref2|Acts|1:26}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/should-churches-select-elders-by-casting-lots/|website=The Gospel Coalition|first1=Kevin|last1=DeYoung|date=11 February 2011|access-date=9 February 2025|title=Should Churches Select Elders by Casting Lots?|quote= Most famously, Matthias was chosen by the casting of lots to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle (Acts 1:26).}}</ref>
Paul the Apostle, in his [[First Epistle to the Corinthians]], appears to give the first historical reference to the Twelve Apostles: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to [[Saint Peter|Cephas]], then to the twelve" (1 Cor 15:3–5).
===Other apostles mentioned in the New Testament=== The New Testament also uses the term ''apostle'' in an expanded sense. As the ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]'' states, "It is at once evident that in a Christian sense, everyone who had received a mission from God, or Christ, to man could be called 'Apostle{{' "}}; thus extending the original sense beyond the twelve.<ref name="Coppieters" />
{|class=wikitable ! scope="col" style="width:200px;"|Person called apostle ! scope="col" style="width:150px;"|Where in Scripture ! scope="col" style="width:500px;"|Notes |- |[[Paul the Apostle|Paul]]||Throughout Acts, the [[Pauline epistles]] and 2 Peter 3:15||See [[#Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles|section below]] |- |[[Barnabas]]||Acts 14:14<ref>{{Bibleref2|Acts|14:14}}</ref>||"when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it" |- |[[James, brother of Jesus|James the Just, the brother of Jesus]]||1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19||Galatians 1:19: "But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother." |- |[[Andronicus of Pannonia|Andronicus]] and [[Junia (New Testament person)|Junia]]||Romans 16:7<ref>{{Bibleref2|Rom|16:7}}</ref>||Paul states that Andronicus and Junia were "of note among the apostles." This has been traditionally interpreted in one of two ways: * That Andronicus and Junia were "of note among the apostles," that is, distinguished apostles.<ref name="May Metzger">{{cite book|last1=May|first1=Herbert G.|last2=Metzger|first2=Bruce M.|title=The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha|year=1977}}</ref> * That Andronicus and Junia were "well known ''among'' the apostles" meaning "well known ''to'' the apostles" If the first view is correct then Paul may be referring to a female apostle<ref>{{cite book|last1=Crossan|first1=J.D.|last2=Reed|first2=J.L.|title=In Search of Paul|publisher=Harper|year=2004|pages=115–116|isbn=978-0-06-051457-0}}</ref><ref name="Ehrman 2006">{{cite book|last=Ehrman|first=Bert|title=Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2006|isbn=978-0-19-530013-0}}</ref> – the Greek name (Ἰουνίαν, Iounian) is in the [[accusative]] and could refer either to Junia (a woman) or to Junias (a man) which are both [[Ancient Greek grammar#Declensions|first declension]].<ref name="CBMW">{{cite web|url=https://cbmw.org/uncategorized/a-female-apostle/|title=A Female Apostle?|work=CBMW |date=2007-06-26|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021004608/https://cbmw.org/uncategorized/a-female-apostle/|archive-date=2017-10-21}}</ref> Later manuscripts add accents to make it unambiguously Junias; however, while "Junia" was a common name, "Junias" was not,<ref name="Ehrman 2006" /> and both options are favored by different Bible translations.
In the second view, it is believed that Paul is simply making mention of the outstanding character of these two people which was acknowledged by the apostles.
Historically it has been virtually impossible to tell which of the two views were correct. The second view, in recent years, has been defended from a scholarly perspective by Daniel Wallace and Michael Burer.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Was Junia Really an Apostle? A Re-examination of Rom 16.7|last1=Burer|first1=Michael H.|last2=Wallace|first2=Daniel B.|date=2001|journal=New Testament Studies|volume=47|pages=76–91|url=https://drmsh.com/TheNakedBible/Was%20Junia%20Really%20an%20Apostle%20A%20Re%20examination%20of%20Rom%2016%207.pdf|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/S0028688501000066|s2cid=170360881|access-date=26 August 2022|archive-date=26 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826005618/https://drmsh.com/TheNakedBible/Was%20Junia%20Really%20an%20Apostle%20A%20Re%20examination%20of%20Rom%2016%207.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> |}
====The seventy disciples==== {{main|Seventy disciples}}
The "seventy disciples" or "seventy-two disciples" (known in the [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian]] traditions as the "Seventy Apostles") were early emissaries of Jesus mentioned in the [[Gospel of Luke]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|10:1–24}}</ref> According to Luke, the only gospel in which they appear, Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs on a specific mission which is detailed in the text.
In [[Western Christianity]], they are usually referred to as [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05029a.htm|publisher=New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia|title=Disciple|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124143512/http://newadvent.org/cathen/05029a.htm|archive-date=24 January 2018|quote="The disciples, in this disciples, in this context, are not the crowds of believers who flocked around Christ, but a smaller body of His followers. They are commonly identified with the seventy-two (seventy, according to the received Greek text, although several Greek manuscripts mention seventy-two, as does the Vulgate) referred to (Luke 10:1) as having been chosen by Jesus. The names of these disciples are given in several lists (Chronicon Paschale, and Pseudo-Dorotheus in Migne, P.G., XCII, 521–24; 543–45; 1061–65); but these lists are unfortunately worthless."}}</ref> whereas in Eastern Christianity they are usually referred to as apostles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=100017|title=Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles|work=oca.org|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927034847/http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=100017|archive-date=27 September 2012}}</ref> Using the original [[Greek language|Greek words]], both titles are descriptive, as an ''apostle'' is one sent on a [[Christian mission|mission]] (the Greek uses the verb form: ''apesteilen'') whereas a ''disciple'' is a student, but the two traditions differ on the scope of the words ''apostle'' and ''disciple''.
====Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles==== {{Paul}} {{Main|Paul the Apostle}}
Although not one of the apostles commissioned during the life of Jesus, Paul, a [[Jews|Jew]] also named Saul,{{sfn|Dunn|2003|p=21}} claimed a special commission from the post-ascension [[Resurrection of Jesus#Biblical accounts|Jesus]] as "the apostle of the [[Gentiles]]",<ref>{{bibleverse|Romans|11:13|9}}</ref> to spread the gospel message after [[Conversion of Paul the Apostle|his conversion]]. In his writings, the [[Pauline epistles|epistles]] to Christian churches throughout the [[Levant]], Paul did not restrict the term "apostle" to the twelve, and often refers to his mentor [[Barnabas]] as an apostle.<ref name="ODCC self">{{cite book|editor-last=Cross|editor-first=F.L.|title=The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|isbn=0-19-280290-9}}</ref>
In [[Pauline epistles|his writings]], Paul, although not one of the original twelve, described himself as an ''apostle''.<ref name="Bibleref2|Romans|1:1"/> He was called by the resurrected Jesus himself during his [[Road to Damascus]] event. With Barnabas, he undertook the role of apostle in the church.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|13:2}}</ref>
Since Paul claimed to have received a gospel not from teachings of the Twelve Apostles but solely and directly through personal revelations from the post-ascension Jesus,<ref>cf. {{Bibleref2|Gal|1:12}}; {{Bibleref2|Acts|9:3–19}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|9:26–27}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|22:6–21}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|26:12–23}}</ref> after Jesus's death and resurrection (rather than before like the twelve), Paul was often obliged to defend his apostolic authority ({{Bibleref2|1Cor|9:1||1 Cor. 9:1 "Am I not an apostle?"}}) and proclaim that he had seen and was anointed by Jesus while on the road to Damascus.
Paul considered himself perhaps inferior to the other apostles because he had originally persecuted Christ's followers<ref>{{bibleverse|1Cor|15:9||1 Cor. 15:9}}</ref> while thinking he was not in the least inferior to those "super-apostles" and not lacking in "knowledge".<ref>{{bibleverse|2Cor|11:5–6||2 Cor. 11:5–6}}</ref>
Paul referred to himself as the ''apostle of the Gentiles.''<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|11:13|9}}</ref> According to Paul's account in his [[Epistle to the Galatians]], James, Peter and John in Jerusalem accepted the "grace" given to Paul and agreed that Paul and Barnabas should go to the Gentiles (specifically those not [[Circumcision controversy in early Christianity|circumcised]]) and the three apostles who "seemed to be pillars" to the circumcised.<ref>{{bibleverse|Gal|2:7–9}}</ref> Despite the [[Matthew 10|Little Commission of Matthew 10]], the Twelve Apostles did not limit their mission to solely Jews as [[Cornelius the Centurion]] is widely considered the first Gentile convert and he was converted by Peter, and the Great Commission of the resurrected Jesus is specifically to "all nations".
==Deaths== [[File:Relics of the Apostles Utah 2017.jpg|thumb|Relics of the apostles in 2017, while they were in Utah during the Relic Tour<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.relictour.com/relics-of-the-passion|title=Relics of the Passion|website=www.relictour.com|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324162358/http://www.relictour.com/relics-of-the-passion|archive-date=24 March 2018}}</ref>]]
Of the Twelve Apostles to hold the title after Matthias' selection, [[Christian tradition]] has generally passed down that all of the Twelve Apostles except [[John the Apostle|John]] [[Christian martyrs|were martyred]]. It is traditionally believed that John survived all of them, living to old age and dying of natural causes at Ephesus sometime after AD 98, during the reign of [[Trajan]].<ref name="Lamport2018">{{cite book|author-first1=Mark A. |author-last1=Lamport|title=Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B6xVDwAAQBAJ|date=1 June 2018|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-7157-9|page=27|access-date=26 August 2022|archive-date=26 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826005624/https://books.google.com/books?id=B6xVDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="zahn">{{Cite web |url= http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc06/htm/iii.lvii.lviii.htm |title= John the Apostle |website= CCEL |access-date= 18 November 2023 |archive-date= 22 October 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231022164510/https://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc06/htm/iii.lvii.lviii.htm |url-status= live }}</ref> However, only the death of his brother [[James the Great|James]] who became the first Apostle to die in {{circa|AD 44}} is described in the [[New Testament]].<ref>{{cite book|author-first1=Thomas J. |author-last1=Craughwell|title=Saints Preserved|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQblhT1XtkMC&dq=james+first+apostle+died+44++agrippa&pg=PA137|year=2011|publisher=Crown Publishing Group|isbn=9780307590749|page=137}}</ref> ({{bibleref2|Acts|12:1–2}})
{{bibleref2|Matthew|27:5}} says that Judas Iscariot threw the silver he received for betraying Jesus down in the Temple, then went and hanged himself. {{bibleref2|Acts|1:18}} says that he purchased a field, then "falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out".
According to the 18th-century historian [[Edward Gibbon]], early Christians (second half of the second century and first half of the third century) believed that only Peter, Paul, and James, son of Zebedee, were martyred.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gibbon|first1=Edward|author-link1=Edward Gibbon|year=1826|chapter=Chapter XVI. The Conduct of the Roman Government toward the Christians, from the Reign of Nero to that of Constantine|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FvQLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA20|title=The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire|volume=II|location=New York|publisher=J. & J. Harper for Collins & Hanney|page=20|quote=27. In the time of Tertullian and Clemens of Alexandria the glory of martyrdom was confined to St. Peter, St. Paul and St. James. It was gradually bestowed on the rest of the apostles by the more recent Greeks, who prudently selected for the theatre of their preaching and sufferings some remote country beyond the limits of the Roman empire. See Mosheim, p. 81. and Tillemont, Memoires Ecclesiastiques, tom. i. part 3.}}</ref> Some believe that remainder, or even all, of the claims of martyred apostles do not rely upon historical or biblical evidence, but only on late legends.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ehrmanblog.org/were-the-disciples-martyred-for-believing-the-resurrection-a-blast-from-the-past/|title=Were the Disciples Martyred for Believing the Resurrection? A Blast From the Past|website=The Bart Ehrman Blog|access-date=13 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402131453/https://ehrmanblog.org/were-the-disciples-martyred-for-believing-the-resurrection-a-blast-from-the-past/|archive-date=2 April 2019|date=13 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="Wills2015">{{cite book|first=Garry|last=Wills|title=The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A8XzAwAAQBAJ|date=10 March 2015|publisher=Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-698-15765-1|page=49|quote=(Candida Moss marshals the historical evidence to prove that "we simply don't know how any of the apostles died, much less whether they were martyred.")<sup>6</sup>|access-date=26 August 2022|archive-date=26 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826005624/https://books.google.com/books?id=A8XzAwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}} Citing {{cite book|first=Candida|last=Moss|title=The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom|url={{Google books|smddSvSxFScC|plainurl=yes}}|date=5 March 2013|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-06-210454-0|page=136}}</ref> Others are more favorable to the martyrdom traditions, with one example being academic Sean McDowell. In a review of apostolic martyrdom accounts, he finds that of the Twelve, three likely died natural deaths (John, Matthew, and Phillip), while the remaining nine either were most likely martyrs, or their martyrdom was as plausible as not.<ref name=":0" /> He also finds Paul and James, brother of Jesus to be martyrs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=McDowell |first=Sean |title=The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis Group]] |year=2025 |isbn=9781032580548 |edition=2nd |pages=301}}</ref>
===Relics and burial sites===
[[Relic]]s of the apostles are claimed by various churches, many in Europe.
* [[Andrew the Apostle|Andrew]]: buried in [[Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Patras]], [[Greece]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecatholictravelguide.com/destinations/greece/patras-greece-basilica-saint-andrew-apostle/|title=Patras, Greece: The Basilica of Saint Andrew the Apostle|first=Patti|last=H.|date=3 July 2020|access-date=2022-08-25|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220190112/https://thecatholictravelguide.com/destinations/greece/patras-greece-basilica-saint-andrew-apostle/|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Bartholomew the Apostle|Bartholomew]]: buried in the [[Benevento Cathedral|Basilica]] of [[Benevento]], Italy, or [[San Bartolomeo all'Isola|Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island]], [[Rome]], [[Italy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/04/st-bartholomew-basilica-shows-time-new-martyrs|title=Crux|last=Giangravè|first=Claire|publisher=Cruxnow.com|date=2017-04-22|accessdate=2022-02-21|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183105/https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/04/st-bartholomew-basilica-shows-time-new-martyrs|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[James the Great]]: buried in [[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral]] in [[Santiago de Compostela]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], [[Spain]] * [[James, son of Alphaeus]]: buried in the [[Cathedral of St. James, Jerusalem|Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem]] or [[Santi Apostoli, Rome|the Church of the Holy Apostles]] in Rome.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dannythedigger.com/saint-james-cathedral/|title=Jerusalem's Saint James Cathedral|date=13 April 2021|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220184611/https://dannythedigger.com/saint-james-cathedral/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|title=Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome|first1=Kaare Lund|last1=Rasmussen|first2=Johannes|last2=van der Plicht|first3=Jacopo|last3=La Nasa|first4=Erika|last4=Ribechini|first5=Maria Perla|last5=Colombini|first6=Thomas|last6=Delbey|first7=Lilian|last7=Skytte|first8=Simone|last8=Schiavone|first9=Ulla|last9=Kjær|first10=Poul|last10=Grinder-Hansen|first11=Lautaro Roig|last11=Lanzillotta|date=29 January 2021|journal=Heritage Science|volume=9|issue=1|page=14|doi=10.1186/s40494-021-00481-9|s2cid=231727909|doi-access=free|hdl=109.1.5/ab923d4a-8318-4807-9b48-0feed4ca1713|hdl-access=free}}</ref> * [[John the Apostle|John]]: no relics. The opening of his tomb (in the [[Basilica of St. John]], [[Ephesus]], [[Turkey]]) during [[Constantine the Great]]'s reign yielded no bones, giving rise to the belief that his body was [[Entering heaven alive|assumed into heaven]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SuclAQAAIAAJ|title=The Biblical Archaeologist|date=March 7, 1974|publisher=American Schools of Oriental Research.|via=Google Books|access-date=26 August 2022|archive-date=26 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826005623/https://books.google.com/books?id=SuclAQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Judas Iscariot]]: buried at [[Akeldama]] near [[Jerusalem]] (per the [[Gospel of Matthew]] and [[Acts of the Apostles]]). * [[Jude the Apostle|Jude Thaddeus]]: buried in St. Peter's Basilica under the St. Joseph altar with St. Simon the Zealot; two bones (relics) located at [[National Shrine of Saint Jude (United States)|National Shrine of St. Jude]] in [[Chicago]]; other relics claimed by [[Reims Cathedral]] and [[Toulouse Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-jude-thaddeus-and-st-simon-the-zealot-apostles-541|title=St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Simon the Zealot, Apostles|website=Catholic News Agency|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183105/https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-jude-thaddeus-and-st-simon-the-zealot-apostles-541|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://shrineofstjude.org/learn/catholic-history/what-is-a-relic/|title=What is a relic? | The National Shrine of Saint Jude|date=3 November 2018|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183107/https://shrineofstjude.org/learn/catholic-history/what-is-a-relic/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saintsinrome.com/2013/08/region-3-st-peters-basilica.html|title=Region #3: St Peter's Basilica|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183109/http://www.saintsinrome.com/2013/08/region-3-st-peters-basilica.html|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]]: buried in the [[Salerno Cathedral]], [[Italy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pilgrim-info.com/salerno-cathedral/|title=Salerno Cathedral and the Tomb of St. Matthew - Pilgrim-info.com|website=www.pilgrim-info.com|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930092046/https://www.pilgrim-info.com/salerno-cathedral/}}</ref> * [[Saint Matthias|Matthias]]: buried in the [[St. Matthias' Abbey]] in [[Trier]], [[Germany]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historyhit.com/locations/st-matthias-abbey-trier/|title=St Matthias Abbey – Trier|website=History Hit|last=Bate|first=Antara|date=2021-05-19|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183107/https://www.historyhit.com/locations/st-matthias-abbey-trier/|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]]: relics located in the [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls]] in Rome; the skull located in the [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]], alongside the skull of St. Peter.<ref name="auto1">{{cite journal | last = Cuming | first = H. Syer | title = Notes on a group of reliquaries | journal = Journal of the British Archaeological Association | date = December 1870 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=UDAGAAAAQAAJ | access-date = 26 August 2022 | archive-date = 26 August 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220826005625/https://books.google.com/books?id=UDAGAAAAQAAJ | url-status = live }}</ref> * [[Saint Peter|Peter]]: buried in [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in [[Vatican City]], [[Rome]], Italy; the skull located in the [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]], alongside the skull of St. Paul.<ref name="auto1"/> * [[Philip the Apostle|Philip]]: buried in [[Santi Apostoli, Rome|the Church of the Holy Apostles]] in Rome or possibly [[Hierapolis]], modern [[Turkey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hierapolis-info.ru/tomb-of-the-apostle-st-philip-in-hierapolis.html|title=Tomb of the Apostle St.Philip in Hierapolis (Asia Minor, Turkey)|website=www.hierapolis-info.ru|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183117/https://www.hierapolis-info.ru/tomb-of-the-apostle-st-philip-in-hierapolis.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> * [[Simon the Zealot]]: buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome under the [[Saint Joseph|St. Joseph]] altar with St. Jude.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saintsinrome.com/2013/08/sts-simon-and-jude.html|title=Sts Simon and Jude|access-date=20 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183107/http://www.saintsinrome.com/2013/08/sts-simon-and-jude.html|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]]: buried in the [[San Thome Basilica]] in [[Chennai]], [[India]] or in the [[Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle, Ortona|Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle]] in [[Ortona]], [[Italy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stthomasmount.org/115-relics-of-apostles-saints/|title=115 Relics of Apostles & Saints|publisher=St. Thomas Mount National Shrine|url-status=dead|archive-date=2022-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220183107/https://stthomasmount.org/115-relics-of-apostles-saints/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/relics-of-the-apostle-st-thomas|title=Relics of the Apostle St. Thomas|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=26 August 2022|archive-date=13 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813114542/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/relics-of-the-apostle-st-thomas|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Legacy== By the [[Christianity in the 2nd century|2nd century AD]], association with the apostles was esteemed as an evidence of authority. Churches that are believed to have been founded by one of the apostles are known as [[apostolic see]]s.<ref name="ODCC self" />
Paul's epistles were accepted as [[Development of the New Testament canon|scripture]], and two of the four [[Biblical canon|canonical]] gospels were associated with apostles, as were other [[New Testament]] works. Various Christian texts, such as the ''[[Didache]]'' and the ''[[Apostolic Constitutions]]'', were attributed to the apostles.<ref name="ODCC self" /> The [[Apostles' Creed]], popular in the [[Western Christianity|West]], was alleged to have been composed by the apostles themselves.
[[Bishops]] traced their lines of succession back to individual apostles, who were said to have dispersed from Jerusalem and [[Early centers of Christianity|established churches]] across great territories. Christian bishops have traditionally claimed authority deriving, by [[apostolic succession]], from the Twelve Apostles.<ref name="ODCC self" />
Early [[Church Fathers]] who came to be associated with apostles – such as [[Pope Clement I]] with [[St. Peter]] – are referred to as the [[Apostolic Fathers]].
==See also== * [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)]] * [[Apostles' Fast]] * [[Companions of the Prophet]] * [[Council of Jerusalem]] * [[Council of Twelve Apostles]] * [[Disciples of Jesus in Islam]] * [[Dispersion of the Apostles]] * [[Equal-to-apostles]]
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== ===Citations=== {{reflist}}
===Sources=== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Boring |first=M. Eugene |title=Mark: A Commentary |publisher=Presbyterian Publishing Corp |year=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zmP5-Jp8VzsC |isbn=978-0-664-22107-2 }} * {{Cite book |last=Burkett |first=Delbert |title=An introduction to the New Testament and the origins of Christianity |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcsQknxV-xQC |isbn=978-0-521-00720-7 |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416082409/https://books.google.com/books/about/An_Introduction_to_the_New_Testament_and.html?id=EcsQknxV-xQC |archive-date=16 April 2019 }} * {{Citation | editor-last =Dunn | editor-first =James D. G. | year =2003 | title =The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul | publisher =Cambridge University Press | location =Cambridge | isbn =0-521-78155-8 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=TNXPGiKx-mkC }} * {{Cite book |last=Harrington |first=Daniel J. |year=1991 |title=The Gospel of Matthew |publisher=Liturgical Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bNf13S3k2w0C&q=Harrington+commentary+mark |isbn=978-0814658031 }} * {{Cite book |last=Ehrman |first=Bart D. |author-link=Bart D Ehrman |title=Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0195182491 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=URdACxKubDIC&pg=PA235 }} * {{Cite book |title=Understanding the Bible |last=Harris |first=Stephen L. |year=2006 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |edition=7th |isbn=978-0-07-296548-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAsoAAAACAAJ |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118034441/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAsoAAAACAAJ |archive-date=18 November 2018 }} * {{Cite book |last=Nolland |first=John |title=The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text |publisher=Eerdmans |year=2005 }} * {{Cite book |last=Perkins |first=Pheme |author-link=Pheme Perkins |editor1-last=Barton |editor1-first=John |title=The Cambridge companion to biblical interpretation |chapter=The Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles: Telling the Christian Story |year=1998 |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSHCRgS_SAUC |isbn=978-0-521-48593-7 }} * {{Cite book |last=Perkins |first=Pheme |title=Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lMUZhdgmOR8C |year=2009 |publisher=Eerdmans |isbn=978-0-8028-6553-3 |access-date=27 August 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204021050/https://books.google.com/books?id=lMUZhdgmOR8C |url-status=live }} * {{Cite book |last=Reddish |first=Mitchell |title=An Introduction to The Gospels |year=2011 |publisher=Abingdon Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hliGUOv18cQC |isbn=978-1426750083 |access-date=27 August 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204021134/https://books.google.com/books?id=hliGUOv18cQC |url-status=live }} * {{Cite book |last=Sanders |first=E.P. |title=The Historical Figure of Jesus |publisher=Penguin UK |year=1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lkbTL36ZgPIC&q=The+Historical+Figure+of+Jesus,+Sanders, |isbn=978-0141928227 |access-date=15 October 2020 |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229221827/https://books.google.com/books?id=lkbTL36ZgPIC&q=The+Historical+Figure+of+Jesus,+Sanders,#v=snippet&q=The%20Historical%20Figure%20of%20Jesus%2C%20Sanders%2C&f=false |url-status=live }} * {{Cite book |last1=Theissen |first1=Gerd |last2=Merz |first2=Annette |title=The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide |publisher=Eerdmans |year=1998 |orig-year=1996 |translator-last=Bowden |translator-first=John }} {{refend}}
==Further reading== {{columns-list| * ''The Navarre Bible.'' (RSV, Catholic Edition), Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1999. * [[William F. Albright|Albright, W.F.]] and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." ''[[The Anchor Bible Series]].'' New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971. * [[Pope Benedict XVI]], ''The Apostles.'' Full title is ''The Origins of the Church – The Apostles and Their Co-Workers''. published 2007, in the US: {{ISBN|978-1-59276-405-1}}; different edition published in the UK under the title: ''Christ and His Church – Seeing the face of Jesus in the Church of the Apostles'', {{ISBN|978-1-86082-441-8}}. * Carson, D.A. "The Limits of Functional Equivalence in Bible Translation – and other Limits Too." in ''The Challenge of Bible Translation: Communicating God's Word to the World.'' edited by Glen G Scorgie, Mark L. Strauss, Steven M. Voth. * Carter, Warren. "Matthew 4:18–22 and Matthean Discipleship: An Audience-Oriented Perspective." ''Catholic Bible Quarterly.'' Vol. 59. No. 1. 1997. * Clarke, Howard W. ''The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel.'' Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003. * "Fishers of Men." ''A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature.'' David Lyle Jeffrey, general editor. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992. * France, R.T. ''The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.'' Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985. * Karrer, Martin. "Apostle, Apostolate." In ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity'', edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 107–08. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999. {{ISBN|0-8028-2413-7}} *{{cite book|chapter=[[s:A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/XXXI. Jesus chooses and sends forth His Apostles|Chapter XXXI. Jesus chooses and sends forth His Apostles]]|title=A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture|year=1910|publisher=B. Herder|first=Friedrich Justus|last=Knecht}} * Mack, Burton L., ''The Lost Gospel – The Book of Q & Christian Origins''. HarperCollins 1994. * Manek, Jindrich. "Fishers of Men." ''Novum Testamentum.'' 1958, p. 138. * [[Eduard Schweizer|Schweizer, Eduard]]. ''The Good News According to Matthew.'' Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975. * Wuellner, Wilhelm H. ''The Meaning of "Fishers of Men"''. Westminster Press, 1967.
}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Apostles}} {{Wikiquote|Apostles}} * {{Wikisource-inline|list= ** {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Apostle|short=x|noicon=x}} ** {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Apostle|volume=2|pages=196–99|short=x|noicon=x}} ** {{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Apostles|short=x|noicon=x}} ** {{Cite CE1913|last=Coppieters|first=Honoré-Joseph|wstitle=Apostles|short=x|noicon=x}} ** {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Apostle|year=1905|short=x|noicon=x}} ** {{Cite EBD|wstitle=Apostle|short=x|noicon=x}} }}
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