. . . he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. (Luke 6:13-16.)
What became of Jesus' apostles after His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension? It is known through modern revelation that one - John, "the beloved," or "Son of Zebedee" - has been allowed to remain on the earth as a ministering servant until the time of the Lord's second coming.
In a few instances, the scriptures document deaths of certain of the Twelve. In most cases, however, the scriptures make no mention of what became of them; circumstances of their deaths have been left to secular or sectarian histories, or simply to tradition or legend. Following are brief accounts of the original Twelve:
Simon Peter: "His Aramaic name, Cephas, of which Peter is the Greek equivalent, was given him by the Lord. (John 1:40-42.) . . . Peter was one of the greatest of men. . . . The Lord honored Peter by selecting him to hold the keys of the kingdom on earth (Matt. 16:13-18), and it was upon the holy mount that Peter received these keys from the Savior, Moses, and Elias (Elijah). (Matt. 17:1-12.) Peter was the chief apostle of his day; and after the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Savior, it was Peter who called the Church together and acted in the office of his calling as the one who possessed the keys of the priesthood. (Acts 1:2.) It was through Peter's ministry that the gospel was first opened up to the gentiles." (Acts 10-11.) (1979 LDS edition King James Bible, dictionary, p. 749.)
"From his epistle we learn (1 Pet. 5:13) that he worked in Babylon (which may be the well-known city on the Euphrates, or more likely is a disguised name for Rome), and had as his companions Mark and Silvanus or Silas. It was under his direction that Mark wrote his Gospel. From A.D. 44 to 61 he was probably at work in Syrian towns, having Antioch as his center. It is generally believed that he suffered martyrdom at Rome, perhaps in 64 or 65." (Ibid, p. 749.)
Another reference contains this information: "There are copious traditions about Peter. . . . The First Epistle of
PopeT Clement (c. A.D. 96) provides indirect evidence of Peter's martyr death in Rome. Support for this tradition is also given by Gaius, a Roman presbyter (c. A.D. 200) quoted in Eusebius
Greek historian c. A.D. 264-340T, and by early Roman liturgical calendars, which contain statements regarding the date and place of the martyrdom. According to Eusebius, Origen (c. A.D. 200, Christian theologian and scholar) wrote that Peter was, at his own request, nailed to a cross head downwards, since he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord." (Dictionary of the Bible, James Hastings, ed.; Charles Scribner's Sons, publisher, New York, 1963, p. 754.)
Andrew: "As a disciple of John the Baptist he met Jesus and then brought Peter to meet Jesus. He was one of the earliest called to be a disciple of Christ, and was one of the Twelve." (1979 LDS edition King James Bible, dictionary, p. 608.)
"According to Eusebius,
AndrewT evangelized Scythia
an ancient region in what is now southeastern Europe, centered about the northern coast of the Black SeaT, and later tradition adds that he was crucified at Patrae." (Hastings, p. 31.)
James: He was a son of Zebedee, the brother of John, and he and his brother were given the name of Boanerges. "
JamesT was one of the inner circle of three
Peter, James and JohnT chosen to be with our Lord on certain special occasions; at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37); at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28); and at Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33.) He was beheaded by Herod." (Acts 12:2.) (1979 LDS edition King James Bible, dictionary, p. 709.)
John: A son of Zebedee, the brother of James, John was one of the "inner circle of three" chosen to be with Jesus on certain special occasions. (See above entry on James.) "In his own Gospel, he refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved' . . . (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20) and as thatother disciple.' (John 20:2-8.) From Jesus, John
along with his brother JamesT received the name Boanerges, `a son of thunder.'
Mark 3:17T. . . . There are frequent references to him in the accounts of the crucifixion and the resurrection. . . . In the Acts he appears but seldom. . . . Paul refers to his meeting with him in Jerusalem. (Gal. 2:9.) In Rev. 1:9 John tells of his banishment to Patmos. . . .
"John is mentioned frequently in latter-day revelation. . . .
Such references to himT serve to confirm and to clarify the biblical record of John and also give us a hint as to his greatness and the importance of the work the Lord has given him to do on the earth, not only in the time of the New Testament, but also in the last days. We especially have a clarification of John 21:20-23, ascertaining that John did not die, but has been allowed to remain on the earth as a ministering servant until the time of the Lord's second coming. (3 Ne. 28:6; D&C 7.)" (1979 LDS edition King James Bible, dictionary, p. 715.)
Philip: "The Snyoptic Gospels and Acts have handed down only Philip's name in the lists of the twelve apostles. . . . John (1:43) tells us that Philip was called by Jesus after Andrew and Peter, that he, like them, was of Bethsaida, and that he found Nathanael. Philip is mentioned in John 6:5,7, then in John 12:21 and 14:8. John does not sketch Philip's personal character; he is, rather, a representative well-meaning but not yet illuminated disciple. Later legend related that he had laboured in Asia Minor and was buried at Hierapolis." (Hastings, p. 763.)
Bartholomew: He is mentioned only in the lists of the twelve. (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14.) "Jerome
a monk and church scholar who lived about A.D. 340-420 and who prepared the Vulgate or Latin version of the BibleT says that Bartholomew wrote a gospel, preached to the
peoples of IndiaT, and died at Albanopolis in Armenia." (Hastings, p. 90.)
Matthew: Before his conversion, he was known as Levi, son of Alphaeus. (Mark 2:14.) "He was a tax gatherer at Capernaum, probably in the service of Herod Antipas, . . . Matthew was probably a thorough Jew with a wide knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures, and able to see in every detail of the Lord's life the fulfillment of prophecy. His Gospel was written for the use of Jewish persons in Palestine, and uses many quotations from the Old Testament. His chief object is to show that Jesus is the Messiah of whom the prophets spoke. He also emphasizes that Jesus is the King and Judge of men. His Gospel was probably written in Aramaic, but is known to us by a Greek translation. Of the apostle's later life little is known for certain. A tradition asserts that he died a martyr's death." (1979 LDS edition King James Bible, dictionary, p. 729.)
Thomas: "The Synoptic Gospels mention only his name in listing the apostles. . . . But in the Gospel of John
ThomasT plays an important role, particularly in connection with the resurrection appearances of Christ. (John 11:16; 14:5; 20:24-29; 21:4.) Probably as a result of this the importance of Thomas continued to grow in the apocryphal literature of the early Church. According to Eusebius he evangelized Parthia, while according to Jerome he went to Persia. Others ascribe to him the founding of Christianity in India. (Hastings, p. 997.)
James: This apostle is known as the son of Alphaeus, (Matt:10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) and is sometimes identified with Cleophas, mentioned in John 19:25. He is referred to as "the less" in Mark 15:40. This reference is "probably based on the account of the shortness of his stature, to distinguish him from the other Apostle James, the son of Zebedee." (Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, p. 457.) The Hastings reference notes that perhaps the description "the less" ought to read "the younger" or "the little."
Simon: In listings of the original Twelve, Simon, who is also called Zelotes (Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13), is identified as "the Canaanite." (Matt. 10:4 and Mark 3:18.) The scriptures make no mention of his life and work after the time of Jesus' mortal ministry.
Judas: Some references include the mention that this Judas is "not Iscariot." He is also called Judas son or brother of James (Luke 6:16; John 14:22; Acts 1:13); probably the same as Lebbacus or Thaddaeus. (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18.)
Judas Iscariot: "He is the only Judaean disciple
and the only one not from GalileeT, and it is inferred that he was a person of promising leadership, perhaps with rather common hope of sharing a place of importance in the coming kingdom. Though Judas seems to be an important member of the Twelve, as indicated by his being treasurer of the group (John 12:6; 13:29) and the possibility of his reclining by Jesus at the Last Supper (John 13:21-26, his name in the New Testament is always placed last in the list of the disciples. This listing was due to his betrayal of Jesus. . . .
"After the verdict of the Sanhedrin condemning Jesus to death, Judas cried out, `I have sinned in betraying innocent blood' (Matt. 27:4), threw the pieces of silver into the temple, and hanged himself." (Hastings, p. 535-536.)
