Bios of Apostles
biblecross

 

The Apostles

The 12 Apostles were chosen from among the disciples of Christ to fulfill a mission. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus initially sent the twelve out in pairs to different towns in Galilee for the purpose of healing the sick, driving out demons and, according to the Gospel of Matthew, raising the dead. Upon being sent, they were told to take nothing with them. Later in the Gospel narratives, the Apostles are described as having been commissioned to preach the Gospel to all the world, whether Jew or Gentile.

Generally, the 12 Apostles are portrayed as Galileans, which would make them Jews; but only ten of their names are Aramaic, the other four being Greek, suggesting a more varied background.

According to the list occurring in each of the synoptic Gospels, the 12 chosen by Jesus near the beginning of his ministry were:

  1. Simon, called Peter; who was also known as Simon bar Jonah and Simon bar Jochanan. Paul of Tarsus refers to him as Cephas in his writings.
  2. Andrew, brother of Peter; the first Apostle to be called.
  3. James (the Great), a son of Zebedee and brother of John.
  4. John, a son of Zebedee and brother of James.
  5. Philip, from Bethsaida of Galilee.
  6. Bartholomew, who was sometimes called bar Talemai.
  7. Thomas, also known as Judas Thomas Didymus.
  8. James (the Less), the son of Alphaeus; who some believe to be the same as James the Just.
  9. Matthew, who some identify with Levi, son of Alphaeus.
  10. Simon, the Canaanite; called Simon the Zealot by Luke.
  11. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
  12. Thaddaeus, according to Matthew and Mark; although Luke refers to him as Judas, son of James (brother of James, according to the KJV).

After the suicide of Judas Iscariot, he was replaced by Matthias, but his selection as an Apostle is about all we know about him. Then, of course, there is Paul of Tarsus, who often referred to himself as an Apostle, appointed by the resurrected Jesus while on the road to Damascus, a claim that he defended in his epistles. Peter, James, and John accepted him as an Apostle to the Gentiles.

Not much is known of some of the Apostles, but those who have had books written about them will be included here.

Andrew -- Bartholomew -- James -- John -- Judas -- Jude -- Matthias -- Paul -- Peter -- Philip -- Thomas

 
 

The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary (Paperback), by Bernard Ruffin
C. Bernard Ruffin has collected information from dozens of sources and hundreds of books, weaving together Scripture, tradition, and historical documents to recreate and outline the lives of Christ's closest followers. Paperback.

 
 

The Search for the Twelve Apostles (Mass Market Paperback), by William S. McBirnie
What really happened to the men who knew and worked with Jesus? How did they turn the world upside down? Where did they go and what did they do? Through traveling to the places they once knew, studying the Scriptures, traditions, and through research, McBirnie has uncovered the untold histories of Christ's apostles. Paperback.

 
 

Twelve Ordinary Men (Hardcover), by John MacArthur
Jesus chose ordinary men - fisherman, tax collectors, political zealots - and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from utter uselessness. MacArthur draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original twelve disciples for today's modern disciple - you. Hardcover.

 
 

All the Apostles of the Bible (All) (Paperback), by Dr. Herbert Lockyer
All the Apostles of the Bible sheds light on the lives, times, and ministries of the men God chose to declare his message to the world. It includes the twelve apostles of Jesus, Jesus himself as the “Chief Apostle,” Paul, and lesser-known men such as James the Lord’s brother, Matthias, Andronicus, Barnabas, Epaphroditus, Silas, Timothy, Junias, and Apollos. Dr. Herbert Lockyer examines the biblical record to uncover fascinating truths about each apostle’s family, character, personality, ministry, the unique aspect of his service to God, and his call into the ministry. Paperback.

 
 

The Gospel According to the Apostles (Paperback), by John MacArthur
Ever since the days of the apostles Paul and James, Christians have struggled to define the proper tension between faith and works. Salvation, Paul stresses is "not by works, so that no one can boast" But James argues, "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works". Dr. MacArthur reconciles these two seemingly divergent threads of biblical truth, taking on the difficult questions head on: What is cheap grace? Have some Christians adopted a "no-lordship" theology? What must a person do to be considered righteous by God? Do our works have any affect on our salvation? Paperback.

 
 

The Apostles: Becoming Unified Through Diversity (Men of Character) (Paperback), by Gene A. Getz
Dr. Gene Getz examine the lives and roles of each of the Apostles: what they shared, how they differed, where they stumbled, and how Christ transformed them into powerful servants of God. Paperback.

 
 

Jesus After 2000 Years: What He Really Said and Did (Hardcover), by Gerd Ludemann
Gerd Ludemann shows in this analysis of early Christian documents that the tools of historical research can succeed in reaching at least a close approximation of some of the original words and deeds of Jesus. The author first establishes the criteria by which the alleged words and actions of Jesus can be judged authentic or inauthentic, and then examines every text about Jesus from the first two centuries. Hardcover.

 
 

The Acts Of The Apostles: What Really Happened In The Earliest Days Of The Church (Hardcover), by Gerd Ludemann
Although many books have been published on the Acts of the Apostles, Lüdemann’s work is unique in its emphasis on establishing reliable historical facts. Other scholars have delved into Acts to discover the author’s theology and the purpose of his writing. By contrast, Lüdemann examines each individual section of Acts to detect whatever tradition may lie behind it. Where possible, he offers a reasoned judgment on the historical value of every event and action described in this early Christian text. For everyone with a desire to know what really happened in the earliest days of the Christian church, this volume is indispensable. Hardcover.

 
 

Lives of the Twelve Apostles with Explanatory Notes (Paperback), by F. W. P. Greenwood
1828. Though the sacred writings themselves are the only sources of knowledge on this subject to which we may give implicit credence, yet from early documents we may obtain some narratives of the latter days of the apostles which are worthy of a good degree of faith. Making use of such authorities as are within the reach of the authors, they proceed to give some account of the twelve disciples of our Lord; pursuing the order in which they are arranged by Matthew, only because his catalog is the first which occurs in the common collocation of the gospel histories. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty, faded or difficult to read. Paperback.

 
 

Apostles And Bishops In Early Christianity (Nibley, Hugh, Works. V. 15.) (Hardcover), by Hugh Nibley
Nibley's emphasis in the first part of this work is upon the distinct and separate nature of the offices of Apostle and Bishop in the primitive Christian Church. Catholics, of course, claim that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, while Orthodox Christians claim he was the first bishop of Antioch. Nibley traces the complex and tortuous history of the office of bishop in the early church, and the contemporaneous disappearance of the office of apostle. The second part of the book presents a history of the office of bishop in the Church in Rome, and the subsequent rise of the papacy. Hardcover.

 
 

12 Who Changed the World (Paperback), by Morris Inch
Everyone is fascinated by the lives of the twelve apostles. Who were they? What happened to them? Where did they go? How did their missions change the world? This book looks at their lives, genealogy, culture, personalities, and ministry, with a special emphasis on evangelism and their Great Commission. It also includes interesting sidebar material on legends and myths associated with each apostle, and a handy reference list after each chapter leading the reader directly to the Bible for more information. Paperback.

 
 

The apostles. (Paperback), by Michigan Historical Reprint Series
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. Paperback.