The Twelve Apostles
Meet the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus to be His apostles and spread the Gospel.
The Chosen Twelve
Jesus chose twelve men to be His closest disciples and apostles. They were with Him throughout His earthly ministry and were commissioned to spread the Gospel to all nations.
1. Simon Peter
A fisherman, became the leader of the apostles
Also called: Cephas, meaning "rock"
2. Andrew
Peter's brother, also a fisherman
First called by Jesus, brought Peter to Christ
3. James (son of Zebedee)
One of the "Sons of Thunder"
First apostle to be martyred
4. John
James's brother, "the disciple whom Jesus loved"
Wrote Gospel of John, 3 epistles, and Revelation
5. Philip
Brought Nathanael to Jesus
From Bethsaida, same town as Peter and Andrew
6. Bartholomew (Nathanael)
Called "a true Israelite"
Jesus said he had no deceit
7. Matthew (Levi)
Former tax collector, wrote the Gospel of Matthew
Left everything to follow Jesus
8. Thomas
"Doubting Thomas" who believed after seeing
Also called Didymus, meaning "twin"
9. James (son of Alphaeus)
Also called "James the Less"
Distinguished from James, son of Zebedee
10. Thaddaeus (Judas, son of James)
Also known as Lebbaeus
Asked Jesus a question at the Last Supper
11. Simon the Zealot
Member of the Zealot party
Known for his zeal for Jewish law
12. Judas Iscariot
Betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
Later replaced by Matthias (Acts 1:26)
The Great Commission:
After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned the apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)