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The Twelve Apostles ('''', ''apostolos'') were men who, according to the had an office known as apostle (שליח)". In Islam, the Qur'an called The Twelve Apostles "الحواريون". The s." ( NASB ), 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 (Miller 26). Their carrying of just a staff (Matthew and Luke say not even a staff) is sometimes given as the reason for the use by Christian Bishop s of a Staff Of Office , in those denominations that believe they maintain an Apostolic Succession . Later in the Gospel narratives the Twelve Apostles are described as 's ''A Marginal Jew'' , suggesting a more Metropolitan background. That the Twelve Apostles and others closest to Jesus were all Jewish Christians is clearly implied by Jesus’ statement that his mission is directed only to those of the house of Israel () and by the fact that only after the death of Jesus did the apostles agree with Paul that the teaching of the gospel could be extended to Uncircumcised Gentiles (, , , ). THE TWELVE APOSTLES According to the list occurring in each Synoptic Gospels (, , ), the Twelve chosen by Jesus near the beginning of his ministry, those whom ''also He named Apostles'', were: # were written first) Cephas (Aram.) by Paul Of Tarsus and Simon Peter, a fisherman from Bethsaida "of Galilee" (John 1:44; cf. 12:21) #, and also the First-Called Apostle # James and #, called by Jesus '' Boanerges '' (an Aramaic name explained in Mk 3:17 as "Sons of Thunder") # Philip : from Bethsaida "of Galilee" (John 1:44, 12:21) # of John 1:45-1:51. #'' = ''twin'', and Greek ''Didymous'' = ''twin'' #. Sometimes also identified with James The Just Catholic Encyclopedia: The Brethern of the Lord : "His the brother of the Lord identity with James the Less (Mark 15:40) and the Apostle James, the son of Alpheus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18), although contested by many Protestant critics, may also be considered as certain." # #", some identify with Simeon Of Jerusalem , which others dispute on the grounds that Simeon was described at the time of Jesus' birth some thirty years before, as an old man not far from death. Catholic Encyclopedia: The Brethren of the Lord : "Some identify him of Jerusalem with the Apostle Simon the Cananean (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18) or the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)." #. #The identity of the other apostle of the twelve, traditionally called ). The Gospel Of John , unlike the Synoptic Gospels, does not offer a formal list of apostles, but does refer to the ''Twelve'' in , , and . The following ten apostles are identified by name:
The individual that the Gospel of John names as Nathanael is traditionally identified as the same person that the Synoptic Gospels call Bartholomew, and most would agree that the ''sons of Zebedee'' is likely to be a reference to James The Great and John, while ''Judas (not Iscariot)'' probably refers to Thaddaeus, also known as St. Jude. Noticeably missing from the Gospel of John are James, Son Of Alphaeus , Matthew, and Simon the Canaanite/Zealot. James The Just was, according to the Book Of Acts , the leader of the Jerusalem Church , and Matthew is noticeably the most Jewish of the Gospels, and it may be the case that the Author Of John deliberately left out these two figures for a motive opposed to Jewish Christianity . By the second century, the presence of two Simons in the list of the Synoptic Gospels allowed a case to be made for Simon Magus being the other of the Simons, and hence one of the twelve apostles; and it may have been for this reason that John left the other Simon out. The second Simon may also have been Simeon Of Jerusalem , the second leader of the Jerusalem church, after James. Recruitment See Also: Mark 1#Calling of the four disciples Mark 2#Calling of Levi Mark 3#Choosing of the Twelve Apostles 's '' Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew'']] The three Synoptic Gospels record the circumstances in which some of the disciples were recruited, Matthew only describing the recruitment of Simon & Andrew and James & John. All three Synoptic Gospels state that these four were recruited fairly soon after Jesus returned from Being Tempted By The Devil . Simon and Andrew are, according to Matthew, the first two Apostles to be appointed, and Matthew identifies them as Fishermen . Mark does not identify Simon as also being called Peter until a long time after Simon is introduced in the narrative, but Matthew immediately makes the connection as soon as he is first mentioned. This has the effect of changing the later passage where Jesus names Simon as Peter from one where Jesus bestows the name onto Simon into one where Jesus merely starts using a long held nickname. Both Andrew and Peter are names of Greek origins, which France sees as a reflection on the multicultural nature of Galilee at this time, although evidence exists that ''Andrew'' was used by Jews as a name since at least 169 BC in the early period of Hellenic influence. (It is also notable that Peter is identified by Paul in his letters as ''Cephas'', which is the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek ''Peter'', both words meaning "rock"). ''Simon'' however is the Greek form of the Hebrew name ''Shimeon'', a common Jewish name found referring to several other individuals in contemporary works such as Josephus as well as in the Old Testament . Despite Jesus only briefly requesting that they join him, the two are described as immediately consenting, and abandoning their nets to do so. Traditionally the immediacy of their consent was viewed as an example of divine power, although this statement isn't made in the text itself. The alternative and much more ordinary solution is that Jesus was simply friends with the individuals beforehand, as implied by the Gospel of John, which states that Andrew and an unnamed other had been a disciple of John The Baptist , and started following Jesus as soon as Jesus Had Been Baptized . As a Carpenter (Mark 6:3), it is eminently plausible for Jesus to have been employed to build and repair fishing vessels, thus having many opportunities to interact with and befriend such fishermen. Albright and Mann extrapolate from Simon and Andrew abandonment's of their nets, that Matthew is emphasizing the importance of renunciation by converting to Christianity, since fishing was profitable, though required large start-up costs, and abandoning everything would have been an important sacrifice. Regardless, Simon and Andrew's abandonment of what were effectively their most important worldly possessions was taken as a model by later Christian Ascetics . Matthew describes Jesus meeting James and John, also fishermen and brothers, very shortly after recruiting Simon and Andrew. While Matthew identifies James and John as sons of Zebedee , who is also present in their ship, Mark makes no such proclamation (Mark does in Mark 1:19). Luke adds to Matthew and Mark 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. 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 ship they abandon behind them), and Carter feels this should be interpreted to mean that Matthew's view of Jesus is one of a figure rejecting the traditional patriarchal structure of society, where the father had command over his children; most scholars, however, just interpret it to mean that Matthew intended these two to be seen as even more devoted than the other pair. The synoptics go on to describe that much later, after Jesus had later begun , but sinners'' (Mark 2:17). FISHERS OF MEN 's ''Fishers of Men''. Oil on panel ( 1614 )]] The phrase ''fishers of men'', used both in Mark and Matthew, is how Jesus is presented as describing the role he is offering to the men he recruits. Christians have frequently moved the reference from the disciples to Jesus, calling him the ''fisher of men'', and the image of Jesus as a fisherman has become second only to that of Jesus as a Shepherd . This image probably went some way towards the reason for the adoption of the Ichthys symbol as the main representative of Christianity, in early times. This is one of more famous quotes in the New Testament, and it has appeared a number of times in art and culture, such as in literary works like Chaucer 's " Summoner's Tale ", Byron 's '' Don Juan '', Tennyson 's ''Harold'', Joyce 's '' A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man '', and G.K. Chesterton 's "The Innocence of Father Brown." The fullness of what the phrase means is a matter of some serious debate, even among different Christian groups. It has a strong resonance amongst Evangelical Groups , who view it as a metaphor for Evangelism , and the most important such metaphor. It has an even deeper significance for Catholic Christians, who view it not only as a great evangelical call, but also as one of many scripture passages that support the "Primacy of Peter" as a great sign of unity among the Church ( Christ's body ), and the teaching that the popes throughout the ages are the successors of "The Chair (or office) of Peter", as Christ's prime earthly shepherds through the ages, after his ascension into heaven. The institution by Jesus of "The Twelve" apostles is also seen by Catholics as a reference to the universality of the Church, that was prefigured (begun) in "The Twelve Tribes of Israel" in the Old Testament. Those successors of "The Twelve" apostles (the bishops), in union with the successors of Peter (the pope), are collectively called the "magisterium of the Church" - the official, authoritative teaching office established by Christ Himself . (For a more complete explanation of exactly what the magisterium officially teaches, see "The Catechism of the Catholic Church" , or the more condensed, easier to read, but still authoritative "Compendium of the Catechism" .) The biblical references to "The Twelve" as "fishers of men", especially the image of Peter's sole role of pulling the net full of "153 large fish" onto the shore (where Christ was ironically already feasting! John 21 ) without tearing the net, when all the apostles present couldn't lift the net into the boat just moments earlier, portray and confirm, among faithful Catholics, the Church's teaching on "papal infallibility" - that Christ's "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic" Church is divinely guided and protected from teaching error, so that all who desire to know his teachings (''including'' His written, inspired word, the bible, but ''not exclusively'', as in the Protestant belief in "Sola Scriptura", the bible alone ) may have that opportunity. Some scholars question whether the metaphor has a universal meaning at all, postulating that instead it is simply a phrase tailored to fit people who fish - that if Jesus had met a teacher he would have asked them to teach for him, if Jesus had seen a bus driver, he'd have asked her to drive a bus for him, and if he had met a soldier he would have asked him to do battle for him. The exact methodology implied by the phrase is generally disputed, particularly by Evangelical groups. A similar reference to fishing occurs in the , the depths of the sea are portrayed as synonymous with the underworld, hence in Manek's view the act of fishing is a metaphor for bringing people from the domain of sin and death to one of God. The water reference might also be linked to the idea of Baptism , which towards the end of Matthew is explicitly linked to the disciples' mission. THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES Paul of Tarsus ]]In his writings, ) Paul, despite his self-designation as an Apostle, considered himself inferior to the other Apostles because he had persecuted Christ's followers (1 Corinthians 15:9). Many historians maintain that Paul and Peter certainly disagreed on the extent of Paul's authority as an Apostle, with Peter maintaining Paul was not one of those chosen by Jesus, or by him chosen after his death. See also Pauline Christianity and Jewish Christians . Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church consider Paul an Apostle; they honor Paul and Peter together on June 29 . Paul sometimes replaces Matthias in classical depictions of "The Twelve Apostles," although he has also been called the "Thirteenth Apostle" because he was not a member of the original Twelve (unlike the replacement Matthias) but is still considered an apostle. OTHER APOSTLES Matthias After Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ and then in guilt committed suicide before Christ's and the day of Pentecost , the remaining apostles elected a twelfth apostle by Casting Lots , a traditional Jewish way to determine the Will of God. The lot fell upon Matthias , who then became the last of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament . This is one of several verses used by the Roman Catholic church to defend its teaching of Apostolic Succession . Jesus Himself The writer of the . Barnabas In ''Acts'' 14:14, the missionary Barnabas is referred to as an apostle. James the Just James is usually identified as a brother of Jesus (see , and he is referred to as an apostle by Paul in Galatians 1:19. Andronicus and Junia See Also: Junia In Paul states that Andronicus and Junia were "of note among the apostles". There are two interesting questions here. First, was Junia female? Second, there is the question of whether the phrase means they were well-known to the apostles, or were apostles themselves. Taken together, these raise the possibility of a female apostle, which may be An Example Of Gender Neutrality In The Early Church .(See Crossan, J. D. and Reed, J. L., In Search of Paul, HarperSanFrancisco, 2004, pp 115-116, ISBN 0-06-051457-4.) For more detail on this issue, see the '' Junia '' article. Constantine the Great See Also: Constantine I and Christianity The Emperor ," the "Equal of the apostles." The Latin church, on the contrary, has never placed him among the saints, but has been content with naming him "the Great," in remembrance of his services to the cause of Christianity and civilization. Comp the Acta Sact. ad 21 Maii, p. 13 sq. Niebuhr remarks: "When certain oriental writers call Constantine `equal to the Apostles,’ they do not know what they are saying; and to speak of him as a ’saint’ is a profanation of the word." In the Russian Orthodox Church, saints prince Vladimir and princess Olga of Kiev, as well as saints Cyrill and Methodius in both the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, are also called "equal to the Apostles". TWELVE APOSTLES OF CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF MORMON According to the had the responsibility of caring for the Church in the Americas . Their names, according to 3 Nephi, chapter 19 verse 4, were Nephi, Timothy, Jonas, Mathoni, Mathonihah, Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zedekiah, and Isaiah. According to the book, nine of the twelve died of old age, with three (an unidentified subset of the twelve, who would become to be known as "the Three Nephites ") remained on the Earth, as did John The Revelator , without "tasting death," to await the Second Coming of Jesus. That is, they were Translated from mortal to a state of immortality. However, when Jesus comes again, they will be changed yet again, becoming immortal without dying. UNITY SCHOOL OF CHRISTIANITY/THE TWELVE POWERS OF MAN The in 1957 , explains the twelve-power connections with the disciples along with full-page paintings of each of them, and others in Jesus's life. APOSTLES TODAY In the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, bishops are seen as the successors to the Apostles. See Apostolic Succession . Many Charismatic churches consider apostleship to be a gift of the Holy Spirit still given today (based on 1 Corinthians 12:28, and Ephesians 4:11). The gift is associated with church leadership, governing, delegation and church planting. The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church"; see also Mormon ) believes that the authority of the original twelve apostles is a distinguishing characteristic of the true church established by Jesus. For this reason, it ordains Apostles as members of its Quorum Of The Twelve Apostles , second in authority to the church's First Presidency which is led by the senior Apostle similar to Peter leading the twelve disciples. The Community Of Christ also has apostles, forming the Council of Twelve, who preside over the missionary efforts of the Church. In terms of church government, they are second only in authority to the First Presidency, whose members are often former members of the Council of Twelve (but this is not a requirement). The current president of the Church, Stephen M. Veazey, was himself a member of the Council of Twelve (and in fact it's president), just prior to becoming President of the Church. According to church law, the Council of Twelve Apostles, under specific circumstances, is equal in authority to the First Presidency. The ; from which the New Apostolic Church split off. Other examples include the United Apostolic Church . LATER CHRISTIANIZING APOSTLES A number of successful pioneering Missionaries are known as ''Apostles''. In this sense, in the traditional list below, the ''apostle'' first brought Christianity (or Arianism in the case of Ulfilas and the Goths) to a land. Or it may apply to the truly influential Christianizer , such as Patrick's mission to Ireland, where a few struggling Christian communities did already exist. The reader will soon think of more of the Culture Hero es.
Some Eastern Orthodox Saint s are given the title specific to the Eastern rites " Equal-to-the-apostles ", see Isapostolos Cosmas Of Aetolia . The Myrrh-bearing Women , who went to anoint Christ's body and first learned of his resurrection, are sometimes called the "apostles to the apostles" because they were sent by Jesus to tell the apostles of his resurrection. GREEK ETYMOLOGY The word apostle comes from the Greek word '''' (apostolos). The Friberg Greek Lexicon gives a broad definition as one who is sent on a mission, a commissioned representative of a congregation, a messenger for God, a person who has the special task of founding and establishing churches. The UBS Greek Dictionary also describes an apostle broadly as a messenger. The Louw-Nida Lexicon gives a very narrow definition of a special messenger, generally restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus, or extended to some others like Paul or other Early Christians active in proclaiming the Gospel. In summary then, the word apostle has two meanings, the broader meaning of a messenger and the narrow meaning of an early apostle, which is restricted to those directly linked to Jesus Christ. The more general meaning of the word is translated into Latin as 'missio', and from this word we get the English word 'missionary'. In more recent times however, the word apostle has mostly fallen out of use in the general sense. In some parts of the church the world and among certain groups, it is urged that the word apostle should only be used to refer to The Twelve Apostles and Paul, or only those and certain other historic figures. In these settings it can cause great offence to refer to oneself or another modern figure as an apostle; terms which avoid controversy include 'missionary', 'envoy', 'delegate', 'messenger' and 'church planter'. Some churches which use the word apostle for modern men recognize this dilemma and so call contemporary church leaders apostles with a small "a" reserving the capital "A" for the 12 Apostles. SEE ALSO
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