THE 12

APOSTLES
Prepared by: Prof. Roi Gatbonton
 THE TWELVE
APOSTLES:
1. Simon who is called Peter 7. Thomas
2. Andrew 8. Matthew
3. James the son of Zebedee, 9. James the son of
Alphaeus
4. John 10. Thaddaeus
5. Philip 11. Simon the Zealot
6. Bartholomew 12. Judas Iscariot
 Peter (Simon)
- Peter Also known as Simon, Simon Peter (Rock)
- Jesus gives Simon the name Peter (from the Aramaic
word, meaning rock).
- A fisherman
- Brother of Andrew
- He is part of Jesus’ “inner three” (PETER, JAMES
and JOHN)
 Peter (Simon)
- Peter and Andrew were early followers of John
the Baptist.
It was Andrew who first introduced his older
brother Peter to Jesus.
- Once Peter was introduced to Jesus they left
John and became followers of Christ.
- Peter was a natural leader, and an obvious
 Peter (Simon)
- He was the older of the two brothers and
the only married disciple.
- Peter is well known for denying Christ
three times after Christ was arrested.
- First to see the empty tomb: Peter was
the first apostle to visit Jesus' empty tomb.
 Peter (Simon)
-The Catholic Church believes Peter was the first pope.
- Matthew 16:18: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it"
- After his arrest he requested to be crucified with his head
down.
- He didn’t believe he was worthy to be crucified in the
same manner as his Lord.
- He died a martyr’s death in Rome during the reign of
 Andrew
-An early disciple of John the Baptist
- A Fishermen
- He witnessed John refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God.”
-Lamb of God ( God gave his son to be killed like a lamb
for our sins so we could live forever.”
-Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and
introduced him to his brother.
 Andrew
- Andrew was the first to follow Jesus.
- Andrew died a martyr’s death.
-He faced crucifixion with boldness and courage.
-Andrew is only mentioned 12 times in the
gospels, mostly in lists of Jesus' disciples.
 James the son of Zebedee,
(James the Greater)
- Zebedee was a man of affluence. He was able to hire
enough servants to help with his fishing business.
- A Fishermen
- James is the elder(kuya) brother of John.
- James and John were both known for being men of
intense passion
- Jesus nicknamed them the Sons of Thunder. (Mark 3:17)
 James the son of Zebedee,
(James the Greater)
-He is a rather quiet part of the team of disciples.
- He is part of Jesus’ “inner three” (PETER, JAMES and JOHN)
- He was permitted to be present along with Peter and John when
Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37),
- He witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration on the Mount of Olives
(Matthew 17:1)
-James was the first disciple to be martyred (he was beheaded).
 John
- John is named as “the beloved disciple”, “disciple Jesus
loved,”
- He was also a part of the inner three.
- He wrote a large portion of the New Testament—The
book of John, 1, 2, and 3 John, and the book of Revelation.
- He wrote more about love than any other New Testament
author.
 John
- Generally listed as the youngest apostle.
- His close proximity to Jesus taught him much
about love.
- John seated next to Jesus at the Last Supper
- and was the only disciple present at the
crucifixion of Jesus.
 John
- He was exiled to the island of Patmos
- John was allowed to return to his town
Ephesus where he governed churches in Asia.
- John the Apostle died of natural causes in
Ephesus, Turkey.
- The only one who did not die as a martyr.
 John
- John 3:16 is a Bible verse that summarizes a central Christian
doctrine:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life".
“Sapagkat gayon na lamang ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa
sangkatauhan, kaya't ibinigay niya ang kanyang kaisa-isang
Anak, upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kanya ay hindi
mapahamak, kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.
 Philip
- Philip was from the fishing town of Bethsaida on the Sea of
Galilee.
- He was also a follower of John the Baptist
-He convinced Nathanael (Bartolomew) to join Jesus' disciples.
-Helps to distribute the miraculous bread and fish to the
multitude that Jesus fed. ( 5000 men ,5 loaves of bread & 2
fish )
- Referred with “ loaves of bread. “
 Philip
- The one who asked Jesus to show him the
Father during the Last Supper.
“ Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have
been among you such a long time? Anyone who
has seen me has seen the Father.
-Philip was stoned and crucified upside down by
the Romans.
 Nathaniel (Bartholomew)
- Nathaniel Also known as Bartholomew
-Nathanael came from Cana in Galilee.
- Jesus knew him even before they had met for the first time.
-Nathanael have preached in India and translated the book
of Matthew into their language.
-He was beaten, crucified, and beheaded for converting the
king of Armenia to Christianity.
 Thomas
-Usually nicknamed “Doubting Thomas,"
- Thomas is famous for having doubted the Resurrection of
Jesus
-Demand for proof
Thomas told the other disciples, "Unless I see in his hands
the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of
the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never
believe".
 Thomas
- The phrase “doubting Thomas” was coined for his
lack of faith. When Jesus showed him the wounds
-St. Thomas became the first person to explicitly
acknowledge the divinity of Jesus
-Thomas started the Christian church in India.
-St. Thomas the Apostle was martyred in India by
being stabbed with a spear.
 Matthew
-Matthew was a tax collector
-the most despised people in all of Israel.
-They were known for taking extra money from the people of
Israel to pay off the Romans and to pad their own pockets.
-As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew,
sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, Follow
Me! And he got up and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9)
 Matthew
-Matthew brought the gospel to Ethiopia
and Egypt.
-Hircanus the king had him killed with a
spear.
 Matthew
Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the
house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were
dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them,
and they were following Him.
When the scribes of the Pharisee’s saw that He was eating with the
sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, Why is he
eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, It is not those who are healthy
that need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call
the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:16)
 James the son of Alphaeus
“James the Less”
-He is the son of Alphaeu
-Except for a few details about his family, there is nothing more
mentioned about him in Scripture. Maybe this is why he is
referred to as James the Less
He sang the first mass in Jerusalem.
-Stoned to death by Jews after he proclaimed Jesus Christ as the
Messiah
-He prayed to God for those who were attacking him, saying,
“Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do”..
 Judas (Thaddeus)
- Judas. Also known as Thaddeus.
- Thaddeus traveled throughout the Middle East preaching the
Gospel.
- He did ask Jesus a question “Lord, why are you going to reveal
yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
“Christ responded by saying He would reveal Himself to anyone
who loved Him.”
- Thaddeus was clubbed to death (pinag papalo) and his head was
shattered with an ax.
 Simon the Zealot
-Simon was from Cana in Galilee and was known to Jesus and
his mother.
- He was a member of the Zealots = a Jewish group that wanted
to overthrow Roman rule and establish Jewish independence.
- Simon became a follower of Christ after witnessing the miracle
of turning water into wine at a wedding.
- Tradition says that after preaching on the west coast of Africa,
Simon went to England where he ended up being crucified.
 Judas Iscariot
-Judas son of Simon Iscariot
- The one who betrayed Jesus to the authorities in exchange for
30 pieces of silver
-During the last supper
“Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me".
When his disciples asked who it would be, Jesus said, "It is the
one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in
the dish".
 Judas Iscariot

-Judas led soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane, where

Jesus was praying, and identified Jesus with a kiss.
-Judas's betrayal led to Jesus's arrest, trial, and
crucifixion, which are known as the Passion of Christ.
These events became the foundation of the Christian
faith.
-Judas regretted his actions, returned the money, and
hanged himself.
THANK YOU!