Which of the apostles is the “greatest”?
On this holiday we will especially touch upon the question of the hierarchy of veneration of the apostles by the Church. The Holy Scriptures nowhere indicate formal hierarchical differences among the apostles. On the contrary: during the Last Supper, when the apostles started a dispute about “ "(this was one of the manifestations of their human imperfection), Christ " He said to them: Kings rule over nations, and those who rule them are called benefactors, but you are not so: but whoever is the greatest among you, be like the youngest, and he who is in charge is like a servant."(Luke 22:24-26).
This is not contradicted by the stories of the evangelists that the Savior repeatedly singled out Peter, John and James, making them witnesses of the most important events: the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28), night prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of being taken into custody (Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33), etc.
Catholics (that is, Western Christians) singled out Peter from all the apostles because of their pride in the primacy of his Roman throne (the first imperial capital) in a dispute with the eastern bishops, and especially in connection with the establishment of a new capital of the Orthodox Empire in Constantinople. The Roman see inherited from Peter was supposed to give them greater authority in political and theological disputes.
Catholics establish the primacy of the department of St. the Apostle Peter in a number of places of Holy Scripture, which shows the primacy of Peter among other disciples. Not only in the general lists of the apostles is he called first, but also among the three chosen ones (Luke 8:51; Matt. 17:1; Mark 14:33, etc.). The expression “Peter and those who were with him” (Luke 9:32), which appears several times in the Gospel, also confirms his authority among other disciples. The Lord also singled out the house of Peter in a special way (Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:29-30; Luke 4:38). Christ performs a miracle to pay for Himself and Peter to pay for the temple (Matthew 17:25–27). Acts tells of his leadership role in the election of the twelfth apostle instead of Judas (Acts 1:15–26), on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–36), and other occasions.
The main thing that Catholics point out is: on behalf of the twelve apostles, it was Peter who was the first to confess Jesus as the Son of God, to which the Savior said to him the famous words: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but My Father.” , Who is in heaven; and I tell you: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. ; and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:16-19).
However, right there, when Peter humanly did not understand Christ’s words about future suffering and tried to stop Him, the Lord sharply “said to Peter: get away from me, satan ! you are a temptation to me! because you think not about the things of God, but about the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). And it was Peter, of all the apostles, who denied Christ three times. This is narrated in the same chapter where Christ in the dispute between the apostles about “ which of them should be considered greater”, asserts equality between them, he warns Peter, in fact placing him lower than others: “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you do not know Me” (Luke 22:34). On the day of His resurrection, Christ commands Mary Magdalene and the other myrrh-bearers: “Go and tell His disciples and Peter...” (Mark 16:7), that is, he separates him, the fallen, from the other disciples.
After Peter's deep repentance, Christ restored him to the apostolic rank (John 21:15–19). But all this taken together does not give any reason to consider Peter hierarchically higher in comparison with others. Even if in the above examples Peter actually had the most active role among the twelve apostles, “this was not the primacy of power, but of authority, seniority, which, moreover, belonged to him in conjunction with everyone, but not without everyone and not apart from everyone,” - Orthodox theologians note.
Of course, Orthodox theology resolutely stands on the fact that the especially respectful place of Peter among the apostles does not provide the slightest basis for asserting the primacy of the Roman see. (We can also point out that no less, but rather most of all, Christ, perhaps, singled out the Apostle John, entrusting him with the care of His Mother. “ Jesus, seeing His Mother and the disciple standing there, whom He loved, said to His Mother: Woman! behold your son. And then he says to the disciple: Behold, your Mother! And from that time on, this disciple took Her to himself" – In. 19:26-27. In addition, there was no apostasy for the Apostle John, on the icon of the Last Supper he is depicted as closest to Christ, his earthly ministry lasted the longest and it was to him that the Lord revealed the future destinies of the world in the Apocalypse.)
It was the proud and rational heritage of the mighty first Rome that became the vulnerable spot of the Western Church, which made it possible for anti-Christian forces to lead the Roman bishops (popes) into the temptation of fighting for primacy, and then for earthly political power (“knit and “decide on earth”), dragging the Christian West onto the path of apostasy - a retreat from true Christianity.
This was already noticeable in the adoption by the popes of the pagan title “Pontifex” (Pontifex Maximus - the high priest who was also in charge of the construction of bridges), which was worn by pre-Christian emperors. An expression of this imperious pride of the papacy was the illegal coronation by the pope in 800 of his own “Roman emperor” (while there was a legal one in the eastern part of the Roman Empire), and the “excommunication by Rome” of the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1054 from the desire of the pope to establish himself as the sole first hierarch . This was the real reason for the church schism of that time: power-political, not theological.
These earthly goals were also dictated by the papist distortions of the doctrine, which violated the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils (allegedly the Holy Spirit comes not only from God the Father, but also “from the Son,” the God-man; supposedly not only Jesus Christ, but also the Mother of God was conceived by Her parents outside the firstborn sin). The understanding of the nature of the sinfulness of the earthly world is clearly distorted here. In addition to the pride of primacy, which supposedly gave the Roman popes the right to such unauthorized doctrinal innovations, almost all of them had a down-to-earth common denominator: the displacement of the heavenly goal of human salvation by the “Christianization” of the earth for power over it. Hence the desire of the highest Catholic clergy, in violation of the principle of a symphony of powers, to replace state power (with a parallel bureaucratic hierarchy in the form of cardinals, legates, nuncios; the Vatican considers itself a state), and the transformation of the Church into a disciplined army of “Christianization”, and “adaptive "Jesuit morality ("the holy end justifies any means").
From the needs of such political power, the pride of the political primacy of the Roman see later developed in Catholicism into the completely absurd dogma of the “infallibility” of the Roman popes in matters of faith as “vicars of Christ” on earth, whose power exceeds the decisions of the Councils. This dogma was introduced back in the 11th century by Pope Gregory VII precisely in connection with the split of the Western Church from Orthodoxy (1054) and was officially approved in 1870 as a justification for the unquestioning submission of all bishops to the Vatican.
In the Orthodox Church, “it is fitting for bishops of every nation to know the first of them and recognize him as the head and not do anything beyond their authority without his judgment; Each person should do only what concerns his diocese... but the first [first hierarch] does nothing without the consideration of everyone. For this will be oneness of mind...” (Apostolic Canon 34).
Thus, the dignification of Apostle Peter by the Orthodox Church as the supreme one does not mean recognition of some of his officially prescribed supreme power over the other apostles, it is only a voluntary tribute to his merits. It is also significant that the last of the called apostles, Paul, is also called the Church for his merits, together with Peter, who was called among the first, as the supreme one.
For all his obvious humility, there is nothing in the image of Jesus that would indicate his cowardice or peacefulness. He was well aware that the task facing him would make him very unpopular in the highest circles of power. He will be pursued not only by the Roman authorities, but also by the local council of Jewish elders - the powerful Sanhedrin. However, Jesus entered the world in a fitting manner, declaring right from the door, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).
It may seem rather strange that, under such circumstances, a group of people who were earning their daily bread should suddenly abandon their livelihood and follow a leader who proclaimed that “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). In those ancient times, the Christian faith nominally did not exist, and Jesus did not promise his followers either earnings or a high social position. But despite this, the Gospels clearly indicate that the elect, abandoning their studies, blindly followed into the unknown to become “fishers of men.”
Who were these mysterious apostles? Could anything from the Qumran cave documents add clarity to the gospel text, making their very identities and intentions clearer?
Luke (6:13 and 10:1) says that Jesus chose only 82 disciples, of whom he sent 70 to preach throughout the country, and the remaining 12 apostles made up his inner circle. It is no secret to those who have read the Bible that the apostles were armed, although Sunday schools teach the exact opposite. Jesus made sure of their fighting ability at the very beginning of his campaign, saying that “if anyone does not have a sword, sell your clothes and buy one” (Luke 22:36).
All four gospels agree that Simon was the first to be recruited; three Gospels also mention his brother Andrei. There are, however, some discrepancies between the Synoptic Gospels and John's account regarding the exact location of Jesus' recruitment of his followers. This happened either on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesaret), where the brothers were repairing fishing nets, or in Bethabara near the Jordan during baptism. At this point the texts again differ regarding the number of persons present at this event. John (1:28-43) states that John the Baptist was present, and Mark (1:14-18) states that all this happened while the Baptist was in prison.
As for the appointment of the first apostle in March 29 AD, here the gospel of John should undoubtedly be considered more accurate. In his Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus (born A.D. 37) says that Jesus began to preach his doctrine in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, that is, in the year 29. John the Baptist was slandered and thrown into prison a year later, in March 30, as stated in John (3:24); in September 31, by order of Herod Antipas, he was beheaded.
Luke (5:11) relates the story of Simon's attraction according to Mark, but does not mention Andrew. Zebedee's sons John and James appear next on the scene. Mark and Luke claim that at the same time Jesus called Levi under his banner. In Matthew, however, the next apostle's name is not Levi, but Matthew. One of the first recruits from John was Philip from Bethsaida, where Simon and Andrew were also from. Philip, in turn, introduced Nathanael from Cana to the flock. From this moment on, nothing more is said about personal enrollment in the group of Christ’s chosen ones.
Instead, it is further explained that Jesus gathered all his disciples and chose twelve apostles from among them. Then something strange starts to happen. Levi, as well as Nathanael, disappears, but Matthew begins to appear in all listings. Among the twelve followers of Christ, the evangelists Matthew and Mark call Levway by the nickname Thaddeus, while in the other Gospels he is absent. In Luke's gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, Judas, the brother of James, is mentioned among the twelve, although he does not appear anywhere else in such a context. In Matthew and Mark you can find Simon the Zealot, who in the Gospel of Luke and Acts is called Simon the Zealot.
Mark tells how Jesus, after meeting Andrew's brother Simon, gave the latter the name Peter. Luke and Matthew indicate that he was already called by this double name before. In John we learn that Simon and Andrew were the sons of Jonah, and Jesus called John and James Zebedee Voanerges, which meant “sons of Gromov.” Mark and Luke call the publican Levi the son of Alpheus, while James, listed in the final list of apostles, is another son of this man. Thomas, constantly mentioned in all the Gospels among the twelve chosen ones, is called the Twin in John and in the Acts of the Holy Apostles.
Only Philip, Bartholomew and Judas Iscariot escaped such a fate, each of whom is mentioned by all the evangelists.
It is clear that the apostles were not a silent herd of altruists who abandoned everything and blindly followed a charismatic leader. Despite his royal origins, Jesus' future was far from clear, and at that moment he had not yet gained recognition as a messenger of heaven. Based on this, we can conclude that something vitally important has escaped the attention of the evangelists. But we should not rush to conclusions; it is better to remember in what historical setting the Gospels were written. In order not to arouse suspicion on the part of the Roman rulers, their text was translated into the esoteric language of allegories for that circle of readers who would be able to understand everything that was written between the lines.
Our attention is often drawn to characteristic verses of the text that begin (as in Mark 4:9), with the words, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” We now enter the world of the revealed secret writing of the New Testament, where the greatest exponent of the art of translating ancient cryptograms is Barbara Thiring. Through nearly twenty-five years of study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Dr. Thiering has opened the door wide to new insights into the spiritual richness of the gospel. Now, by opening the doors to the apostles, we ourselves will be able to realize the grandiose historical role of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and descendant of King David.
James and John
Jesus succinctly and figuratively called James and John (sons of Zebedee) Boanerges, that is, in Greek, “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). Before us is a clear example of encrypted information about those who are privy to the secret. “Thunder” and “lightning” were the names given to the two high priests who performed religious rites in the Holy of Holies. These deeply symbolic titles owe their origin to the famous Mount Sinai apparition described in the Book of Exodus (19:16). Thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a thick cloud enveloped the top of the mountain as Moses walked from the camp to meet God. The Holy of Holies symbolized the tabernacle (sanctuary), and the sanctuary of the Essenes was located in the Mirda monastery, 9 miles southeast of Jerusalem, on the site of a former Hasmonean fortress.
The man known to Jesus as "Thunder" was Jonathan Annas - the son of the Sadducee Hananias, high priest from 6 to 15 AD. Jonathan (“gift of Jehovah”) was otherwise called Nathanael (“gift of God”), which was essentially the same name. His double and political rival, who bore the nickname “Lightning,” was Simon the Magus (also called Zebedee - “Jehovah gave”) - the supreme leader of the Samaritan Magi. In the Gospel he is better known as Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot (under this name he will appear in the next section of the chapter).
So whose sons were James and John, “thunder” (Jonathan Anna) or “lightning” (Simon Magus)? Oddly enough, but both! And not by blood, but by personal qualities. How Voanerges, John and Jacob were the spiritual sons (helpers) of the priestly family of Ananias; but they also carried out the instructions of Simon, who in due time was destined to inherit the high priesthood, that is, to become a “father.”
At the same time, the picture of the social position of the apostles seems very variegated. Even James and John, whose personalities are identified with the “fishers,” were in fact prominent figures in Hellenistic society. But why are they (as well as Andrei and Peter) depicted in the surroundings of fishing boats? Here we must pay tribute to the difference in John's narrative, for the symbolic "catching of fish" was part of the traditional baptismal rite of the Jews.
Non-Jews who sought to be accepted into the Jewish community could take part in the rite of baptism, but they were not allowed to perform this rite in water. Having gone out to sea with Jewish proselytes on boats, they only received a priestly blessing, after which they were dragged aboard the ship with huge nets. The clergy who performed the ritual were called “catchers.” James and John were ordained to this rank. Simon and Andrew were among those laymen who were dragging the nets. The words of Jesus, who told them, “Follow me, and I will cause you to be fishers of men,” contained a hidden hint about their future shepherding and ordination.
The apostles were not a gang of ragamuffins and pious saints, but a powerful “Council of Twelve”, led by their supreme leader Jesus Christ. The name Christ, translated from Greek as “anointed” or “king,” was originally a title of the Savior and only much later became a proper name. It is worth remembering here that the “Instructions on Order” from the Qumran caves emphasized the importance of the activities of the “Council of Twelve” for preserving the faith of the fathers.
Simon Zealot
Simon Magus (or Zebedee) led the so-called “Samaritan wise men” - an elite of religious philosophers who fully supported the dynastic succession of Jesus. It was their messengers (magi or sorcerers) who knelt in Bethlehem as a sign of respect before the baby Jesus. Simon showed himself in many areas of knowledge of the time, and in his biographies one can find mention of cosmology, natural magnetism, levitation and telekinesis. He was known as a staunch supporter of the war with Rome and, in accordance with this, received the nickname Simon Kananit(Greek for “fanatic”).
Being, in terms of social status, undoubtedly the most outstanding figure among the apostles, Simon also showed himself as an energetic military leader of the Zealots, for which he was often called Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were armed rebels who took revenge on the Romans for the seizure of their land and the desecration of Jewish shrines. For the Roman authorities, however, the Zealots always remained scaffolding - robbers.
The personalities of the apostles, in comparison with the usual Gospel images, are already beginning to acquire a less and less humble character; but their goals remain unchanged: while remaining the elite of society in their homeland, to help the weak and protect the disadvantaged. Many of them were experienced clergy, skilled healers and educated mentors; they could show themselves in the merciful art of healing and, like wise and benevolent rhetoricians, explain everything to the smallest detail.
Judas Iscariot
Another of the high-born leaders of the nationalists was Judas, an outstanding representative of the scribes. Under his watchful eye, and that of his predecessor, the fierce Judas of Galilee, founder of the Zealot movement, the Dead Sea Scrolls were created.
Judah was distinguished by academic scholarship, he headed the eastern branch of the Manasseh clan and was at the same time the military ruler of Qumran. The Romans awarded him the nickname Sicarius, what does “thug” or “hired killer” mean (from the Latin “sica” - a curved dagger of killers). Greek equivalent of nickname Sicariotes, gradually becoming distorted, over time he turned into Iscariot.
Constantly placed at the bottom of the apostolic list, Judas was nevertheless second in seniority only to Simon the Zealot.
Thaddeus, James and Matthew
Levway, nicknamed Thaddeus, is counted among the sons of Alpheus and is mentioned in two gospels under the name of Judas. He was an influential leader of the religious community, as well as another commander of the armed forces of the Zealots. For more than fifty years, starting in 9 BC, Thaddeus headed the Brotherhood of Healers, a spiritual association of ascetic devotees founded during the capture of Qumran by the Egyptians. He was a companion of Joseph, the father of Jesus, and in 32 A.D. took part in the uprising against Pontius Pilate.
Jacob, who is considered the second son of Alpheus, was actually Jonathan Anna - the leader of the “thunder” party. The name Jacob represented the patriarchal dignification of Jonathan, reserved for the elders of the communities, as well as the names of angels and archangels for representatives of the higher clergy. The Council of Elders was led by a triumvirate of specially appointed government officials, who were given the names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob due to their positions. In this regard, in modern parlance, Jonathan Anna “performed the official duties” of Patriarch Jacob.
As for Matthew (also called Levi), he is also classified as the sons of Alpheus. In reality, he was Matthew Annas (brother of Jonathan), who inherited the high priesthood in 42 and was removed from spiritual power by Herod-Agrippa I. Matthew was personally interested in the publication of the life of Jesus Christ and actively contributed to the publication of the Gospel in his own name. As Jonathan's successor as high priest of the Levites, he bore the nominal title of Levi. He was also appointed publican (tax collector), responsible for the receipt of income from Diaspora Jews (who lived outside the homeland) into the treasury, but was subject to taxation. The money collected by the Levites in Asia Minor ended up in the state treasury located in Jerusalem. “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the toll booth” (Matthew 9:9). The same event is described similarly in Luke (5:27): “After this Jesus went out and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the collection office.”
Although Thaddeus, James and Matthew (Levi) are counted among the “sons of Alpheus”, but Not all they were brothers. As elsewhere, the word “son” is used here to mean “substitute.” The title "Alphaeus" does not imply a connection with a person or place, but simply means "followers" or "successors."
Philip, Bartholomew and Thomas
As John points out (1:45-49), Philip was a companion of Jonathan Annas (otherwise known as Nathanael). An uncircumcised proselyte, he led the Brotherhood of Shem for a long time. The Gospel written in Coptic belongs to his pen.
Bartholomew (also known as John Mark) was Philip's spiritual and political ally. He was the head of the proselytes and a prominent representative of the influential Brotherhood of Healers at Qumran.
The Gospels say little about Thomas, yet he was one of the most authoritative evangelists. According to available information, he preached Christianity in Syria, India and Persia and, in the end, pierced through with a spear, met his death somewhere in the vicinity of Madras. Thomas, who previously bore the name Philip and the title of heir to the throne of Judea, came from the family of Herod the Great, but was suddenly deprived of the right of succession to the throne. This happened after Herod dissolved his marriage with his mother Mariam II, who attempted the life of her royal husband. Herod Antipas, Philip's half-brother, later became tetrarch of Galilee. As if in mockery, the inhabitants of Judea compared Prince Philip with Esau, the son of Isaac, who was deprived of both the birthright and paternal blessing in favor of his twin brother Jacob (Genesis 25-27). They called him Teomoy, which means “twin” in Aramaic. In Greek transliteration this name sounded like Thomas and it meant the same thing.
Peter (Simon) and Andrey
This section of the chapter is devoted to two apostles, who are generally considered the most outstanding disciples of Jesus, but in our review they are placed in last position. In fact, the order in which the apostles are listed here is almost a mirror image of the Gospel list. This is evident from the fact that such figures as Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, traditionally placed at the end of the list, were in fact much more powerful. But it was not by chance that the authors of the Gospels listed the names in the above order - in this way they diverted the attention of the Romans from those apostles who were at the very forefront of public life.
Thus, in the apostolic “table of ranks” the first positions are usually given to the least authoritative disciples of Jesus - Peter and Andrew, who were simple village Essenes and did not hold any government positions. Their role in the baptismal rite, as “fishermen” and not “fishers of men,” was purely secular. They were in charge of the nets and could not perform priestly duties (such as bestowing blessings) as did the ordained “fishers” James and John.
Despite all this, Jesus appreciated Peter and Andrew's lack of official status. This allowed him, in comparison with those who had to fulfill pastoral and legislative duties, to dispose of both brothers more freely. As a result, Peter became Jesus' closest assistant and, apparently possessing a certain strength of character, received the nickname Cephas (“stone”). In Thomas' gospel, Jesus calls Peter his "good genius," implying that he was his chief bodyguard. Having lost his wife, Peter became an outstanding preacher of evangelical ideas. Despite the occasional disagreements with Jesus, it was thanks to his efforts that Christianity eventually gained a foothold in Rome. He suffered martyrdom on the cross during the mass persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero.
Please tell us the biography of the Apostles!The word “apostle” itself has an interesting etymology. Initially, the Greek word existed in the form of an adjective and was used when mentioning sea vessels - it turned out something like “transport vessel”. It also denoted the very fact of sending a flotilla for military purposes or to found a new colony, or the flotilla itself. Closer to the time of Christ, this word began to be used in the meaning of “messenger,” but its use in this meaning was very rare. Usually the messenger was designated as or.
New Testament usage gave this word a special, fundamentally new meaning. If you believe Luke 6:13, then Jesus Himself gave it this meaning, although I think it is a translation of some Aramaic word. It is noteworthy that it is mainly used by Luke and Paul, while in the other 3 gospels this word is used only 4 times (in the Synodal translation this is reflected in only 2 places). Matthew, Mark and John call the closest disciples of Jesus simply “the twelve,” apparently by analogy with the 12 tribes of the people of Israel: “... when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:28)
The task of the twelve is explained by Luke in the following text: “Having called the twelve, he gave power and authority over all demons and to heal diseases, and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1,2)
In Acts, Luke narrows the task of the apostles: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8), which, one might assume, allows any serious witness of Jesus to be given the status of apostle. Paul understands apostleship precisely in this vein, therefore he calls his relatives Andronicus and Junia apostles: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and prisoners with me, who were glorified among the Apostles and who believed in Christ before me.” (Rom. 16:7). Paul had no doubts about his apostleship, and he often devoted very extensive fragments to confirming his highest status in the Church (this was necessary as support for his preaching). Barnabas, Paul’s companion, is also called an apostle (Acts 14:14).
But let's return to the Twelve and talk about them in more detail. There are several lists given in the New Testament.
“[set up] Simon, calling his name Peter, James Zebedee, and John, the brother of James, calling them Boanerges, that is, “sons of thunder,” Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.” (Mark 3:14-19)
“And the names of the twelve Apostles are these: the first Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the Zebedee and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, James Alphaeus and Levbeus, called Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him.” (Matt. 10:2-4)
“When the day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James Alphaeus and Simon, nicknamed Zealot, Judas Jacob and Judas Iscariot, who later became a traitor.” (Luke 6:13-16)
You can notice that in these lists the first, fifth and ninth places are always occupied by the same ones - Peter, Phillip and Jacob Alfeev. Thus, the twelve students were, as it were, divided into 3 groups, each of which had a leader - the eldest of the four (this is approximately what always happens in small groups). The first group includes Peter with his brother Andrew and two more brothers - John and James of Zebedee. These four make up the circle of disciples closest to Jesus - they are the only ones present at the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter and the Transfiguration, Jesus talks with them about His Second Coming, and only they ask them to stay awake in the Garden of Gethsemane.
You should also note some differences in the lists. Simon the Canaanite and Simon the Zealot are one and the same person. The words Kananite and Zealot have approximately the same meaning - zealot. Judah Jacob and Levi Thaddeus are also presumably the same person.
Now let's talk about each of them in more detail.
Apostle Peter also known in the Bible as Simon and Cephas. The Hebrew name of the apostle is Simeon. Peter was a resident of Bethsaida in Galilee, where he went fishing with his father and brother (John 1:44). Peter was married, which was a very rare case among the apostles. Peter wrote the two conciliar epistles included in the NT (he is their most likely author).
Andrey, Peter's brother was first a disciple of John the Baptist (perhaps Peter was one of John's disciples). Andrew was the first to be called by Jesus. According to legend, the Apostle Andrew preached in Scythia and, having passed through Rus', reached Scandinavia. A short story about this is contained in The Tale of Bygone Years.
John and James Zebedee, like Peter and Andrew, were also from Bethsaida. Jesus called them “sons of thunder” -Boanerges. Presumably, John was the youngest and James was the eldest. The mother of John and James was Salome, as can be seen from the comparison of Mark. 16:1 and Matt. 27: 56. If we reconcile the evidence of the Synoptic Gospels with the Gospel of John (John 19:25), it turns out that Salome was the sister of the Virgin Mary, and John and James were cousins of Jesus. James was the first of the apostles to suffer martyrdom, being killed by the sword on the orders of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2). There is no reliable evidence about John's death. John is credited with the authorship of the fourth Gospel, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd epistles and Revelation, the last book of the Bible.
Philip He was also a native of Bethsaida and was called by Jesus shortly after Andrew and Peter. It is known that Philip was married, like Peter, and he had daughters, on whose stories the famous collector of stories about the apostles and evangelists Papias of Hierapolis relied. The Apostle Philip is often confused with Philip the Evangelist, who baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. The latter, by the way, also had daughters (Acts 21:9)
Philip had a friend Nathanael- “An Israeli in whom there is no guile,” which also makes sense to be mentioned in a conversation about the apostles.
Thomas the Twin- (the name “Thomas” is consonant with the Aramaic word for “twin”). Probably his original name was Judas, since in John. 14:22 he is called “Judas not Iscariot”, but in one of the ancient Syrian manuscripts “Judas Thomas”. The second name was more commonly used to avoid confusion with Judas the Traitor.
Matthew was a publican - a tax collector (Matthew 9:9), whom the population of Judea considered an accomplice of the Roman occupiers. Matthew's father Alpheus, and Alpheus, the father of the Apostle James, are probably different people. Matthew is the probable author of one of the Gospels.
Bartholomew. Almost nothing is known about Bartholomew. But we have good reason to identify him with Nathanael. Presumably the name of the apostle was Nathanael bar Tolemai (Nathanael son of Tolemai). Note the Greek spelling of the name Bartholomew - . The Synoptics say nothing about Nathanael, and the 4th Gospel does not say anything about Bartholomew. From Jesus' conversation with Nathanael in John. 1:47-51 we can conclude that he became one of the apostles, especially since John mentions him in the final part of the Gospel (John 21:2), which describes the appearance of Jesus to the fishing apostles. Remembering Nathanael's friendship with Philip, we can more clearly imagine the characteristics of the second four apostles (as I spoke about above).
Jacob Alfeev- leader of the last four. Almost nothing is known about him, other than the assumption that he was “James the less,” the son of Mary and brother of Josiah (Mark 15:40) Presumably the author of the epistle of James.
Judah son of Jacob also little known. Some identify him with Jude, the brother of the Lord, the author of the Epistle of Jude, which is included in the NT canon. We should talk about the brothers of the Lord in detail. Their names are Jacob, Josiah (Joseph), Simon and Judas (Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55-56). Several assumptions can be made here. First, they could be Jesus' siblings, children of Mary. There are indications in the Gospels that Jesus had not only brothers, but also sisters (Matt. 13:56, Mark 3:32, Mark 6:3), so this assumption looks quite convincing. But according to many, such a position harms the dogma of the virgin birth (which is based solely on the Gospel evidence), so the more widespread opinion is that the brothers of Jesus are the children of Joseph from his first marriage or are his cousins, the sons of Mary, the wife of Alpheus, the sister of the Virgin Mary. The latest version seems to me the most interesting. It was put forward by Jerome the Blessed in his treatise “Against Helvidius on the Eternal Virginity of Blessed Mary.”
It is known about James, the brother of the Lord, that Jesus appeared to him after his resurrection as one of the first (1 Cor. 15:7). Jacob led the Jerusalem community (Gal. 1:19, 2:9, Acts 12:17) and had the nickname Jacob the Righteous (Fair). According to the testimony of Josephus, he was killed by a crowd of opponents of Christians for his faith. (“Jewish Antiquities” 20.9)
Simon Zelotes. We know that the Zealots were an extremist group in the days leading up to the Jewish War. Could this apostle have previously belonged to the Zealots? There is no evidence for the existence of a group of Zealots in the time of Jesus, and we can assume that Simon was called a Zealot (zealot) because of his special spiritual zeal. However, the word “zealot” was never used independently and always came with the definition of jealousy - for example, a zealot of the law. This word became a common noun only in relation to extremist partisans, so we can assume that this group was already quite developed at the time of Jesus and Simon belonged to it.
Famous apostles include: Pavel. The Apostle Paul bore the name Saul (Saul) and came from the tribe of Benjamin, to which the famous king belonged (Phil. 3:5, Rom. 11:1). It is possible that the future apostle was named in honor of King Saul. Most likely, Paul was married, since a member of the Sanhedrin could not be unmarried. But from Paul's letters we learn that his wife was not with him. Since Paul became an apostle while still very young (the word “youth” indicates that he was just beginning to grow a beard), it can be assumed that he was not a widower, and his young wife left him when he abandoned his high position in society and devoted himself entirely to the service of Christ. The apostle received the name Paul after the proconsul of the island of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus, converted to Christianity (Acts 13:7). Paul's letters take up most of the New Testament.
Paul was the first to fulfill the apostolic mission stated in (Acts 1:8). He was a witness of Jesus in Jerusalem and throughout Judea and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth. “The end of the earth” is Rome. Paul led the Roman community and was executed under Emperor Nero. In Rome, Peter, who replaced Paul, was also executed.
Among theologians one can find a statement about the alleged discord between the apostles, the confrontation between Paul and the Jerusalem Christians, associated with Paul’s eternal enemies - the Judaizers. Such a position, although it seems quite logical, does not have a solid basis in the documents of church history and can only be considered as one of the possible reconstructions of those distant events. For example, representatives of the Tübingen school, the authors of this historical concept, considered Paul’s polemic with Simon Magus, described in the tendentious adventure novel “Pseudo-Clementines,” dating back to the early Middle Ages, as Paul’s polemic with Peter. The other arguments are no more convincing than this one. However, as often happens, the dubious hypothesis was quickly elevated almost to the rank of dogma. The Tübingen concept of early Christian history has long been refuted in the West, but in our country, which has only recently moved away from widespread atheism, the theological concept, rejected a hundred years ago, seems quite relevant. This sad situation is due to the almost complete absence of serious research in Russian, although recently it has been felt that the situation is gradually beginning to change for the better.
How did the apostles of Christ die?
Firstly, this is not so important, because such information is not in the Bible. Perhaps out of curiosity or to know in general.
Secondly, all the disciples of Jesus Christ died a martyr's death - for their faith. Peter was crucified upside down because he refused the honor of dying like Jesus. For the same reason, the cross of the Apostle Andrew was in the shape of the letter X, hence the St. Andrew's cross.
Paul was a citizen of Rome, therefore he had the privilege of a quick, non-painful death - his head was cut off. The Apostle John was the only one who died a natural death. Already in old age, he wrote all his messages, because his messages are the last books of the Bible in time. His Gospel is the last. And he wrote the last book - Revelation - in exile on the island (or rather islet) of Patmos.
Apostles(from the Greek ἀπόστολος - messenger, ambassador) - the closest disciples of the Lord, chosen by Him and sent to preach the gospel and dispensation.
The names of the nearest twelve apostles are as follows:
– Andrey(Greek Andreas, “courageous”, “strong man”), brother of Simon Peter, nicknamed in legend the First-Called, because, as a disciple of John the Baptist, he was called by the Lord earlier than his brother on the Jordan.
– Simon(Heb. shimon- “Heard” in prayer), son of Jonah, nicknamed Peter (). Greek the word petros corresponds to the Aramaic kipha, rendered by the Russian word “stone”. Jesus approved this name for Simon after confessing Him as the Son of God in Caesarea Philippi ().
– Simon Canaanite or Zealot (from Aram. Kanai, Greek. zelotos, which means “Jealous”), a native of the Galilean city of Cana, according to legend, was the groom at whose marriage Jesus Christ and His Mother were, where Christ turned water into wine ().
– Jacob(from the Hebrew verb Akav- “to conquer”) Zebedee, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of the Evangelist John. The first martyr among the apostles, put to death by Herod (42 - 44 AD) through the beheading (). To distinguish him from James the Younger, he is usually called James the Elder.
– Jacob Jr., son of Alpheus. He was called by the Lord Himself to be one of the 12 apostles. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached first in Judea, then accompanied St. to the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in Edessa. He spread the gospel gospel in Gaza, Eleutheropolis and neighboring places, and from there he went to Egypt. Here, in the city of Ostratsina (a seaside town on the border with Palestine), he was crucified on the cross.
(Many sources associate Jacob Alpheus with James, the brother of the Lord, commemorated by the Church at the Council of the 70 Apostles. Probably the confusion occurred due to the fact that both apostles were called James younger).
– John(Greek form Ioannes from euro name Yochanan, “The Lord is merciful”) Zebedee, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James the Elder. The Apostle John was nicknamed the Evangelist as the writer of the fourth Gospel and the Theologian for his deep disclosure of Christian teaching, the author of the Apocalypse.
– Philip(Greek “horse lover”), a native of Bethsaida, according to the Evangelist John, “the same city with Andrew and Peter” (). Philip brought Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus.
– Bartholomew(from Aram. son of Talmay) Nathanael (Heb. Netanel, “Gift of God”), a native of Cana of Galilee, about whom Jesus Christ said that he was a true Israelite in whom there is no guile ().
– Thomas(aram. Tom, in Greek translation Didim, which means “twin”), famous for the fact that the Lord Himself allowed him to put his hand into His side and touch His wounds in order to eliminate his doubts about His resurrection.
– Matthew(Greek form of ancient Hebrew name Mattathias(Mattatiah) - “gift of the Lord”), is also mentioned under his Hebrew name Levi. Author of the Gospel.
– Judas(Heb. Yehuda, “praise of the Lord”) Thaddeus (Heb. praise), brother of the Apostle James the Younger.
– And betrayed the Savior Judas Iscariot
(nicknamed after his place of birth in the city of Kariot), instead of whom, after the ascension of Christ, Matthias was chosen by the apostles by lot (one of the forms of the ancient Hebrew name Mattathias (Mattathia) - “gift of the Lord”) (). Matthias followed Jesus from His baptism and witnessed His resurrection.
Among the closest apostles is the Apostle Paul, a native of the city of Tarsus in Cilicia, miraculously called by the Lord himself (). Paul's original name was Saul (Saul, Hebrew Shaul, “asked (from God)” or “borrowed (to serve God)”). The name Paul (Latin Paulus, “lesser”) is the second Roman name adopted by the apostle after his conversion for the convenience of preaching in the Roman Empire.
In addition to the 12 apostles and Paul, 70 more chosen disciples of the Lord (), who were not constant eyewitnesses and witnesses to the deeds and life of Jesus Christ, are called apostles. Their names are not mentioned in the Gospel. In the liturgical tradition, on the day of the celebration of the seventy apostles, their names appear. This list was compiled in the 5th–6th centuries. and is symbolic in nature, it includes all the famous names of the followers and disciples of Christ, the apostles and apostolic men. Tradition refers to the 70 apostles as Mark (Latin for “hammer”, the second name of John from Jerusalem) and Luke (short form of the Latin name Lucius or Lucian, which means “luminous”, “bright”). Thus, on this day, not only the 70 apostles are remembered, but also the entire first Christian generation.
Before you learn about who the twelve apostles are and hear about their names and deeds, it is worth understanding the definition of the word “apostle.”
Who were the twelve disciples, the apostles of Jesus Christ?
Many contemporaries do not know that the word “apostle” means “sent.” At the time when Jesus Christ walked on our sinful earth, twelve ordinary people were called His disciples. As eyewitnesses said, “the twelve disciples followed Him and learned from Him.” Two days after His death by crucifixion, He sent His disciples to become His witnesses. It was then that they were called the twelve apostles. For reference, during the time of Jesus in society the terms “disciple” and “apostle” were similar and interchangeable.
Twelve Apostles: names
The twelve apostles are the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, chosen by Him to announce the imminent Kingdom of God and the establishment of the Church. Everyone should know the names of the apostles.
Andrew was nicknamed the First-Called in legend, since he was previously a disciple of John the Baptist and was called by the Lord a little earlier than his brother on the Jordan. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter.
Simon is the son of Jonah, Jesus gave his nickname to Simon after he confessed Him as the Son of God in the city of Caesarea Philippi.
Simon the Canaanite, or, as he is also called, the Zealot, originally from the Galilean city of Cannae, according to legend, was the groom at his wedding, which included Jesus with his Mother, where, as everyone knew, He turned water into wine.
Jacob is the son of Zebedee and Salome, the brother of John, who, in turn, was an evangelist. The first martyr among the apostles, Herod himself put him to death by beheading.
Jacob is the youngest son of Alpheus. The Lord himself decided that James and the twelve apostles would be together. After the resurrection of Christ, he spread the faith first in Judea, then joined the pilgrimage of St. to Apostle Andrew the First-Called in Edessa. He also preached the gospel in Gaza, Eleferopolis and other cities in the Mediterranean, after which he went to Egypt.
John is the brother of James the Elder, nicknamed the Theologian, and also the author of the fourth Gospel and the last chapter of the Bible, telling about the end of the world - the Apocalypse.
Philip is precisely the apostle who brought Nathanael 9 Bartholomew to Jesus, according to one of the twelve, “of the same city with Andrew and Peter.”
Bartholomew is an apostle about whom Jesus Christ very accurately expressed himself, calling him a true Israeli, in whom there is no guile.
Thomas became famous because the Lord himself proved his resurrection to him by offering to put his hand on his wounds.
Matthew - also known as Levi. He is the direct author of the Gospel. Although they are also related to the writing of the Gospel, Matthew is considered its main author.
Judas, the brother of James the Younger, the one who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree.
Paul and the Seventy Apostles
Also counted among the apostles is Paul, miraculously called by the Lord himself. In addition to all the above apostles and Paul, they talk about 70 disciples of the Lord. They were not constant witnesses to the miracles of the Son of God, nothing is written about them in the Gospel, but their names are heard on the day of the Seventy Apostles. Their mention is only symbolic, the people to whom the names belong were only the first followers of the teachings of Christ, and also the first to bear the missionary burden of spreading His teachings.
Who wrote the Gospel
Saints Mark, Luke and John are known to worldly people as evangelists. These are the followers of Christ who wrote the Holy Scriptures. The apostles Peter and Paul are called the supreme apostles. There is such a practice as equating or enlisting saints who spread and preached Christianity among pagans, such as Prince Vladimir, and his mother Elena, as apostles.
Who were the apostles?
The twelve apostles of Christ, or simply His disciples, were ordinary people, among whom were people of completely different professions, and completely different from each other, except that they were all spiritually rich - this feature united them. The Gospel very clearly shows the doubts of these twelve young men, their struggle with themselves, with their thoughts. And they can be understood, because they actually had to look at the world from a completely different angle. But after the twelve apostles witnessed Jesus' ascension into heaven after the crucifixion, their doubts immediately disappeared. The Holy Spirit, the awareness of the existence of divine power, made them pious, strong-spirited people. Gathering their will into a fist, the apostles were ready to outrage the whole world.
Apostle Thomas
The Apostle Thomas is worthy of special mention. In the cozy town of Pansada, one of the fishermen, the future apostle, heard about Jesus, a man who tells everyone about the One God. Of course, curiosity and interest make you come and look at Him. After listening to His sermon, he is so delighted that he begins to relentlessly follow Him and His disciples. Jesus Christ, seeing such zeal, invites the young man to follow him. So a simple fisherman became an apostle.
This young man, a young fisherman, was called Judas; he was later given a new name - Thomas. True, this is one of the versions. Who exactly Thomas was like is not known for certain, but they say that he was like the Son of God himself.
Character of Thomas
The Apostle Thomas was a decisive guy, brave and impetuous. One day Jesus told Thomas that he was going to where the Romans would capture Him. The apostles, naturally, began to dissuade their teacher; no one wanted Jesus to be captured, the apostles understood that the undertaking was very risky. It was then that Thomas said to everyone: “Let’s go and die with him.” Somehow the well-known phrase “Unbeliever Thomas” does not particularly suit him; as we see, he was also some kind of “believer.”
The Apostle Thomas refused to touch the wounds of Jesus Christ and put his fingers on them when He wanted to prove that He had risen from the dead. Horrified by his audacity, Thomas only exclaims in extreme amazement: “My Lord is my God.” It is worth noting that this is the only place in the Gospel where Jesus is called God.
Lot
After Jesus resurrected, having atoned for all the earthly sins of mankind, the apostles decided to cast lots, which was to determine who and to what land would go to preach and bring people love and faith in the Lord and the Kingdom of God. Foma got India. Many dangers and misadventures befell Thomas in this country; many ancient legends have been preserved about his adventures, which are now impossible to refute or confirm. The church decided to give Thomas a special day - the second Sunday after the celebration of the ascension of Christ. Now it is the day of memory of Thomas.
Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called
After he began preaching on the banks of the Jordan, Andrei and John followed the prophet, hoping in his faith and spiritual strength to find answers to the questions that troubled their immature minds. Many even believed that John the Baptist himself was the Messiah, but he patiently, time after time, refuted such assumptions of his flock. John said that he was sent to earth only to prepare the way for Him. And so when Jesus came to John to be baptized, the prophet said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Hearing these words, Andrew and John followed Jesus. On the same day, the future apostle Andrew the First-Called approached his brother Peter and said: “We have found the Messiah.”
Day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul among Western Christians
These two apostles received special honor due to the fact that after the ascension of Christ they preached His faith throughout the world.
The celebration of the day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul was first legalized in Rome, whose bishops, according to the Western Church, are considered the successors of Peter, and then were spread to other Christian countries.
Peter was engaged in fishing (like Thomas) and was called to be an apostle along with his brother. He received the most important destiny in his life - he became the “founder” of the Church of Christ, and only then he would be given the keys to the heavenly Kingdom. Peter was the first apostle to whom Christ appeared after the resurrection. Like most of their brethren, the apostles Peter and Paul began to engage in preaching activities after the ascension of Jesus.
Bottom line
All the acts that Jesus did were not accidental, and the choice of all these young talented youths was also not accidental, even the betrayal of Judas was a planned and integral part of the redemption through the death of Christ. The apostles' faith in the Messiah was sincere and unshakable, although many were tormented by doubt and fear. As a result, only thanks to their work we have the opportunity to learn about the prophet, the Son of God Jesus Christ.