]Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles (Ἀπόστολος, apostolos, "someone sent out", e.g. with a message or
as a delegate) were, according to the Synoptic Gospels and Christian tradition, disciples
(followers) whom Jesus of Nazareth had chosen, named, and trained in order to send
them on a specific mission. After the Apostle Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus, the
remaining Apostles under the leadership of Simon Peter filled the vacancy by electing by
lot Matthias, a companion of theirs ever since they themselves had followed Jesus,[1] so
that by the time of the crucial coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost they actually
numbered twelve again.

According to the Bauer lexicon, Walter Bauer's Greek-English Lexicon of the NT:
"...Judaism had an office known as apostle (‫")שליח‬. In Islam, the Qur'an called The
Twelve Apostles "‫ "الحواريون‬which derives from the Hebrew word for a pharisaical
college "friends".[citation needed]

The Apostles are portrayed as having been Galilean Jews. The names of the majority of
them are Aramaic, although some had Greek names.[2] That the Twelve Apostles were all
Jews is supported in several ways. For Christians who view the Hebrew prophets as
speaking of Jesus and Christianity, such support is found, on the one hand, in the
prophetic assertions that it was the Jews whom God had chosen to bring all the nations
(the "Gentiles") to faith in him,[3] and that, on the other hand, Jesus appointed the Twelve
Apostles kingship[4] and told them that they will sit on thrones[5] administering[6] the
affairs of the twelve tribes of Israel.[7] Jesus’ statements that his mission is directed only
to those of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:1-6, Matthew 15:24, Luke 22:30) also imply
that the Twelve Apostles and others closest to Jesus were all Jews, as does 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 (Acts 15:1-31, Galatians 2:7-9, Acts
10:1-11:18). Even the "supernumerary Apostle", the "Apostle to the Gentiles", Saul of
Tarsus, who said that Jesus revealed himself to him only after his ascension and
appointed him to his mission (Acts 9:1-19, Galatians 1:11-12), was a Jew by birth, and
always proud of it, (Galatians 1:14) although since his conversion to Jesus he became
known by the Greek name Paul (Acts 13:9).

The Gospel of Mark states that Jesus initially sent out these twelve in pairs (Mark 6:7-13,
cf. Matthew 10:5-42,Luke 9:1-6), to towns in Galilee. Literal readings of the text state
that their initial instructions were to heal the sick and drive out demons, and in the Gospel
of Matthew to raise the dead, but some scholars read this more metaphorically as
instructions to heal the spiritually sick and thus to drive away wicked behaviour. They are
also instructed to: "take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff — no bread, no bag,
no money in their belt — but to wear sandals; and He added, "Do not put on two tunics".
(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 Bishops 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 having been
commissioned to preach the Gospel to "all the nations" (Matthew 28:19, Mark 13:10,
Mark 16:15), regardless of whether Jew or Gentile.[8]

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Etymology
• 2 The Twelve Apostles
o 2.1 Recruitment by Jesus
o 2.2 Their apostolate as "Fishers of Men"
o 2.3 Election of Matthias to Judas's share in their ministry
• 3 The Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul of Tarsus
• 4 Other NT usage of the term "apostle"
o 4.1 Jesus himself
o 4.2 Barnabas
o 4.3 James the Just
o 4.4 Andronicus and Junia
• 5 Later Christianizing apostles
o 5.1 Roman Catholic tradition
o 5.2 "Equal to the Apostles" according to Eastern Orthodox tradition
• 6 Apostles today
• 7 Twelve Apostles of Christ in the Book of Mormon
• 8 Unity School of Christianity/The Twelve Powers of Man
• 9 Further reading
• 10 References
• 11 See also

• 12 External links

Etymology
The word apostle comes from the Greek word ἀπόστολος (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.

The Twelve Apostles

According to the list occurring in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 3:13-19, Matthew
10:1-4, Luke 6:12-16), the Twelve chosen by Jesus near the beginning of his ministry,
those whom also He named Apostles, were, according to the Gospel of Mark:

1. Simon, whom Jesus named Peter (also known as Simon bar Jonah, Simon bar
Jochanan (Aram.), Cephas (Aram.), and Simon Peter), a fisherman from
Bethsaida "of Galilee" (John 1:44; cf. 12:21).
2. James, son of Zebedee; traditionally described by Catholics as James the Just.
3. John the brother of James: Jesus named both of them Boanerges, which means
"sons of thunder".
4. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, a Bethsaida fisherman, and a former disciple
of John the Baptist.
5. Philip from Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:44, 12:21)
6. Bartholomew, son of Talemai; it has been suggested that he is the same person as
Nathanael, who is mentioned in John 1:45-1:51.
7. Matthew, the tax collector, also known as "Levi", son of Alphaeus.
8. Thomas, also known as Judas Thomas Didymus - Aramaic T'oma' = twin, and
Greek Didymous = twin.
9. James the son of Alphaeus. It is the subject of debate whether this James is the
same as the saint "James the Less" or "James the Just", and also whether this
James is the brother of Jesus. The more common interpretation is that he is James
the Less and the brother of Jesus (i.e., a son of Joseph). [9]
10. Thaddeus: The identity of this apostle, who has traditionally been called St. Jude,
varies between the Gospels and also between ancient manuscripts of each gospel:
Mark names him as Thaddaeus, different manuscripts of Matthew identify him as
either Thaddeus or "Lebbaeus"; Luke names him as Judas, son of James
(translated in the KJV as: "Judas the brother of James" Luke 6:16). It is presumed
that all these names refer to the same person.
11. Simon the Cananean, named in Luke and Acts as "Simon the Zealot". Some have
identified him 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. [10]
12. Judas Iscariot: the disciple who later betrayed Jesus. The name Iscariot may refer
to the Judaean towns of Kerioth or to the sicarii (Jewish nationalist
insurrectionists), or to Issachar. Also referred to (e.g. at John 6:71 and 13:26) as
"Judas, the son of Simon". He was replaced as an apostle shortly after Jesus'
resurrection by Matthias.

The Gospel of John, unlike the Synoptic Gospels, does not offer a formal list of apostles,
but does refer to the Twelve in 6:67, 6:70, and 6:71. The following ten apostles are
identified by name:

• Peter
• Andrew (identified as Peter's brother)
• the sons of Zebedee (plural form implies at least two apostles)
• Philip
• Nathanael
• Thomas (also called Didymus (11:16, 20:24, 21:2))
• Judas Iscariot
• Judas (not Iscariot) (14:22)

The individual that the Gospel of John names as Nathanael is traditionally identified as
the same person that the other Gospels call Bartholomew, and the sons of Zebedee refers
to James the Just and John, while Judas (not Iscariot) probably refers to Thaddaeus, also
known as St. Jude. 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 as Matthew is noticeably the most Jewish of
the Gospels, it may be the case that the author of John deliberately left out these two
figures for a motive opposed to Jewish Christianity. In any case, the author certainly does
not bring up any explicit denial of those two apostles, and never actually lists the twelve.

By the second century, the presence of two Simons (Peter and Simon the Zealot) 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. The second Simon may also have
been Simeon of Jerusalem, the second leader of the Jerusalem church.

[edit] Recruitment by Jesus

See also: Calling of the four disciples, Calling of Levi, Choosing of the Twelve
Apostles
Duccio'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, James, and 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 his ministry,
Jesus noticed, while teaching, a tax collector in his booth. The tax collector, Levi
according to some Gospels, Matthew according to others, is asked by Jesus to become
one of his disciples. Matthew/Levi is stated to have accepted and then invited Jesus for a
meal with his friends. Tax collectors were seen as villains in Jewish society, and the
Pharisees are described by the synoptics as asking Jesus why he is having a meal with
such disreputable people. The reply Jesus gives to this is now well known: it is not the
healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners
(Mark 2:17).

[edit] Their apostolate as "Fishers of Men"

Adriaen van de Venne'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,[citation needed] calling him the fisher of men, and the
image of Jesus as a fisherman[citation needed] 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 Book of Jeremiah (at
16:15), upon which this phrase may be based, and there it is placed in the context of
actively hunting down sinners. Wallace argues that the common view of fishing with a
line and hook and bringing each fish in individually is misplaced; Simon and Andrew
would have used nets to fish and would have brought in large numbers of fish at once
through grand acts. Wuellner presents an alternate view arguing that the disciples may
have caught fish individually, and even by hand. Manek believes that to fully appreciate
the metaphor one must understand how the sea was viewed at the time, arguing that
throughout the Old Testament the sea is presented as unholy, and in stories such as that of
Jonah, 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.

[edit] Election of Matthias to Judas's share in their ministry

Main article: Matthias

After Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ and then in guilt committed suicide before Christ's
resurrection (in one Gospel account), the apostles numbered eleven. When Jesus had been
taken up from them, in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit that he had promised
them, Peter advised the brethren, "Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus … For
he was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry … For it is written in
the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be made desolate, Let no one dwell therein,' and,
'Let another take his office' … So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the
time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John
until the day he was taken up from us, must become with us a witness to his resurrection"
(cf. Acts 1;15-26). So, between the ascension of Christ 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 in support of its
teaching of Apostolic Succession.

[edit] The Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul of Tarsus

Main article: Paul of Tarsus

Paul, the "Apostle of the Gentiles", writing a letter

In his writings, Saul, later known as Paul, though not one of the Twelve, described
himself as an apostle, one "born out of time" (e.g. Romans 1:1 and other letters), claimed
he was appointed by the resurrected Jesus himself during his Road to Damascus vision;
specifically he referred to himself as the Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13,
Galatians 2:8). He also described some of his companions as apostles (Barnabas, Silas,
Apollos, Andronicus and Junia) and even some of his opponents as super-apostles (2nd
Corinthians 11:5 and 12:11). As the Catholic Encyclopedia states: "It is at once evident
that in a Christian sense, everyone who had received a mission from God, or Christ, to
man could be called 'Apostle'"; thus extending the original sense beyond the original
Twelve. Since Paul claimed to have received the Gospel through a revelation of Jesus
Christ (cf. Gal 1:12; Acts 9:3-19, 26-27, 22:6-21, 26:12-23) after the latter's death and
resurrection, (rather than before like the Twelve) , he was often obliged to defend his
apostolic authority (1st Corinthians 9:1 "Am I not an apostle?") and proclaim that he had
seen and was anointed by Jesus while on the road to Damascus; but James, Peter and
John in Jerusalem accepted his apostleship to the Gentiles (specifically those not
circumcised) as of equal authority as Peter's to the Jews (specifically those circumcised)
according to Paul in Galatians 2:7-9. "James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars ...
agreed that we <Paul and Barnabas> should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews."
(Galatians 2:9NIV) 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.

[edit] Other NT usage of the term "apostle"

[edit] Jesus himself

Main article: Jesus

The writer of the Hebrews (3:1) refers to Jesus as the "apostle and high priest of our
professed faith" and of rank greater than that of Moses.

[edit] Barnabas

Main article: Barnabas

In Acts 14:14, the missionary Barnabas is referred to as an apostle.

[edit] James the Just

Main article: James the Just

This James is usually identified as a brother of Jesus. He is not called an apostle in the
Gospels, although the Orthodox Church identifies him as first of the Seventy of Luke
10:1-20. Later he is described in Acts as leader of the Jerusalem Church, and he is
referred to as an apostle by Paul in Galatians 1:19.

[edit] Andronicus and Junia

Main article: Junia

In Romans 16:7 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.[11]

[edit] Later Christianizing apostles

[edit] Roman Catholic tradition

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 heroes.

• Apostle to the Abyssinians: Saint Frumentius

• Apostle to the Caucasian Albania: Saint Yelisey came from Jerusalem in I century
AD
• Apostle of the Alleghanies: Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, 1770–1840
• Apostle to the Americas: Saint Innocent, 1797–1879
• Apostle of Andalusia: Juan de Avila, 1500–1569
• Apostle of the Ardennes: Saint Hubert, 656–727
• Apostle to the Armenians: Saint Gregory the Illuminator, 256–331
• Apostle to Berkshire: Thomas Russell
• Apostle to Brazil: José de Anchieta, 1533–1597
• Apostle to Karantania: Bishop Virgilius of Salzburg (745–84)
• Apostle to the Cherokees: Cephas Washburn
• Apostle to China: Hudson Taylor
• Apostle to the English: Saint Augustine, died 604
• Apostle to the Franks: Saint Denis (3rd century)
 • Apostle to the Franks: Saint Remigius, ca 437–533
• Apostle to the Frisians: Saint Willibrord, 657–738
• Apostle to the Gauls: Saint Irenaeus, 130–200
• Apostle to the Gauls: Saint Martin of Tours, 338–401
• Apostle to the Georgians: Saint Nino, 320s
• Apostle to the Gentiles: Saint Paul
• Apostle to the Germans: Saint Boniface, 680–755
• Apostle to the Goths: Bishop Ulfilas
• Apostle to Hungary: Saint Anastasius, 954–1044
• Apostle to India: Saint Thomas;died around 72 AD
• Apostle to India: Saint Francis Xavier; 1506–1552
• Apostle to India (Protestant): William Carey
• Apostle to the "Indians" (Amerindians): John Eliot, 1604–1690
• Apostle to the Indies (West): Bartolomé de las Casas, 1474–1566
• Apostle to the Indies (East): Saint Francis Xavier, 1506–1552
• Apostle to Ireland: Saint Patrick, 373–463
• Apostle to the Iroquois, Francois Piquet, 1708–1781
• Apostle to Noricum: Saint Severinus
• Apostle to the North: Saint Ansgar, 801–864
• Apostle to the Parthians: Saint Thomas
• Apostle of the Permians: Saint Stephen of Perm, 1340–1396
• Apostle of Peru: Alonzo de Barcena, 1528–1598
• Apostle to the Picts: Saint Ninian, 5th century
• Apostle to the Polish: Saint Adalbert
• Apostle to the Pomeranians: Saint Otto of Bamberg, 1060–1139
• Apostle to the Scots: Saint Columba, 521–597
• Apostle to the Slavs: Saint Cyril, c 820–869
• Apostle to the Slavs: Saint Methodius
• Apostle of Spains: James the Great (d. 44)
• Apostle of Mercy: Saint Faustina Kowalska, 1905–1938

[edit] "Equal to the Apostles" according to Eastern Orthodox tradition

Some Eastern Orthodox saints 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.

• Constantine the Great

Main article: Constantine I and Christianity

The Emperor Constantine the Great, sometimes considered founder of the
Byzantine Empire, formally recognized Christianity in the Roman Empire in the
Edict of Milan in 313. According to Philip Schaff's History of the Christian
 Church: "Soon after his death, Eusebius set him above the greatest princes of all
times; from the fifth century he began to be recognized in the East as a saint; and
the Greek and Russian church to this day celebrates his memory under the
extravagant title of "Isapostolos," 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 also:

• Saint prince Vladimir

• Saint princess Olga of Kiev

[edit] Apostles today

In the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican 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 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 its 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 New Apostolic Church believes also in the current existence of modern day apostles.
They believe in the return of the apostles in the 1830s in England by prophecies. From
among the renewal movements in the 1800s see: Catholic Apostolic Church; from which
the New Apostolic Church split off. Other examples include the United Apostolic Church.

[edit] Twelve Apostles of Christ in the Book of Mormon

According to the Book of Mormon, shortly after his resurrection, Jesus visited a group of
people living in the Americas, and chose twelve men to support his church in that region.
These men were not called "apostles" in the text, but rather "disciples", as there were
already apostles in Jerusalem. Although separated geographically from the Apostles,
these New World disciples were nonetheless considered subordinate to the Old World
apostles (at least in a spiritual sense, if not, for practical reasons, administratively, see 1
Nephi, 12:8-10). The disciples in the Book of Mormon 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.

[edit] Unity School of Christianity/The Twelve Powers

of Man
The Unity Church associates each Apostle with a power, as per Charles Fillmore's The
Twelve Powers of Man. They are Love (John), Enthusiasm or Zeal (Simon the
Canaanite), Imagination (Nathanael Bartholomew), Faith (Simon Peter), Strength
(Andrew), Power (Philip), Will (Matthew), Understanding (Thomas Didymus), Wisdom
(James, son of Zebedee), Order (James, son of Alphaeus), Life (Judas Iscariot/Matthias),
and Elimination or Renunciation (Judas Thaddaeus). Most of these are based on the
Biblical and historical character of the Apostles, such as Simon's zealotry, Peter's attempt
to walk on water when the others would not get out of the boat, Andrew's strength of
character when facing execution, or Judas's desire to improve others' lot in life through
charity. Sam Patrick and Omar Garrison's Jesus Loved Them: Living Portraits of People
Who Knew Jesus, published by Prentice-Hall 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.

[edit] Further reading

• Navarre RSV Holy Bible. Four Courts Press, Dublin, Ireland, 1999.
• Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York:
Doubleday & Company, 1971.
• Pope Benedict XVI, "The Apostles",[12] published 2007, in the US: ISBN 978-1-
59276-405-1; different edition published in the UK under the title: "Christ and His
Church – Seeing the face of Jesus in the Church of the Apostles", ISBN 978-1-
86082-441-8.
• Carson, D.A. "The Limits of Functional Equivalence in Bible Translation - and
other Limits Too." The Challenge of Bible Translation: Communicating God's
Word to the World. edited by Glen G Scorgie, Mark L. Strauss, Steven M. Voth.
 • Carter, Warren. "Matthew 4:18-22 and Matthean Discipleship: An Audience-
Oriented Perspective." Catholic Bible Quarterly. Vol. 59. No. 1. 1997.
• Clarke, Howard W. The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical
Introduction to the First Gospel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
• "Fishers of Men." A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature. David
Lyle Jeffrey, general editor. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992.
• France, R.T. The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and
Commentary. Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
• Manek, Jindrich. "Fishers of Men." Novum Testamentum. 1958 pg. 138
• Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox
Press, 1975
• Wuellner, Wilhelm H. The Meaning of "Fishers of Men". Westminster Press,
1967.
• The Lost Gospel - The Book of Q. by Burton L Mack

[edit] References
1. ^ (Acts 1:15-26)
2. ^ As was not uncommon for Jews at the time, some of them had two names, one
Hebrew/Aramaic and the other Greek. Hence the lists of Jesus's Twelve Apostles
contains 14 names not 12; the 4 Greek names are Andrew, Philip, Thaddaeus and
Lebbaeus. Reference: John P. Meier's A Marginal Jew.
3. ^ At least by their "shining" example, see e.g., "The Lord says: … I will give you
as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth"
Isaiah 49:6; "Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from
Jerusalem" Isaiah 2:2-4 / Micah 4:1-3.
4. ^ βασιλειαν Luke 22:29 without article, hence "kingship", "sovereignty"; contrary
to the occurrence in Luke 22:30 with the article, thus there meaning "kingdom".
5. ^ θρονων (Luke 22:30), the symbol of sovereignty, not a tribunal (βημα, as e.g. in
(Matthew 27:19).
6. ^ κρινοντες (Luke 22:30), "judging" not in the sense of passing judgement and
sentencing, but in the sense of upholding order ("Justice of the Peace"), usually on
behalf of the absent king, like the Judges (κριται) in pre-monarchic times (e.g. in
the title of The Book of Judges , Isaiah 1:26, Greek edition).
7. ^ (Luke 22:29-30)
8. ^ cf. also Acts 15:1-31, Galatians 2:7-9, Acts 1:4-8, Acts 10:1-11:18.
9. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: The Brethern of the Lord: "His [James 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."
10. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: The Brethren of the Lord: "Some identify him [Symeon
of Jerusalem] with the Apostle Simon the Cananean (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18)
or the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)."
11. ^ (See Crossan, J. D. and Reed, J. L., In Search of Paul, HarperSanFrancisco,
2004, pp 115-116, ISBN 0-06-051457-4.)
 12. ^ This is the title on the dust jacket, whereas on the title page the full title is given
as "The Origins of the Church – The Apostles and Their Co-Workers".

[edit] See also

• Apostolic Fathers
• Apostolic succession
• New Apostolic Church
• Disciple
• New Testament
• The Pentecostal Mission
• Seventy Disciples
• Great Commission
• Apostolic Council
• Apostle (Latter Day Saints)
• List of Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Latter-day Saint)

[edit] External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia: Apostles
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Apostle and Apostleship
• Apostles.com: Biographies of Christ's Apostles
• Fishing in first century Judea
• The fishing economy in Galilee
• OrthodoxWiki: Apostle
• Apostle in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
• Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Apostle
• Liddell & Scott
• Strong's G652
• Christian History: The Twelve Apostles

[show]
v•d•e

Christianity topics

[show]
v•d•e

The Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles"
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements
since October 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Twelve
apostles | Ancient Roman Christianity | Christian history | Christian religious leaders |
Cultural lists | Followers of Jesus | Doctrines and teachings of Jesus | Saints of the
Assyrian Church of the East | Judeo-Christian topics | Jesus and history | Christian
missions | Biblical phrases | Biblical apostles

Views

• Article
• Discussion
• Edit this page
• History

Personal tools

• Sign in / create account

Navigation

• Main Page
• Contents
• Featured content
• Current events
• Random article

interaction

• About Wikipedia
• Community portal
• Recent changes
• Contact Wikipedia
• Donate to Wikipedia
• Help

Search

Toolbox

• What links here

• Related changes
• Upload file
• Special pages
 • Printable version
• Permanent link
• Cite this page

Languages

• ‫العربية‬
• Brezhoneg
• Български
• Català
• Česky
• Dansk
• Deutsch
• Eesti
• Ελληνικά
• Español
• Esperanto
• Euskara
• ‫فارسی‬
• Français
• Furlan
• Galego
• 한국어
• Hrvatski
• Bahasa Indonesia
• Italiano
• ‫עברית‬
• Kreyòl ayisyen
• Latina
• Lietuvių
• Limburgs
• Magyar
• Македонски
• Nederlands
• 日本語
• Norsk (bokmål)
• Norsk (nynorsk)
• Nouormand
• Polski
• Português
• Română
• Русский
• Shqip
• Simple English
• Slovenčina
• Slovenščina
• Српски / Srpski
• Suomi
• Svenska
• Tiếng Việt
• Türkçe
• Українська
• 中文

• This page was last modified 09:47, 31 December 2007.

• All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
(See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S.
registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
• Privacy policy
• About Wikipedia
• Disclaimers