Four of them were local missionaries in Jerusalem or Judah. John is the only apostle who is believed to have died of natural causes due to old age. Travelling from village to village in Galilee and beyond to Jerusalem, they may have encountered bandits on solitary mountain tracks. He died as an elderly man in that place, from natural causes. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Herod the king put harsh hands on several who belonged to the church. He was the spiritual head of the Church in the Ephesus region, and it is stated that he took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in his own house during her visit. WebDays after his crucifixion, Christ appeared to Peter, according to the gospels. The brothers James and John, also known as the 'sons of thunder', appear, according to the biblical account, to have had short, even violent, tempers. He is credited with extensive missionary journeys, including trips to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, as well as Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, according to folklore and legend. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been authorized by the copyright owner. After Jesus arose and came to them, they were different men. Whoever believes in Him shall live even if he dies. There were missionary efforts in major centers, first in Jerusalem, then Antioch, then Rome, but certainly no sense of a headquarters. Andrew traveled to the former Soviet Union, which is now known as Russia. WebWhat did the disciples do after Jesus died? He traveled farther than even the indefatigable Paul, whose journeys encompassed much of the Mediterranean. They were sent off, probably in small groups, to preach and to perform, on a smaller scale, many of the miraculous things Jesus did. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise (Mark 9:31).Why, then, did they flee and act so frightened when He was arrested? As a martyr for the gospel, he met his end in a variety of ways, according to different versions. Following his death, his body was transported to Spain, where it is presently ensconced in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This post is also accessible in the following languages: (Arabic) (Hindi) The names of the twelve disciples are listed in Matthew 10:24, Mark 3:1619, and Luke 6:1316, according to the Bible. Bloody episodes like this would recur sporadically for the next two centuries. Philip was hanged against a pillar at Heropolis (Abyssinia). Following His resurrection, Jesus gave the Great Commission to eleven apostles (the twelfth, Judas Iscariot, having already died) who were tasked with spreading His teachings and the Gospel message to people all over the world. The majority of what we know about the deaths of the other apostles comes from ancient Christian literature and church tradition, neither of which can be verified. Thomas, or Doubting Thomas as he is commonly known,was one of the Twelve Apostles. Lives of the Saints - Orthodox Church in America oca.org/saints/lives ; Some claim that his bones are currently resting in the cathedral of Compostela, which is located in northern Spain. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. They were unremarkable, unexceptional, and hardworking guys with little or no social standing. March 11, 2005 Scholars generally agree that he was assassinated in Jerusalem in the year 44AD. After casting down the silver coins in the shrine, he exited, went, and took himself into his own arms. Some say three years, others as little as one. |::|, After Jesus' crucifixion the disciples were left rudderless and disorientated but his appearance to them and the intensely motivating events of Pentecost rallied their spirits. It was not even a formal sect of Judaism. What did the Twelve Apostles do after Jesus died? Matthew appears to have been involved with the Jewish communities of Palestine for a long period of time. Even while its interesting to learn a little bit more about how these apostles died, its far more significant to look into what they accomplished and taught during their lives. When Jesus remarked to Peter, When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will clothe you and bring you where you do not wish to go, He was predicting Peters death (John 21:18). What did Jesus do with his disciples after his resurrection? Jesus wanted to make sure the disciples understood the Scriptures before he revealed himself to them. Your email address will not be published. He wanted them to know that the Bible is true, trustworthy, and consistent. The Apostles spread Christianity from Jerusalem to Damascus, to Antioch, to Asia Minor, to Greece, and finally to Rome. Text Sources: Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins sourcebooks.fordham.edu They claim that the three Gospels already mentioned came into the hands of everyone, including Christ himself, and that he accepted them and bore witness to their veracity; however, they claim that there was a lack of an account of the deeds performed by Christ at the beginning of his ministry in the three Gospels. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The Apostle Paul refers to John as one of the pillars of the Church after Pentecost, and he is right (Gal 2:9). It is recorded that he brought the wife of a proconsul to the Lord. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. For example, if you are a Christian, you know that Christ has promised to return someday to establish His everlasting kingdombut how often do you become overwhelmed with fears about the future? They all preached, and many of them started to work with their own disciples. The very next verse makes this clear: But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him (Mark 9:32). The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". He was born in Cana in Galilee and grew up there with his father, Nathaniel. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. [Source: Andrew Todhunter, National Geographic, March 2012 |~|], In the year 44 King Herod Agrippa I imprisoned and beheaded James the Greater, the first of the Apostles to die. This tale of Peter and Paul is supported by the fact that their names are still commemorated in the cemetery of that location to this very day. Of course, he had near him the soldiers who crucified him and the thieves who died alongside him. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 Home Today, around 100,000 pilgrims and tourist each year follow the same route on foot, on horseback, with donkeys and on bicycles. WebWhat did the disciples do after the crucifixion? From this point they found the strength to push forward with keeping Jesus' message alive carrying Christianity through the Near East and beyond. Topics: Crucifixion. It is also thought that his grave is placed within the walls of the St. James Cathedral, which is located in Jerusalem. Four were fishermen, including Peter, James and John, and one, Matthew, was a toll collector. Eusebius provided a more detailed description of what was taken away from James: They stoned Stephen to death first, and then they decapitated James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, who had followed Stephens execution. At least four of the apostles were fishermen, according to tradition. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. This assertion isn't backed up by any historical evidence. Attempting to persuade Andrew to abandon Christianity so that he would not be subjected to torture and execution, Aegeates failed miserably. According to an apocryphal account from the second century called Acts of Peter, Peter requested that he be crucified upside down because he did not believe he was worthy to die as Jesus did. Privacy Many of them are derived from peripheral historical, apocryphal, or non-Latter-day Saint sources, such as mythology. Jude is often considered to have been the first apostle to go out into the mission field. In The Golden Legend, when Simon and Jude used their authority to force demons to come out of idols, the religious authorities slaughtered them: And when the bishops saw this, they hurried upon the apostles and hewed them to death anon. And at that same hour, when the weather was perfect, there was such a squall of thunder and lightning that the temple was split in three, and the two enchanters were converted into embers by the strike of thunder. After the Great Fire of Rome, the apostle was assassinated in Rome by Emperor Nero in the year 64 AD. In Spain, St. James is variously as Jacobus, Iago, Jacme, Jaime, Diego, Jacques and Santiago. According to Matthew 27:3-5. Galatians 1:13 depicts Paul as a nonbeliever, but the resurrection of Christ caused him to be persuaded to believe in Christ. After betraying Jesus, one of the twelve apostles famously committed suicide by hanging himself. These places served as the foundations for the spread of Christianity. Thaddeus (one of Jesus brothers, also called Jude) was shot to death with arrows. In accordance with the Orthodox Church in America, Jude was in Armenia when he was crucified and shot with arrows, which occurred around 45 years (give or take a few years) after the death of Jesus Christ. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: "An immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired." This was after the great fire, and the emperor Nero seemed to have wanted to blame the fire on a variety of groups in Rome such as Jews and Christians. Peter, Andrew, and Philip were crucified; James the Greater and Thaddaeus fell to the sword; James the Lesser was beaten to death while praying for his attackers; Bartholomew was flayed alive and then crucified; Thomas and Matthew were speared; Matthias was stoned to death; and Simon was either crucified or sawed in half. In addition to being the son of Alphaeus, he may have been Matthews brother; he should not be confused with the author of the Book of James (who was Jesus brother); while preaching in Jerusalem, he was stoned to death by the Jews and was buried near the temple. He died about the year 72 AD, and his tomb may be seen in the Indian city of Mylapore. Saints engravings. He said, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father When Constantine became the first Christian Emperor of Rome, he thought that Peter was buried on the Vatican Hill, and bones discovered in a 1939 archaeological dig may provide evidence to substantiate this view. James the Lesser, courtesy of a user on Wikimedia Commons: a disciple of Rembrandt Theory 1: James was martyred while serving as a missionary in Egypt (please note that Wikipedia is the source for this information). Christians in that country believe he was the first to introduce the gospel to their country. He sees our complete potential in its fullest now, just as He does in the past. See Separate Article on ST. PETER factsanddetails.com. He stood at the foot of the Cross when Jesus committed the care of his mother Mary to him. According to one story, he was flayed with knives. While the term flayed can refer to a simple peeling off of skin, it can also refer to skin being removed as a result of a violent beating or whipping. They were Jesus' most familiar allies and companions, but what do we really know about the lives and personalities of the twelve disciples? |::|, According to the BBC: We know that Jesus recruited from the community he grew up in, an environment with a simple but mixed economy where jobs were specialised and survival was all-important. At least four of the disciples, James, brothers Peter and Andrew and John, were fisherman whose livelihood consisted of taking their boats out onto Lake Galilee to catch fish such as sardine and carp. Another reason, I suspect, is because they were overwhelmed with disappointment by Jesus arrest. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders. He died in Jerusalem in 44 AD, although his grave is nowhere to be found in the vicinity of this place. They may have started out as a modest group of everyday fisherman, local officials and artisans, but they went on to become the driving force, keeping alive a small religious movement which flowered into a world religion. Jesus told them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.. Required fields are marked *. According to Irenaeus (about 180 AD), Peter and Paul started the Church at Rome (Italy geography traveling west and slightly north from Israel, you hit the Mediterannean Sea, then Greece and Italy), which is where they were buried: While Peter and Paul were teaching in Rome and creating the foundations of the Church, Matthew also distributed a written Gospel to the Hebrews, which was written in their own dialect. In John 20:25, Thomas expresses his initial skepticism about Christs resurrection. I was intrigued. Not from without, but from within. 1Andrew Interesting tidbit: Jesus Christ, Son of God, and Savior is represented by the Greek word for fish,ichthus, which produced an acrostic:lesous Christos Theou Uiot Soter (which translates as Jesus Christ, Son of God, and Savior). He did, however, subsequently travel to Rome to meet with Peter, and it is said that he came close to being crucified when stepping away from a pot of boiling oil. Johnthe last survivor of the Twelvelikely died peaceably, possibly in Ephesus, around the year 100. |~|, According to the BBC: Despite all the potential problems they faced, somehow the Jesus movement managed to pull together in the same direction. Matthew, one of the four evangelists, is most known for his Gospel, which he wrote. According to the gospels, Christ came to Peter a few days after his crucifixion and death. At least, not from the standpoint of the typical individual, at any rate. 1 JudasWe are all aware of what transpired in his life. The twelve apostles were just regular guys who went to work every day to support their families. Of all the Apostles, Thomas represents most profoundly the missionary zeal associated with the rise of Christianitythe drive to travel to the ends of the known world to preach a new creed. |~| Little is known about the lives of the Apostles. The title Apostle has also been given to Barnabas, Pauls traveling companion, Luke, the author of one of the Gospels. At least three different Jameses are mentioned in the New Testament, all of whom are descended from Alpheus and named James. No one is sure why the scallop shell was chose as the symbol for St. James and his pilgrims. How do you I stop my TV from turning off at a time dish? Many people consider the apostles to be among of the most revered and googled human beings to have ever lived on the face of the world. What did the Twelve Apostles do after Jesus died? The Greek word for fish, ichthus, was used to create an acrostic, which is Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter, which literally translates as Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior in English. Contact Us. Who are the most important people in the spread of Christianity? He is credited with extensive missionary journeys, including trips to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, as well as Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, according to legend. ", Ossuary of James determined to be a fraud. For this purpose, most of Theory 3 states that he was a missionary who served in Africa and later England before being crucified about the year 74 AD. He wrote about James death in his book Hippolytus, which dates from the second and third centuries: And James the son of Alphaeus, while preaching in Jerusalem, was stoned to death by the Jews and buried there alongside thetemple, according to Hippolytus. The Vatican then ordered a translation (the removal of a relic a suitably holy site). Photographs courtesy of.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images The 12 apostles, also known as the 12 disciples, were the closest followers of Jesus Christ and made their influence on the history of Christianity. Several years after the apostles separated and departed Jerusalem, James remained and was appointed the first bishop of the city. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise (Mark 9:31). Andrew (Peters brother, also a fisherman) died on a cross at Patrae, in Achaia, a Grecian Colony. Saint James St. James was one of Christ's 12 apostles. He was well aware of their potential from the outset. James (one of Jesus brothers, also called James the Less) was thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple, and then beaten to death with a club. The soldiers are said to have penetrated his body with their spears, causing him to die on the spot. The young Saulwho would soon become Paul in his celebrated conversion on the road to Damascus observed Stephen's execution, minding the cloaks of those who stoned him. Matthias, the thirteenth, was a local missionary in Jerusalem who died of old age. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Thats where all of the excellent stuff is located. Indeed, another idea says that Bartholomews skin was ripped to bits as a result of a harsh lashing. Simon and Jude: Simon and Jude were the only two apostles to die together, and they were the only two who died together. In roughly 66 AD, during the Christian persecution under Emperor Nero, both Peter and Paul were killed in Rome, where they were buried together. Source2: Eusebius He was the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and he is referred to as the Father of Church History since he wrote about the history of the Christian church. The original 12th, Judas Iscariot, committed suicide after his betrayal after the Last Supper. He preached to the Parthians (Iran), Medes (Iran), Persians (Iran), Hyrcanians (Afghanistan), Bactrians (Afghanistan), and Margians before being slain and buried at Calamene, an Indian city. The phenomena was reported by King Alfonso II of Asturias to the Pope, who endorsed the finding of St. James body as an inventio (the discovery of a tomb or relic after a miraculous revelation) which is similar to an apparition (miraculous vision) like the ones that took place at Lourdes and Ftima. In the years following Christs death and resurrection, Matthew the tax collector is most known for writing the Gospel According to Matthew, which is still in print today. Then there is Mary of Magdala who did not abandon Jesus but remained with him through his death. Paul was executed by beheading. His relics were subsequently moved to the Duomo Cathedral in Amalfi, Italy, where they remain today. He is credited with extensive missionary journeys, including trips to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, as well as Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, according to legend. James killed as a martyr, and his corpse was sawed into pieces, according to Theory 2. We also learn from the book of Acts that when each of the disciples went forth to preach and evangelize, many of them were eventually murdered for their beliefs. Matthias is only mentioned once in the whole Bible, in the verse Acts 1: 21-26, when he is picked to replace Judas Iscariot as a substitute for Judas Iscariot. One reason is because they didnt understand what He was sayingbut didnt want to embarrass themselves by admitting it. Since the early Middle Ages, millions of pilgrims from all Europe, have converged on Santiago de Compostela to pay their respect to St. James. World Religions edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); Encyclopedia of the Worlds Religions edited by R.C. They reattached the head and carried the body in a ship made of stone from Jaffa (in present-day Israel) to the Galician harbor of Padrn in Spain. Matthew: A tax collector in BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Because St. James was the first apostle to be martyred after Christ's crucifixion, many consider him the most senior and most important of all the martyred disciple-saints of the Roman Catholic Church. Some stories merely state that he was martyred, while others claim that he was skinned alive and killed by a group of thugs. They had hoped He would overcome the power of the Roman government and establish a new kingdom, and now their hopes of this vanished. Although only two of the four EvangelistsMatthew and Johnwere among the original Apostles, Mark and Luke are considered apostolic because of the importance of their work in writing the New Testament Gospels. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. They report that he died after being cut through by the spears of four warriors while on the battlefield. Most of his activity was most likely concentrated in the region east of Syria. Will Graham Devotion: Our 4 Greatest Needs. Slightly more than half say they are walking for "religious reasons" and most are Spaniards or Germans. Sources on what happened to Jesus followers include the following: Source1: Hippolytus of Rome (d. 236 AD) date of birth and death uncertain. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Early Christian Art oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth212/Early_Christian_art ; Early Christian Images jesuswalk.com/christian-symbols ; Early Christian and Byzantine Images belmont.edu/honors/byzart2001/byzindex ; Bible and Biblical History: Bible Gateway and the New International Version (NIV) of The Bible biblegateway.com ; King James Version of the Bible gutenberg.org/ebooks ; Bible History Online bible-history.com ; The Apostolic Age refers to the period of early Christianity that encompassed the lives of the apostles and their successors. Peter requested that he be crucified upside down because he did not believe he was worthy of dying in the same manner as his Lord. Peter, James the Elder and John are regarded as the Apostle inner circle. Thomas: Almost all of Doubting Thomas ministry took place outside of the borders of the Roman Empire, which was a rarity at the time. Mary Magdalene is known as the apostle to the Apostles for her role of announcing the resurrection to them. Simon bar Jonah (Simon bar Jonah): With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the rock on which Christ formed His Church brought together 120 confused and disillusioned disciples of Jesus and within days had built a Church with a membership of more than 5,000 people. Rather, they were given permission to go off on their own and preach His message independently and without supervision. Matthias was the victor, while Barsabus was the loser. With the sword, he assassinated James, the brother of John (Acts 12:1-2). Both were martyred in Rome in the year 66 AD, during Emperor Neros persecution of Christians. According to mythology, his ashes rest in the church of Amalfi, Italy, where he is commemorated. Jesus Taught His Disciples. These people were ordinary and unexceptional in every way. Moses of Chorene stated in the fifth century that Simon the Zealot was martyred in the Kingdom of Iberia, according to tradition. The apostle James is not mentioned again until his death 10 years later, during the brief reign of Herod Agrippa, in 42 or 44, despite the fact that he was a member of the inner circle of Peter, James, and John, those apostles closest to Jesus (Acts 12). Andrew Todhunter wrote in National Geographic: In the early days, Columba Stewart, a Benedictine monk and historian at Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota, told me, "the organizational structure, the great institution of the churchsignified for Roman Catholics today by the Vatican and its complex hierarchysimply wasn't there. After Jesus crucifixion the disciples were left rudderless and disorientated but his appearance to them and the intensely motivating events of Pentecost rallied their spirits. He also preached in Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is claimed to have been crucified towards the end of his preaching career. Now what really happened to Peter and Paul, we can never say for sure but by the mid sixties, say between 62 and 64, it does appear that both Peter and Paul have died. They were not the type of people that you would have anticipated Jesus to send forth on his mission to bring the gospel to all of humanity. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. After Jesus's death, the disciples became the Apostles (a Greek word that means ones sent forth) and Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, was replaced by Matthias. It does not store any personal data. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The names of Jesus apostles have risen to the top of the list of the most popular male given names in the Western world. WebJohn records that another disciple also followed Jesus, and being in some way known to the high priest, was responsible for gaining admission to the courtyard ( Jn 18:15-6 ). Additionally, in the sixteenth century, Justus Lipsius wrote that he had his limbs sawed in half. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. They spread the Good News because they knew it was true.And what is the Good News? The numerous pagans at Colchis are said to have beheaded him with an axe, resulting in his death being considered a martyrs death. Certain of the earliest records claim that he was not martyred, while others claim that he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia, according to some sources. When it comes to Andrew after Pentecost, the Bible remains deafeningly silent, save for the fact that the majority of the apostles stayed in Jerusalem until around AD 42, during Herod Agrippas persecution of the Christians. As a result, it was well known among all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, inasmuch as that field is known in their own language as Aceldama, which translates as the field of blood. Its possible that the hanging hypothesis is more common in the Latter-day Saint faith, but who knows. According to popular belief, James was the first apostle to be martyred. Tradition has it that he will accompany Andrew to Syria and be burned to death. The Apostles are beloved not just because they were hand-picked by God Himself, but also because they are relevant to people of all backgrounds. Another myth about one of his exploits is based on the conversion of a local doubting king, which has become rather popular in recent years. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, James was stoned and then clubbed to death as a result of his religious convictions. Rather of nailing him on a cross, Andrew was scourged and fastened to the stake instead, in order to prolong his agony before death. Biblical Archaeology Society biblicalarchaeology.org ; Saints and Their Lives Today's Saints on the Calendar catholicsaints.info ; They would have left the comfort of their family homes to hit the road, often sleeping rough and relying on the hospitality of locals for food and shelter. Peter, however, believing himself unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as his Savior, begged to be crucified upside down, on an inverted crucifixion, which he was granted. But Jesus transformed them into the foundation of the church and entrusted them with the most amazing mission imaginable: summoning the entire world, including the mightiest empire the world had ever seen, to repentance and faith in the resurrected Christ.