All four Gospels of the New Testament (and Acts, as well) mention that, though many followed Jesus during his time on earth, there were a specific 12 men that Jesus called as his core disciples.  These 12 disciples of Jesus were diverse, to say the least.  Let’s dive into who they were, and why it matters…

First off, what was a disciple in first century Jewish culture?…

Simplest explanation, a disciple in the first century was a student of religion, and each student would train under a particular rabbi (teacher), in order to learn the Torah (the laws of Moses), the Prophets, the traditions, the interpretations of scripture, etc.  

Every disciple was to follow in the footsteps of his rabbi, literally and figuratively.  The goal of a disciple was to learn so tediously under the tutelage of their rabbi that they would, one day, be just like him.  In fact, some have said that a disciple would go as far as following their rabbi “into the bathroom”… The goal of a disciple was to imitate everything about who they followed.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ~ Ephesians 5:1 NLT

The Order of the 12 Disciples…

When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. ~ Luke 6:13-16

There are four different lists of the twelve disciples in the New Testament: Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:13-16, and Acts 1:13. 

Each list differs slightly; however, every list has these things in common:

Peter is always listed first.

Judas is always listed last. 

The two pairs of brothers (Peter and Andrew & James and John) are always listed at the beginning; Peter being first, followed by Andrew, James, and John.

Philip is always mentioned fifth, followed by Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew.

James son of Alphaeus is always mentioned ninth, followed by Simon the Zealot and/or Judas son of James.

Every list is arranged in a way that suggests they were clumped into three groups of four, each having a leader… 

Clump 1: Simon Peter (Leader), Andrew, James, and John

Clump 2: Philip (Leader), Bartholomew, Matthew, and Thomas

Clump 3: James son of Alphaeus (Leader), Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot.

Who They Were…

Simon (Peter)

Simon was a fisherman by trade, alongside his brother, Andrew, as well as James & John.  Upon meeting Simon, Jesus says to him…

You are Simon son of John. You will be called “Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).  ~ John 1:42

In the Greek, “Peter” means “rock”; and, indeed, Peter would eventually be a “rock” of the early church, as one of its key leaders.  

Personality-wise, Peter seems impulsive and bold; but (as with all of us, I’d say) his greatest weaknesses also proved to be his greatest strengths…

Peter was… 

… the one who got out of the boat to walk on water.  (Matthew 14:22-33)

… the one who grabbed a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear during Jesus’ arrest.  (John 18:1-14)

… the one who most passionately proclaimed that he was ready to live, and die, for Jesus.  (Matthew 26:31-35)

… the one who denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed.  (Matthew 26:69-75)

… the one who, with John, literally ran to the tomb on that third day morning, upon hearing that Jesus’ body was gone.  (John 20:1-10)

Peter  was one of the “inner three”, alongside James and John, as a disciple that Jesus seemed to invest in the most.  

As a founder of the early church, he also went on to write many letters.  We have two of them in our scriptures, duly named 1st & 2nd Peter.  He is also speculated to be the voice behind the Gospel of Mark, aiding John Mark in putting together that particular synopsis of Jesus.

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Andrew

Andrew was not only a fisherman, alongside his brother, Simon, and James and John, but he was also a disciple of John the Baptist.  Andrew’s faith was one that immediately clung to Jesus as the Messiah, once John the Baptist announced it as so, and, Andrew, being the evangelist that he seems to be, ran right away to tell his brother, Simon (Peter), about Jesus.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.  ~ John 1:40-41

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James

James was a fisherman, who worked alongside Andrew, Simon Peter, and John, his brother.  Alongside his brother, John, James is included in the “inner three”, those Jesus seemed to invest in the most. 

Jesus nicknamed James (and his brother, John) the “Sons of Thunder”.  It appears they may have been a bit short-tempered…

… the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.  ~ Luke 9:53-55

… and perhaps also a bit prideful…

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”  “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.  They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”  ~ Mark 10:35-37

Regardless, as is the way of Jesus, he sees the best in us, despite our weaknesses, and uses us in mighty ways as we follow him…

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John

As we’ve already said (a lot), John was a fisherman, brother of James, who worked alongside Simon Peter and Andrew; and, he was one of the “inner three”.  – Peter, James, and John.  

Alongside his brother, he was named “Son of Thunder”; but, he was also known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”.  Granted, this title is only bestowed upon John in the gospel that he himself wrote… 😉  But, certainly, it is true (as it would be for any disciple of Jesus).

John was the disciple who lived the longest.  Unlike the other disciples, he was not martyred; though, he was banished in his old age to the Isle of Patmos for preaching the gospel.  Formerly a “son of thunder” he seemed to have mellowed in his old age, judging by the patient and loving approach he has to the followers of Jesus in his letters.

John wrote the Gospel of John, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, and Revelation (a revelation given to him by God during his time on the Isle of Patmos).  

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Philip

We see Philip spotlighted most in the gospel of John.  He has faith in a coming Messiah, and, like Andrew, when he believes it to be Jesus, he immediately runs to tell his buddy, Nathanael (i.e. Bartholomew).  

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”  Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  ~ John 1:43-45

Philip may have been a fisherman…  We don’t know.  We do know, personality-wise, that Philip was a questioner.  He was someone who wanted to know the plan.  He has been described as a man with “a warm heart and a pessimistic head”.

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Nathanael (aka Bartholomew)

Before following Jesus, we have no idea what Nathanael did as an occupation; but, it seems that Nathanael was a big studier of the scriptures.  Some also say, based on his name, that he may have been born into a royal line, somehow.  

As we see from his encounter with Philip about the Messiah, Nathanael was a bit cynical. He may have been the “Debbie Downer” of the group.

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.  ~ John 1:46  

Personality-wise, Nathanael seems to have been direct, bold, skeptical… He was a challenger.  I’d say he was not a passive personality.  

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Matthew (aka Levi)

Matthew was a tax collector, completely despised by most (if not all) of his fellow Jews.  Before he left everything and followed Jesus, he was probably very well-off (one of the perks of being a tax collector).  We can safely assume, at least for a short time at the beginning of his discipleship with Jesus, he was looked at by his fellow disciples as a criminal… a scoundrel… and, the lowest of the low.  

Matthew was probably very educated – quite literate and good with numbers.  He went on to write the Gospel of Matthew, the gospel specifically geared towards a Jewish audience seeking to understand Jesus’ kingship, as the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament scriptures.

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Thomas (aka Didymus, meaning “the twin”)

Did Thomas literally have a twin?  Did he just happen to look like somebody, and he got the nickname as a doppelgangar?…  No clue.  

Personality-wise, Thomas seemed to be courageous and loyal and ready to do whatever needed to be done, in order to follow Jesus; however, unfortunately, Thomas is best known for… doubting.

Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” ~ John 20:24-25

I am fully convinced that “doubting” could have been placed in front of most, if not all, of the disciples’ names during the 72 hours post-crucifixion.  Thomas was just being honest!  Jesus’ death took him to a very dark and devastated place (as I’m sure it did for them all), so I don’t think we can really blame him for his response.  If I was in deep grief over the death of my closest friend… and, my friend was then rumored to have risen from the dead… and, that friend just so happened to appear to all of my buddies during the short block of time that I was not in the room… I would be pretty skeptical and bitter as well.  Besides, without it, we wouldn’t get to read and imagine the beauty of this moment…

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  ~ John 20:26-28

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Disclaimer: We’re now getting into the disciples we really don’t know anything about; BUT, this is what we do know from early church history…

Apart from Judas Iscariot, they went on to spread the name of Jesus for the rest of their lives and were, most likely, martyred for the sake of His name.  Though we don’t have much in our four gospels, we can be assured that they were men who made a huge impact on the world for the mission of Jesus.

James son of Alphaeus

There is far more speculation about James son of Alphaeus than there is knowledge about him.  

There are three Jameses recorded in the Gospels: 

1. James, brother of John, who we’ve already talked about
2. This James, son of Alphaeus
3. James, half brother of Jesus

James, half brother of Jesus, is who they speculate wrote the book of James; however, there is also a lot of speculation that James, son of Alphaeus and James, half brother of Jesus, are the same person… 

Here’s what we do know:  We don’t know.  Studying scripture is often about becoming comfortable with mystery, so… we move on. 🙂

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Thaddeus (aka Jude… aka Lebbeus… aka Judas, brother of James… aka Judas the Zealot)

Thaddeus is the man of many names.  He seems to be called a different name every time we see him listed in scripture.  Did the guy simply get a lot of nicknames?…  If he did have a brother named James, which James are we talking about here!?… So many questions.  So few answers. 

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Simon the Zealot

Zealots were known for their intense, passionate “zeal” for the Jewish nation, which made them haters of Rome.  Zealots read the scriptures through a lens of rage towards those who opposed, or oppressed, their people, and they were known for their propensity towards violence.  Extreme zealots turned to terrorism and were called Sicarii, meaning “dagger men”, because they would carry hidden daggers on themselves, ready to assassinate anyone that stood in the way of Jewish freedom.  

We don’t know if Simon (or, perhaps, Thaddeus) was that extreme, but it is likely.  

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Judas Iscariot

Sadly, Judas is best known for being the disciple that betrayed Jesus, the disciple that turned him over to the Roman authorities and religious leaders in the Garden of Gethsemane after what we have termed “The Last Supper”.  It is uncertain whether “Iscariot” is a place he was from, being similar to the Hebrew word for the city of Kerioth, or if it is actually a corruption of the Latin word “sicarius”, and was intended to tell the reader that Judas was a member of the Sicarii, the violent Jewish nationalist group convinced that the coming Messiah would be a “warrior king” who would defeat the Roman government.  They believed the Messiah would claim his throne and dominate over all other political powers.

In addition, Judas Iscariot was the treasurer of the group; and, we are told in scripture, that he also embezzled some of the money for his own use. (John 12:5-7) 

Judas is the only disciple who didn’t go on to spread the Gospel in the early church.  As far as the scriptures lead us to believe, Judas somehow passed away (perhaps, suicide) after Jesus’ crucifixion – Matthew 27:1-10 & Acts 1:18 – and he was eventually replaced by a man named Matthias as the twelfth apostle.  

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So, there we have it…  “The Twelve”.

Five(-ish) uneducated fishermen. 

One tax collector, despised by all.

Three(-ish) Zealots, known for their passionate (perhaps, to the point of violence) Jewish nationalism.

Three total unknowns, whose stories have mostly escaped the recordings of history.

No doubt about it, this was a mixed bag of men; and yet, they were called together to follow ONE person… to be unified towards ONE mission… and, to spend a LOT of time together… 

Did Jesus not know?…

We can be assured, if the producers of Big Brother and Bachelor in Paradise are strategic in their choosing of cast members, don’t you think the Son of God, King of creation, was as well when it came to the people that would propel his message into the world?

No doubt about it, Jesus called them… intentionally… for a purpose…

Here’s why it matters…

The Lord God is a God of reconciliation.  He is about restoring relationships.  He is about unity.  He is about peace.  

He is a creative Creator God, fashioning humanity with different personalities, different cultures, different walks of life… and, we live in a world with different belief systems, different political stances, different opinions and social norms…

If the Son of God could take a group of people, made up of such diversity… men that would be enemies apart from Him… and unify them into one community, united by His Name and His Mission, then what HOPE there is for a world torn apart. 

Isn’t it just like the God who reconciles to display that reconciliation and restoration in the midst of some of the hardest relationships that existed in 1st century Jewish life.

Jesus chose them.  He chose THEM.  And, certainly, they did not get along at all times… I imagine there may have been some fist-fights and intense disagreements not recorded by the gospel writers.  But…

Jesus did a work in them.  He knew what he was doing when he called each of them, and he knows what he’s doing when he calls you, too.

You are just as called.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus… ~ 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

Think about your own life.  In what ways do you feel inadequate… uneducated… fallible… disliked… ill-equipped… unknown?  

The Lord God sees you.  

He sees you, just as He saw each of those disciples – imperfections and all – and…

The Lord God calls you. 

He calls you to join Him, to spread His Name, to live in community with others that follow Him.

What are the chances that you, placed into a living environment with eleven other people, would automatically get along with all of them perfectly?  No, never!  That’s not how humans work.  Human nature is divisive and full of drama. On its own, without God, humans are not unified. 

And yet, Jesus creates the Church on this earth.. made up of all kinds of different people… and, in its ideal state, through His Spirit, we are unified.  It is a miracle!  It is not perfect, obviously.  Far from it.  

But, one day, it will be…

The Church that Jesus sought to institute is one of healing, of power, of love, of restoration…. 

How can we, in our own lives, pray for and promote the unity of Christ… even in our most difficult relationships between fellow believers?  

He is the God who reconciles us.  He reconciles us to Himself, and He reconciles us to one another.   

Written by Danielle Walker

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For practical ways to live as a disciple of Jesus, watch Following Jesus: Three Practical Ways to Live the Christian Life

For some info about the women who followed Jesus as the early church began to form, watch the Slated for Grace YouTube channel’s IGNITED_Not Disqualified_Acts 1