The Twelve

The Biblical Data

Matthew and Mark:

Simon, whom he named Peter

James, son of Zebedee

and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder

Andrew, Peter's brother

Philip

Bartholomew

Matthew

Thomas

James the son of Alphaeus

Thaddeus

Simon the Cananean

Judas Iscariot who betrayed him

The Four Gospels, each in its own order

Mt 10:2-4	Mk 3:16-19	Lk 6:14-16	Jn	Paul
Simon called Peter	Simon, whom he named Peter	Simon, whom he named Peter	Peter	Kephas, Peter
his brother Andrew	James, son of Zebedee	Andrew his [Peter's] brother	Andrew (identified as Peter's brother)
James, the son of Zebedee	and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder	James	"sons of Zebedee"
his brother John	Andrew	John	"sons of Zebedee"
Philip	Philip	Philip	Philip
Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Nathanael
Thomas	Matthew	Matthew	Not named.
Matthew the tax collector	Thomas	Thomas	Thomas
James, the son of Alphaeus	James the son of Alphaeus	James the son of Alphaeus	Not named.
Thaddeus	Thaddeus	Simon who was called a Zealot	Not named.
Simon the Cananean	Simon the Cananean	Judas the son of James	Judas (not Iscariot)
Judas Iscariot who betrayed him	Judas Iscariot who betrayed him	Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.	Judas Iscariot
Matthias, elected in Acts 1:23-26

Analytic

Mt & Mk	Luke	John	Paul
Simon Peter	Simon, whom he named Peter	Peter
his brother Andrew	Andrew his brother	Andrew (identified as Peter's brother)
James, the son of Zebedee (Mk: Boanerges (sons of thunder)	James	"sons of Zebedee"
his brother John	John	"sons of Zebedee"
Philip	Philip	Philip
Bartholomew
		Nathanael
Thomas	Thomas	Thomas the doubter
Matthew the tax collector	Matthew
James, the son of Alphaeus
Simon the Cananean	Simon, who was called a Zealot
Thaddeus
	Judas the son of James	Judas (not Iscariot)
Judas Iscariot who betrayed him	Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.	Judas Iscariot
Matthias, elected in Acts 1:23-26

Liturgical Data

First Eucharistic Prayer--"The Roman Canon"

Peter and Paul

Andrew

James

John

Thomas

James

Philip

Bartholomew

Matthew

Simon

Jude

It is interesting that the prayer promotes Paul to the first rank. He was not one of "the Twelve," and he was converted to Christianity several years after Jesus ascended into Heaven.

Matthias, who was an apostle before Paul was, and who was elected in Acts 1 to take the place of Judas, is not mentioned here. His name does appear in the second half of the prayer among "the apostles and martyrs."

NAB Note on the Twelve Apostles

Luke 6:13

When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles.

Footnote to Lk 6:13:

"He chose Twelve": the identification of this group as the Twelve is a part of early Christian tradition (see 1 Cor 15:5), and in Matthew and Luke, the Twelve are associated with the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:29–30; Mt 19:28). After the fall of Judas from his position among the Twelve, the need is felt on the part of the early community to reconstitute this group before the Christian mission begins at Pentecost (Acts 1:15–26). From Luke’s perspective, they are an important group who because of their association with Jesus from the time of his baptism to his ascension (Acts 1:21–22) provide the continuity between the historical Jesus and the church of Luke’s day and who as the original eyewitnesses guarantee the fidelity of the church’s beliefs and practices to the teachings of Jesus (Lk 1:1–4). "Whom he also named apostles": only Luke among the gospel writers attributes to Jesus the bestowal of the name apostles upon the Twelve. See note on Mt 10:2–4. “Apostle” becomes a technical term in early Christianity for a missionary sent out to preach the word of God. Although Luke seems to want to restrict the title to the Twelve (only in Acts 4:4,14 are Paul and Barnabas termed apostles), other places in the New Testament show an awareness that the term was more widely applied (1 Cor 15:5–7; Gal 1:19; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1; Rom 16:7).

Were the apostles baptized by Jesus?

John's gospel, Last Supper: Jesus says that the apostles are clean and do not need to take a bath (or be Baptized?); they only need to have their feet washed. Either He baptized them, which seems doubtful, or the relationship that He had with them cleansed them. That seems more likely to me. But I do not place a lot of weight on my own opinion, such as it is. The apostles may be an exception to the general rule that converts must be baptized.

Pairs of Apostles

• Andrew and Peter, sons of Jonah
• James and John, sons of Zebedee
• James and Judas, sons of Alphaeus
• Philip and Nathaniel
• Matthew and Thomas Didymus
• Judas and Simon the Zealot

Later:

• Timothy and Paul
• Luke and Silas

Concordance search

Matthew 10:2

δὲ δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τὰ ὀνόματά

of the twelve apostles are these:

Mark 3:14

οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν ἵνα

ones and apostles he calls that

Mark 6:30

συνάγονται οἱ ἀπόστολοι πρὸς τὸν

The apostles gathered together

Luke 6:13

οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν

He also named as apostles:

Luke 9:10

ὑποστρέψαντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι διηγήσαντο αὐτῷ

When the apostles returned,

Luke 11:49

προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους καὶ ἐξ

to them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they will kill

Luke 17:5

εἶπαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῷ κυρίῳ

The apostles said to the Lord,

Luke 22:14

καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι σὺν αὐτῷ

He reclined [at the table], and the apostles with Him.

Luke 24:10

πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα

these things to the apostles.

John 13:16

αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἀπόστολος μείζων τοῦ

nor [is] one who is sent greater

Acts 1:2

ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος

given orders to the apostles whom

Acts 1:26

τῶν ἕνδεκα ἀποστόλων

to the eleven apostles.

Acts 2:37

τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποστόλους Τί ποιήσωμεν

and the rest of the apostles, Brethren,

Acts 2:42

διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῇ

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching

Acts 2:43

διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο

through the apostles.

Acts 4:33

μαρτύριον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοῦ κυρίου

power the apostles were giving

Acts 4:35

πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων διεδίδετο δὲ

and lay them at the apostles' feet,

Acts 4:36

ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὅ ἐστιν

Barnabas by the apostles (which

Acts 4:37

πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων

and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Acts 5:2

πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔθηκεν

of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet.

Acts 5:12

χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο σημεῖα

At the hands of the apostles many

Acts 5:18

ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ ἔθεντο

hands on the apostles and put

Acts 5:29

καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι εἶπαν Πειθαρχεῖν

But Peter and the apostles answered,

Acts 5:40

προσκαλεσάμενοι τοὺς ἀποστόλους δείραντες παρήγγειλαν

and after calling the apostles in, they flogged

Acts 6:6

ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προσευξάμενοι

before the apostles; and after praying,

Acts 8:1

πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων

and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:14

ἐν Ἰεροσολύμοις ἀπόστολοι ὅτι δέδεκται

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem

Acts 8:18

χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων δίδοται τὸ

the laying on of the apostles' hands,

Acts 9:27

πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ διηγήσατο

of him and brought him to the apostles and described

Acts 11:1

δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ

Now the apostles and the brethren

Acts 14:4

σὺν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις

and some with the apostles.

Acts 14:14

δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι Βαρνάβας καὶ

But when the apostles Barnabas

Acts 15:2

πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους

up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders

Acts 15:4

καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν

by the church and the apostles and the elders,

Acts 15:6

τε οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ

The apostles and the elders

Acts 15:22

ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ τοῖς

it seemed good to the apostles and the elders,

Acts 15:23

αὐτῶν Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ

and they sent this letter by them, The apostles and the brethren

Acts 16:4

ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων

which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders

Romans 1:1

Χριστοῦ κλητὸς ἀπόστολος ἀφωρισμένος εἰς

called [as] an apostle, set apart

Romans 11:13

ἐγὼ ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος τὴν διακονίαν

as I am an apostle of Gentiles,

Romans 16:7

ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις οἳ καὶ

among the apostles, who

1 Corinthians 1:1

ΠΑΥΛΟΣ κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

called [as] an apostle of Jesus

1 Corinthians 4:9

ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν

has exhibited us apostles last of all,

1 Corinthians 9:1

οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν

Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen

1 Corinthians 9:2

οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος ἀλλά γε

I am not an apostle, at least

1 Corinthians 9:5

οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ

as the rest of the apostles and the brothers

1 Corinthians 12:28

ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους δεύτερον προφήτας

first apostles, second

1 Corinthians 12:29

μὴ πάντες ἀπόστολοι μὴ πάντες

All are not apostles, are they? All

1 Corinthians 15:7

εἶτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν

then to all the apostles;

1 Corinthians 15:9

ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων ὃς οὐκ

the least of the apostles, and not fit

1 Corinthians 15:9

ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος διότι ἐδίωξα

to be called an apostle, because

2 Corinthians 1:1

ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus

2 Corinthians 8:23

ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἀπόστολοι ἐκκλησιῶν δόξα

you; as for our brethren, [they are] messengers of the churches,

2 Corinthians 11:5

τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων

inferior to the most eminent apostles.

2 Corinthians 11:13

μετασχηματιζόμενοι εἰς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ

disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:11

τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων εἰ καὶ

to the most eminent apostles, even

2 Corinthians 12:12 N-GMS

σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν

The signs of a TRUE apostle were performed

Galatians 1:1

ὑμῶν ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ἀπόστολος οὐκ ἀπ'

Paul, an apostle (not [sent] from men

Galatians 1:17

πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον

to those who were apostles before

Galatians 1:19

δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον

any other of the apostles except

Ephesians 1:1

ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:20

θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν

on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Ephesians 3:5

τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ

to His holy apostles and prophets

Ephesians 4:11

τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους τοὺς δὲ

some [as] apostles, and some

Philippians 2:25 N-AMS

ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολον καὶ λειτουργὸν

who is also your messenger and minister

Colossians 1:1

ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 2:6

ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι

as Christ's apostles

ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ

: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus

1 Timothy 2:7

κῆρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος ἀλήθειαν λέγω

a preacher and an apostle (I am telling

2 Timothy 1:1

ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus

2 Timothy 1:11

κῆρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ διδάσκαλος

a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

Titus 1:1

δοῦλος θεοῦ ἀπόστολος δὲ Ἰησοῦ

of God and an apostle of Jesus

Hebrews 3:1

κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα

Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest

1 Peter 1:1

ΠΕΤΡΟΣ ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

2 Peter 1:1

δοῦλος καὶ ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus

2 Peter 3:2

τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑμῶν ἐντολῆς

and Savior [spoken] by your apostles.

Jude 1:17

ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ κυρίου

that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord

Revelation 2:2

λέγοντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ οὐκ

themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found

Revelation 18:20

καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

Revelation 21:14

τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῦ ἀρνίου

of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Links

• Catholic Encyclopedia, "Apostle."
• Wikipedia, "Apostle."