Who were the twelve (12) disciples / apostles of Jesus Christ?

were Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John (sons of Zebedee), Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon Zelotes, and Matthias, who was chosen in place of Judas Iscariot. See Matthew 10; Luke 6, Mark 3, and Acts 1.

There is no other question as to the apostles' names but Thaddaeus and Judas, names confessedly interchanged, or rather, as learned men have urged, the very same. Simon, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James, Simon, Judas Iscariot, are the same in all.

1918 102 But now you see we have come to the part of the Gospel where the King must have His court; so here we get the twelve apostles who will yet sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Here is the One spoken of in Isaiah 32, "Behold a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgment." A little later in this Gospel when He is rejected, it is, "Behold a sower went forth to sow." Here He calls to Him the twelve disciples (ver. 1). Then in ver. 3, "The names of the twelve apostles are these." He has not only the heart and the power to do everything, but He delegates that power or authority as it pleases Him. Two words are translated "power," one meaning "authority," the other power as "force or ability." Here He gives authority "over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." A wonderful court is this. Never was there one like it. We must not lose sight of this, that it is the King Who calls these twelve apostles. Matthew uses the word "apostles" once only, Mark once, Luke six times, and John in his Gospel, once, and that in a general way — "he that is sent" (13:16), which is the meaning of the word "apostle."

We get a list of them in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the Acts. In each case Peter is first, and Judas last, except where Matthias takes his place. These little undesigned coincidences are very comforting, as showing what we believe so heartily — the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. The names are grouped in three fours; the twelve tribes are divided into four threes. Twelve is a complete number. Four plus three makes seven, the perfect number: and four times three gives us the perfect administrative number. Peter, James, John and Andrew form the first group always, and Peter is always the first, but the other three are not always in the same order. Philip is always the first Of the second four, who are always grouped together; whilst James the son of Alphaeus is always the first of the last four. Simon was not a Canaanite but a Zealot, a member of a sect of the Jews so called. We ought to take notice of these little things. It is only in this list given by Matthew, that Matthew is called the publican. Matthew and Thomas are always put together, but when Matthew writes he puts Thomas first. There are many little things in this Gospel which bring out his humility.

APOSTLES, THE TWELVE. The Lord appointed these "that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out demons," and also to carry out the various commissions given by Christ on earth. It will be seen by the lists that follow that Lebbaeus, Thaddaeus and Judas are the same person; and that Simon the Canaanite (Cananaean) and Simon Zelotes are the same; Peter is also called Simon; and Matthew is called Levi.

Peter is always named first; he with James and John was with the Lord on the mount of transfiguration and also with the Lord at other times, though no one apostle had authority over the others: they were all brethren and the Lord was their Master. Judas Iscariot is always named last. In Matthew the word 'and' divides the twelve into pairs, perhaps corresponding to their being sent out two and two to preach. Bartholomew and Simon Zelotes are not mentioned after their appointment except in Acts 1.

The heart of the blessed Lord is moved with compassion in seeing the crowd milling in aimless confusion as sheep without a shepherd. Have we not often felt similarly in observing the crowds on today's city streets? Let us then take to heart His urging His disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into His harvest. There is no lack of work for them, yet they are few, which is as true today as it was then.When He instructs us to pray, He fully intends to answer such prayer, as we see now in His sending forth His twelve disciples. It is precious to see Him exercising authority to communicate authority to them over evil spirits, sickness and disease; for He is far more than God's servant: He is Lord. In fact, He sends forth the very servants whom He had instructed to pray that He would send laborers into His harvest. The names are given here in groups of two. Simon Peter is called "the first"' being particularly gifted as a public evangelist and a leader. Andrew follows, though it was he who brought Peter to the Lord (Jn.1:41-42). James and John were brothers. Bartholomew is evidently Nathanael, who was brought by Philip to the Lord (Jn.1:46-47). Thomas is linked with Matthew, who writes this Gospel. Lebbacus (surnamed Thaddeus) is evidently Jude the brother of James (Lk.6:16; Jude 1). Of most of these we have very little history, in contrast to the somber history of Judas Iscariot. But they are chosen from the lowly classes of men, to emphasize the power and grace of the King Himself in empowering them. (Paul, introduced later as apostle to the Gentiles, and to reveal the truth of the assembly, was in contrast a man of outstanding intellect and learning.)

(6) Bartholomew. This was the apostle's patronymic, that is, his family name, or surname; and it occurs in all four lists. Nathanael was, most probably, his personal name, signifying the "gift of God." He confessed the Lord before His public ministry as Son of God and King of Israel (John 1:49). Bartholomew is not mentioned by John, who, however, includes Nathanael of Cana when naming others of the apostles after the resurrection (John 10 11:2). Of him the Lord said, "Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile" (John 1:47).

But we have here only a preparatory testimony addressed to Israel, and the names are in pairs, six pairs, as they were sent out by the Lord, two and two, not disregarding apparently in this the natural or spiritual ties which link men together. Simon and Andrew are brothers, and Simon had been led by his brother to Jesus: here there were both links. The sons of Zebedee come next. Then Philip and Bartholomew, the latter supposed to be that Nathanael, whom Philip had brought to the Lord. Beyond this we are not able to go in realizing such connection, and as to the names and persons had better leave what can be said of them to develop naturally from the history.

A. Simon or Symeon (2 Peter 1:1) had the patronymic of Bar, that is, son of Jona or Jonas, (Matthew 16:17; John 20:15-17), and was given by the Lord the name of Kephas (Aramaic) or Petros (Greek) = Stone or Rockman (John 1:43, confirmed solemnly later in Matthew 16:18).

One thing however it is important to observe. When God gives names to men, His power makes good what His grace bestows, as when He changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah. So when Jesus, Who is God blessed for ever, ordained the twelve, and sent them forth to preach, He gave to Simon the name Peter — a stone — and to James and John the name Boanerges — the sons of thunder. Of the ministry of James we have no record. That it was in power, we may infer from Herod seeking to ingratiate himself with the Jews by killing him. Of Simon, whose weakness even to denying his Lord is narrated in every Gospel, we know that, by grace, he became His boldest and most uncompromising witness, establishing and strengthening his brethren also, to set their faces as a flint in following Christ, their blessed example. To John, a quiet and retiring man, was given a testimony of extraordinary power, suited "for the last time": the grandest and most sublime unfolding of the glory of the Son of God by one who had seen it, and knew that "his witness was true." And this was accompanied by authoritative and awe-inspiring vindication — as became a "son of thunder" — of the sacredness of His Person against every attempt of deceivers to profane it.

The Twelve Chosen. — We have seen that the recognised teachers amongst the Jews refused to receive the Lord and His instruction, and if possible would have got rid of Him. Hence He now called the twelve, whom He named Apostles, to send them forth at a later time on their mission of preaching the good news of the kingdom. God's work was not to suffer because the scribes and Pharisees persistently opposed the prophet of whom Moses had written. The moment, therefore, had come for the selection of the twelve out of the company of His disciples (Luke 6:13). Ere, however, doing that, He went into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. That night of prayer Luke only records. It was a moment of importance in the work given Him to do. For the choice of the twelve was the open declaration on the Lord's part of His rejection of the scribes as fitting teachers of the truth He had come to communicate. Sitting as they did in Moses' seat, whatever of the Mosaic legislation they taught, to that people were still to hearken (Matt. 23:2-3) but the privilege of preaching the good news of the kingdom, and of showing by works of miraculous power that a new dispensation was commencing, was to be entrusted to others. They had proved themselves unfit for such an honour. Of the twelve we then hear, Simon Peter as always heading the list, and Judas Iscariot closing it. In none of the synoptic gospels are they all mentioned quite in the same order. Matthew enumerated them in couples, indicating very probably how they went out to preach, for two and two were they sent forth by the Lord on their mission (Mark 6:7); and with becoming modesty he mentions himself after his travelling companion Thomas, whilst both Mark (3:18), and Luke (6:15), agree in giving him the precedence.