The “Minor Nine” Apostles I. Introduction A. The primary message of the New Testament is the Gospel: the good news of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension/lordship, and imminent return in judgment (Luke 24:44-48, Acts 2:13-46, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) B. Yet we should not miss the importance of those who saw Jesus in life and who testified as the witnesses of His resurrection: the twelve Apostles (Luke 24:44-48, 1 John 1:1-4) 1. Jesus specifically chose these men to learn of His teachings, witness His life and work, visited them in His resurrection, and commissioned them to receive power from the Holy Spirit and to go and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world (Matthew 10:1-4, 18:18, Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-2:48) 2. They would work to turn the world upside down, and we are to learn from their examples as they modeled the life of Jesus (Acts 17:6-7, 1 Corinthians 11:1) C. Who are the Apostles? 1. Simon Peter, the fisherman, listed first, the chief spokesman of the Twelve (Matthew 4:18-19, 10:1, 16:16-19) 2. John, brother of James, the sons of Zebedee; they, with Peter, were the Three who were closest to Jesus, and John was the disciple whom Jesus loved (Matthew 4:21, 17:1-9, John 13:23-25) 3. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 10:4, 26:14-16) 4. The rest of the Apostles, the “Minor Nine,” of whom we learn comparatively less a. Originally Andrew (brother of Peter), James (brother of John), Philip, Bartholomew (Nathanael?), Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector, also called Levi), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, and Simon (the Cananean or Zealot; Matthew 10:1-4 / Mark 3:13-19 / Luke 6:13-16) b. Matthias would take Judas’ place (Acts 1:15-26) D. We do well to explore what can be known about these men and learn from them E. Let us consider the “minor nine” Apostles 1. Andrew, James son of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew/Nathaniel, Thomas, Matthew/Levi, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean/Zealot, and Matthias 2. We reckon these nine “minor” not because of their standing but because there is comparatively far less revealed about them 3. We nevertheless get some glimpses regarding them, and we do well to see what we can learn from them as they are revealed in Scripture II. The “Minor Nine” Apostles A. We can glean a few details about the “minor nine” Apostles and who they were, but not much B. The most prominent of them is James, son of Zebedee 1. Brother of John, son of Zebedee and Salome, a fisherman of Galilee (Matthew 4:20-21 / Mark 1:19-20 / Luke 5:8-10, Matthew 27:56 / Mark 15:40, 16:1) 2. Reckoned as one of the three who were closest to Jesus, seeing Jairus’ daughter raised, Jesus in the Transfiguration, asked privately about the destruction of Temple, and brought closer in Gethsemane (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 13:3, 14:31-32, Luke 8:51-56) 3. He is continually paired with his brother John: as Boanerges, “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17); asking for fire to come down on Samaritans (Luke 9:51-55); asking to be at Jesus’ left and right hand (Matthew 20:20-28, Mark 10:35-45) 4. James son of Zebedee is individually noted only in terms of his death, the only death of an Apostle to be recorded, by Herod Agrippa with the sword (ca. 44; Acts 12:2) C. We also learn some things about Andrew and Philip 1. They are both men of Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44) 2. Andrew is the brother of Simon Peter and a fisherman with him; formerly a disciple of John the Baptist; when John told him Jesus was the Lamb of God, Andrew followed Jesus, and went and brought Simon to Him (John 1:40-42; Matthew 4:18 / Mark 1:16, Matthew 10:2 / Luke 6:14) 3. Jesus calls Philip before He returns to Galilee; Philip found Nathanael (Bartholomew), said he had found the Christ of God, and to come and see (John 1:43-48) 4. Both Andrew and Philip will have cameo moments where they are the ones to ask or say something to Jesus a. John 6:6-7: Jesus asks Philip about getting bread for the crowd; Philip exclaimed that two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for them b. John 6:8-9: Andrew tells Jesus about a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but wonders how that could feed so many c. John 12:20-22: when some Greeks wanted to see Jesus they spoke first to Philip, who told Andrew; both Andrew and Philip went to tell Jesus d. John 14:8-9: Philip tells Jesus to show them the Father, and it would be enough for them; Jesus asks if he has been with Him so long and yet does not understand that if you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father 5. The constant pairing of Andrew and Philip in John’s Gospel may indicate that they worked together like Peter and John did D. Bartholomew/Nathanael 1. “Nathanael” is mentioned only in John, who does not mention Bartholomew (John 1:43-49) 2. Since Bartholomew is often mentioned near or paired with Philip in the synoptic Gospels, most consider them one and the same person (Matthew 10:3 / Mark 3:18 / Luke 6:14) 3. From Cana in Galilee; by name derivation, perhaps a farmer (Bartholomew -> Aramaic bar Tolma, “son of the furrows”; John 21:2) 4. Bartholomew / Nathanael famous for asking if any good thing could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46) 5. Jesus called him an Israelite in whom there was no deceit (John 1:47) 6. Nathanael easily believes in Jesus as the Messiah, would see far greater things (John 1:48-51) 7. In John 21:2, with Peter, James, John, and Thomas in Galilee, fish with them E. Thomas 1. Thomas is also known as Didymus, “the Twin” (John 11:16, 20:24, 21:2) 2. Probably Galilean; John’s emphasis shows that he is most famous for having a twin 3. He has two cameo speaking roles in John a. John 11:16: he encourages the rest of the disciples to go to Judea and die with Jesus, indicating his conviction about what is about to happen, but not positively b. John 14:5: tells Jesus that they do not know where He is going, so how can they know the way? 4. Yet Thomas is best known as “Doubting Thomas” (John 20:24-29) a. Not present when Jesus appeared to the other ten disciples b. He declares that he will only believe if he can touch His wounds c. Jesus appears again to all the disciples, invites Thomas to see and touch d. John does not say whether he does touch; he answers, “my Lord and my God!” e. Jesus asks if he believes because he sees, pronounces blessings on those who believe but have not seen 5. Thomas is normally an object lesson about trusting Jesus, but his witness is important: it shows the disciples were not gullible but wanted reasonable assurance and confidence that what they thought they were experiencing was in fact real 6. In the end, is Jesus upbraiding Thomas, or is He providing greater assurance for those who did not have an opportunity to see and yet believe? F. Matthew, or Levi 1. Called both Matthew and Levi in Mark and Luke, only Matthew in Matthew (Matthew 9:9 /Mark 2:14 / Luke 5:27-29, Matthew 10:3 / Mark 3:18 / Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13) 2. As son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:15, possibly related to James son of Alphaeus 2. A publican, or tax collector; reckoned as one of the most sinful class of Israelites, since they worked for the oppressive government and made their living on whatever they could extract from their fellow Israelites beyond what was due (Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27) 3. Matthew was specifically a toll collector, most likely assessing taxes on those traveling on Sea of Galilee or on caravan routes (Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27) 4. Called by Jesus, and follows Him immediately; invites fellow tax collectors to his house to share a meal with Jesus (and ostensibly learn from Him), precipitating a discussion with the Pharisees about eating with sinners (Matthew 9:10-13 / Mark 2:15-17 / Luke 5:29-32) 5. By traditional accounts the author of the Gospel of Matthew (Papias in Eusebius, History of the Church 3.39.14-17, Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1) G. Of the other four little is known beyond their names 1. James, the son of Alphaeus is perhaps related to Matthew (Matthew 10:3), and is sometimes identified as James the less of Mark 15:40, and thus his mother was Mary who was the companion of Mary mother of Jesus 2. Thaddaeus (“courageous heart”) is also called Judas son of James, which is most likely his name (Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13); in John 14:22, he asks Jesus how He will manifest Himself to His disciples but not the world 3. Simon is known as the Cananean (Matthew 10:3) or Zealot (Luke 6:15); Cananean sometimes taken to refer to Cana of Galilee, but “Cananean” in Aramaic means “Zealot”; thus most likely one of the party of the Zealots, passionately devoted to fomenting rebellion leading to the overthrow of the Roman oppressors (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18) 4. Matthias, who is appointed to take the place of Judas Iscariot, is not otherwise mentioned nor known; he was a disciple who followed Jesus from His baptism and saw Him in His resurrection (Acts 1:16-17, 20-26) H. Such is all what is known of these men from the pages of Scripture III. The Nine Apostles in Tradition A. From Scripture we know that the Apostles were together in the upper room after Jesus’ ascension and before Pentecost (Acts 1:13), and that the Apostles remained in Jerusalem as the early church was founded and remained together at least until the time of the Jerusalem conference save for James after he is killed by Herod (Acts 2:1-15:29) B. The exploits of Peter, John, and Paul are somewhat traced afterward; in terms of the other nine, their exploits are mostly lost to history C. Traditions developed about where these Apostles went, preached the Gospel, and met their end in martyrdom 1. Andrew is said to have gone to Scythia to preach by Origen in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.1, and Thrace and northern Greece according to Hippolytus and Basil of Seleucia; according to the apocryphal Acts of Andrew, martyred in Patras in Greece, crucified on an x-shaped cross lest he die as his Lord (cf. Gregory of Tours, Monumenta Germaniae Historica 2.821-847) 2. Philip, according to the apocryphal Acts of Philip, preaches in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria; believed to either have been crucified upside down (and preached throughout) or beheaded in Hierapolis 3. Bartholomew/Nathanael preaches in India and leaves a copy of Matthew’s Gospel according to Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 5.10); others claim he preached in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Lycaonia, and Armenia; popular tradition in the last holds he was flayed alive and crucified by Astyages for having converted his brother the Armenian ruler Polymius 4. Origen also claimed that Thomas preached among the Parthians, but Thomas is best known as the Apostle to India; according to Ephrem, he was martyred in India and his body was brought back to Edessa in Syria (cf. apocryphal Acts of Thomas, Didascalia) 5. Matthew is said to have preached to the Jews of Judea (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1); other countries are also mentioned, but little agreement in ancient sources; his martyrdom is assumed but was challenged by one Gnostic teacher (Heracleon) 6. James son of Alphaeus was said to have preached and been executed in Egypt 7. Thaddaeus is said to have preached in Greater Israel, Idumea, Libya, Mesopotamia, and perhaps Syria; many associate him as the Jude who authored the letter, even though most believe that Jude to be the brother of the Lord; some associate him with Thaddaeus of Edssa who was one of the seventy who eventually preached in Syria 8. Simon the Cananean/Zealot is often associated with Thaddaeus, and legend has both being martyred in Beirut; he preached in Egypt before meeting up with Thaddaeus in Persia/Armenia or in Lebanon (cf. The Golden Legend); other traditions claim he went anywhere from Ethiopia to Persia to Britain to Armenia, crucified or sawn in two 9. Tradition also varies about Matthias: the Greeks claimed he went to Cappadocia, Nicephorus (History of the Church 2.40) and the apocryphal Acts of Matthew and Matthias claims he preached first in Judean and then in the area of Georgia near the Black Sea; some claim he died in Sebastopolis, or was stoned by the Jews, but Hippolytus claims he dies of old age in Jerusalem D. Many of these traditions should be taken with a grain of salt; many are likely contradictory, and everyone wanted to believe that an Apostle had worked in the midst of their peoples E. Nevertheless, it is likely that at least some of these traditions maintain a grain of truth, and they do well to show how the Apostles strove to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus throughout the whole world (Colossians 1:6) IV. The Example of the Nine Apostles A. What are we to learn from these nine Apostles? B. We see they are men from different walks of life, everything from a tax collector whose work supports the state to the Zealot who seeks to undermine the state C. They leave everything to follow Jesus and learn of Him D. We learn about their eagerness to direct their family and friends to Jesus 1. When Andrew learns from John that Jesus is the Lamb of God, his first thought is to bring his brother Simon to Him (John 1:40-42) 2. When Philip is called, his impulse is to tell Nathanael/ Bartholomew that he has found the Christ of God, and to come see Him (John 1:43-45) 3. When Matthew/Levi is called he sets up a feast so that all his fellow tax collectors can interact with and learn from Jesus (Matthew 9:10-13 / Mark 2:15-17 / Luke 5:29-32) E. We can also perceive their desire for all to hear the Gospel of Christ through all the traditions regarding where they preached and bore witness to Jesus (Acts 1:8) F. From Thomas we see a disposition that wants confirmation of reports, and the willingness of Jesus to subject Himself to such a confirmation (John 20:24-29) 1. “Doubting Thomas” gets pretty bad press 2. Yes, he questioned; but when he saw, he accepted what he saw and is the first to make the grand confession that Jesus is not only Lord but also God 3. As with Thomas, so with us: we have the witness of the Apostles preserved so as to confirm the resurrection, but will we trust or turn aside? 4. One can get lost in doubt, but acting as if doubt is always and automatically wrong does not respect what happens with Thomas in John 20! G. Above all, we learn from these nine Apostles that much is done in the Kingdom in ways that do not leave preserved notoriety 1. We are calling them the “minor nine” because we learn so little about them compared with Peter, John, and Judas Iscariot 2. Does that mean they are insignificant or less important? By no means; it just means that right now we do not know as much about them 3. No doubt, in the resurrection, we could speak with these Apostles and hear all kinds of stories and learn much about their efforts in promoting the Gospel 4. Just because their work was not revealed does not make it less important or meaningful than what Peter or Paul did 5. And so it is with us: some Christians seem to get a lot more press and notoriety, but that does not mean that those who are less heralded are any less important (1 Corinthians 12:12-28) 6. In the end, Jesus personally selected each of these men; each of these men lived their lives in His service; each of these men will receive appropriate glory and honor in the resurrection, for the Kingdom of God was built on their proclamation (Matthew 16:16-19, 18:18, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 2:20-22) H. May we therefore honor the memory of these nine Apostles and seek to live according to the will of God in Christ! I. Invitation/songbook Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Matthew 10:2-4). Jesus personally selected twelve men who would become the Apostles. We hear much about Simon Peter, John the son of Zebedee, and a bit about Judas Iscariot. Of the rest we know comparatively much less, yet they remain important as witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. May we follow the Lord Jesus today! 2: Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said unto him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip saith unto him, “Come and see” (John 1:45-46). From the beginning many of the Apostles have great confidence in Jesus. Their confidence of Jesus as the Christ leads them to invite their friends and family to learn of Jesus. All those who come to recognize Jesus as the Christ do well to invite everyone to come and learn of Him! 3: Then saith [Jesus] to Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27). The Apostle Thomas is famous as “Doubting Thomas,” who would only believe in Jesus’ resurrection when he could touch His wounds. He is often maligned for his doubt, but Jesus provides an opportunity to be thus examined. The Apostles were not gullible; they needed convincing as well. It is natural to have doubt at times, but we do well to subject those doubts to the witness of Jesus and His life and to trust in Him! 4: “But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We do not know much about nine of the Apostles because their exploits are not revealed. Such does not mean they are less important or valuable! Traditions claim these Apostles went everywhere from India to England, from Ethiopia to Armenia. They bore witness to Jesus and His resurrection throughout the known world and most died for that witness. May we honor the work of the Apostles of our Lord and seek to follow Jesus!