May 12, 2021

What Happened to the Disciples after Jesus left?

You can find a list of the disciples in Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16. There is a partial list in John 21. You will also note some variations in the names. This would be based upon the individual writers familiarity with that disciple.

Let’s take care of a couple of easy ones. We know how Judas died. He hung himself after betraying Jesus. We don’t know anything about him prior to Jesus selecting him to be a disciple. To be fair to him, we have to believe that Judas was used of the Lord, just as the other disciples were. This would hold true especially to the time referred to in Matthew 10:5 where Jesus sends them out, gives them authority to heal and deliver the demonized. Scripture is very clear that they all went out and returned, celebrating the spiritual victories over disease and hell itself. This would have no doubt included Judas.

The next one that is relatively easy is John the Son of Zebedee. He was the only disciple to die from natural causes. He died as an old man, perhaps into his 90’s.

The Emperor Domitian tried to kill him off two other times. First, he had John dipped into a boiling cauldron of oil but God protected the Apostle and he came through this with no marks or any harm.

Then Domitian had John exiled to the Island of Patmos. This was a prison island that no one walked away from. But when Domitian was assassinated, the Roman Senate freed all political and religious prisoners of Domitian. John once again was saved by God’s power.

James the son of Zebedee was the second martyr mentioned in Scripture. The first was Stephen in Acts 7. But if you read in Acts 12, we find out that James, the Son of Zebedee and the brother of John, the Son of Zebedee was beheaded by Herod.

Peter was martyred by the Roman Emperor Nero in 66 A.D. They were going to crucify him, as they had done to Jesus but Peter demanded to be crucified upside down because he felt he was not worthy to die as Christ had died.

Andrew supposedly traveled to the north into what would today be northern Russia. One such note about his life is that he “traveled to the land of the man eaters.” But he apparently survived that place then returned to the lands of Turkey, (Asia Minor) and Greece. He was martyred while preaching the Gospel in Greece.

Thomas traveled north into what we would know of today as Syria. He then proceeded to India where he was martyred by four soldiers who ran their spears through him.

There is a large group of Indian Christians who claim Thomas their spiritual father.

Philip spent time in the north of Africa and then returned to Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). The story is told that the wife of one of the leading Roman proconsuls converted to Christianity under Philips ministry. The proconsul then proceeded to have Philip arrested and put to death.

Matthew traveled throughout the Persian Empire (Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). After this he traveled to Ethiopia where it is reported that he was stabbed to death for preaching the Gospel.

Bartholomew or Nathanael may have traveled to India with Thomas. There are accounts from Armenian Christians of his presence there as well as in Southern Arabia and Ethiopia. We don’t know for sure how or who killed him, but we know he was killed for preaching the Gospel.

James the Son of Alphaeus, perhaps the lesser known of the disciples traveled north, to Syria. He was stoned and clubbed to death there for preaching the Gospel.

Simon the Zealot traveled to Persia (modern day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). Tradition tells us that he was killed after refusing to offer a sacrifice to the sun God.

I might also mention that some believe Simon traveled through Ethiopia and down the Nile River preaching the Gospel. Some also believe he traveled as far as Great Britain.

Tradition says he was sawn in two while in Persia (Iran). We simply don’t have all the facts of his travels.

In Acts 1 we learn the 11 disciples voted to bring Matthias on as a replacement for Judas. Tradition says that he traveled to Syria with Andrew and was ultimately burned at the stake for preaching the Gospel.

Finally, depending upon which translation of the Bible you read there was a second disciple named Judas. He was not a traitor.

He was also known as Thaddaeus. It is believed he too traveled to Armenia and into Persia where he was martyred for preaching the Gospel.

**

 I used two resources for the information in this blog. The first was an older book called, “13 Men Who Changed the World” by H.S. Vigeveno. It was published by Regal Books in 1966. (I told you I was old). Second, I used an article that you can link to by clicking on the following: https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html

I hope this information helps answers your questions about the life of the disciples and challenges you to answer God’s call on your life. You too are chosen, just as the disciples were chosen to do great and mighty works to help bring the Kingdom of God about.

Always in Pursuit!

Don