Disciples of Jesus

Simon Peter was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was a fisherman by trade. The name ‘Peter’ was given to him by Jesus, which means “rock” and Jesus later said that Peter would be the “rock” on which he would build His church. Peter, along with James and John were part of Jesus’ inner circle.

Andrew was one of twelve disciples of Jesus. He was the brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman by trade before Jesus called him. He was the first disciple to be called by Jesus. After spending time with Jesus, Andrew first went and found his brother Peter and told him that they had found the Messiah.

James, the son of Zebedee was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was a fisherman by trade along with his brother John. Jesus gave the nickname “Boanerges” or “Sons of Thunder” to James and his brother John. James, along with John and Peter was also part of the “inner circle” of Jesus.

John, the son of Zebedee was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him. Along with James and Peter, John was considered to be a close confidant of Jesus.Jesus gave the nickname “Boanerges” or “Sons of Thunder” to John and his brother James. John was also referred to as the disciple that Jesus loved.

Matthew, also known as Levi, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was a tax collector by trade. Tax collectors were often despised by their fellow Jews because they had a reputation for corruption and greed. As an eye witness of Jesus’ life and ministry, he was one of the four Gospel writers, authoring the Gospel of Matthew.

Philip was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, a town by the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus was in Galilee, he found Philip, and said to him, “Follow Me.” The Scriptures record that after hearing the call, Philip went and invited Nathanael (Bartholomew) to meet Jesus saying that he had found the one the prophets had spoken about.

Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was introduced to Jesus by Philip another disciple. Though initially skeptic, Bartholomew became a faithful follower and disciple of Jesus, once convinced. Jesus described Bartholomew as an Israelite with no deceit.

Thomas, also called Didymus (meaning “twin”), was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He became known for his initial doubt of the resurrection, earning the nickname “Doubting Thomas.” According to church tradition, Thomas is recognized for bringing the Gospel to India.

James, son of Alphaeus, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is listed among the apostles in the Gospels and spent time witnessing Jesus’ life, teachings, and miracles during His earthly ministry. To distinguish him from James, son of Zebedee, he is often called “James the Less.”

Thaddeus, also known as Jude or Judas son of James (not Judas Iscariot), was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is listed among the apostles in the Gospels and was among the twelve who witnessed first hand the life, teaching and miracles of Jesus during his earthly ministry. He is also listed among the disciples who waited in the upper room at Pentecost.

Simon the Zealot, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. His name is among the list of apostles in the Gospels. He is differentiated from Simon Peter by the title “the Zealot”. The Zealots were a political party that was zealous for Jewish independence from Roman rule. It is possible that Simon the zealot was a member of this group when Jesus called him to be a disciple.

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. His surname, “Iscariot,” likely indicates he was from Kerioth, a town in Judea, setting him apart from the other apostles, most of whom were Galileans. Judas was keeper of the money bag and used to help himself to what was in it. Judas was infamous for betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.