Table of contents

1. Definition of "the twelve disciples"
2. A listing of the twelve disciples and other men who followed Jesus
3. Further explanation of the twelve disciples
• The order of disciples and order of books of the Bible as presented in the table
• Explanations of the discrepancies in the disciples' names
4. Women who followed Jesus

"Twelve, the, a group chosen by Jesus to accompany him and share his ministry (Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:13-16; cf. John 6:70; Acts 1:13). The number apparently refers to the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28) and symbolizes the restoration of Israel. As witnesses to his ministry and resurrection, the Twelve authenticate the church’s postresurrection proclamation of the traditions about Jesus (cf. the selection of Matthias to replace Judas, Acts 1:15-26)."

The order of disciples and order of books of the Bible as presented in the above table

• The numbers in parentheses [(1), (2), (3), etc.] following the disciples' names above indicate the order in which the twelve disciples are listed in that particular gospel or in Acts.
• Paul's letters were written between 50 and 57 A.D. Paul is believed to have been martyred sometime between 62 and 67 AD, with 64 being the most likely year.

• Synoptic gospel # indicates the generally agreed upon sequence in which the three synoptic gospels were written:

#1 - Mark - written about 70 A.D.

#2 - Matthew - written about 80 A.D. - using (1) Mark, (2) another early source now called Q, and (3) Matthew's own sources

#3 - Luke - written about 90 A.D. - using (1) Mark, (2) another early source now called Q, and (3) Luke's own sources

• Acts was written about 90 A.D. as the sequel to Luke. Some scholars believe that it Luke and Acts were original published together as one book.)
• The Fourth Gospel was written sometime between 70 and 95 A.D. and is entirely independent of the other three gospels. It is believed that the writer of the Fourth Gospel predated the other gospels, did not know about them, did not have access to them, and/or did not use them.

Explanations of the apparent discrepancies in the disciples' names listed above

Though different names sometimes are used in different gospels, the twelve individuals are the same.

Bartholomew, Nathanael

• Bartholomew in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts.
• Nathanael in John.
• Bar Tholomew is not a given name It simply means, "son of Tholomew." Nathanael may have been his given name, making him Nathanael, son of Tholomew.
• Bartholomew follows Philip in the listing of the Twelve in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and in John it was Philip who introduced Nathanael to Jesus.

Thaddaeus, Judas son of James

• Thaddaeus in Matthew and Mark.
• Judas son of James in Luke and Acts.
• Judas (not Iscariot) in John.

• In order to distinguish Judas son of James from the traitor Judas Iscariot, it appears that Mark (followed by Matthew) substituted a name that described the character of Judas son of James, rather than using his real name of Judas. John 14:22 also finds the need to distinguish this Judas from Judas Iscariot.

Harper's Bible Dictionary explains:

Thaddaeus, one of the twelve apostles as identified in two of the apostolic lists (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18). In the other lists, however, ‘Judas, the son (or brother) of James,’ appears instead of ‘Thaddaeus’ (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). Variant readings in Matthew have ‘Lebbaeus,’ and the kjv reads ‘Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.’ ‘Lebbaeus,’ however, does not appear in the best texts and is omitted in most translations. Resulting explanations include: (1) Thaddaeus, Judas, and Lebbaeus are the same person; (2) the lists in Luke and Acts reflect a change in the apostles; and (3) tradition has preserved the fact that Jesus had an inner group of trusted followers (the Twelve) and has retained the names of most of the members of this group but not without slight variations. The second explanation appears unlikely. The third is plausible in light of the fact that the Gospel traditions were transmitted within different communities, making some variation far from surprising. Those who argue that Thaddaeus and Judas are the same person still question his identification with the author of the Letter of Jude. Post-biblical traditions supply additional information about Thaddaeus, but this is of questionable value.

The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 2, page 1008 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962) explains:

Luke probably supplies the true name of this apostle. thaddaeus (from a root meaning "breast nipple"?) and Lebbaeus (from a word meaning "heart"?) may be descriptive designations of the apostle, introduced to avoid confusion with the traitor and because of the odium attached to his name. The "Judas (not Iscariot)" of John 14:22 is possibly this apostle.

For reference-rich speculation based largely upon post-apostolic literature, see Robert Eisenman's James the Brother of Jesus (New York: Penguin Books, 1997), especially pages 930-937

On the other hand, Floyd Filson's A New Testament History: The Story of the Emerging Church (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1964, especially pages 107-112) offers another view:

As if to underline the inconspicuous role of many of the Twelve, the name of one of them is uncertain. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddaeus (though some evidence, especially in Matthew, calls him Lebbaeus instead of Thaddaeus). Luke and The Acts give instead the name Judas the son of James. Rather than say that Thaddaeus (and possibly Lebbaeus) was an alternative name of Judas the son of James, it is better to say that though the Twelve had a real role during Jesus' ministry, they had a decreasing role after the very first days of the apostolic church, and the identity of one of the Twelve is uncertain; indeed, most of them were not known for individual contributions.

None of these Twelve, as far as we can learn, were of priestly origin; all were Jewish laymen. They were of Galilean origin; if the the word "Iscariot" comes from the Hebrew and means "man of Kerioth," as has been held, then Judas would appear to be of Judean origin, since Kerioth was a place in Judea; but the Galilean origin of the remaining eleven may be assumed (cf. Acts 2:7).

Simon the Cananaean, Simon the Zealot

• Simon the Cananaean in Matthew and Mark.
• Simon the Zealot in Luke and Acts.

• Cananaean is a semitic term that is equivalent to the Greek term Zealot.

The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 1, page 498 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962) explains:

CANANAEAN [kananaios, from Aram., jealous one, zealot, from Heb. root] (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:18). A cognomen for a certain Simon, a disciple of Jesus, to distinguish him from Simon Peter. The ending -aios, probably denotes a party (cf. Pharisaios, "Pharisee"; Saddoukaios, "Sadducee"; Essaios, "Essene").

In Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13 the same disciple has the name Simon the Zealot, the Greek Zelotes being the equivalent of the Semitic original.

Harper's Bible Dictionary explains:

Cananaean, epithet of the disciple Simon in Mark 3:18 and Matt. 10:4, derived from Aramaic qan'an', ‘zealous.’ In Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13, he is called a Zealot, one who opposed Roman rule.

See also:

• The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity, edited by Ken Parry, Dmitri Brady, Sidney H. Griffith, David J. Melling, & John Healey (Blackwell Publishers, 1999)
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by Elizabeth A. Livingstone (NY: Oxford University Press, 1977)
• Dictionary of the Bible, Second Edition, edited by James Hastings, revised by Frederick C. Grant and H.H. Rowley, Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1963)
• A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More Than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers, edited by David W. Bercot (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998)
• A Dictionary of Early Christian Biography: A Reference Guide to Over 800 Christian Men and Women, Heretics, and Sects of the First Six Centuries, edited by Henry Wace & William C. Piercy (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999 - originally published 1911). This book presents an accumulation of accounts of each disciple. Though the historical reliability of most of the details is not verifiable, the book at least cites the writings from which the details were derived.
• Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, Second Edition, edited by Everett Ferguson (NY: Garland Publishing, 1998)
• Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition - edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, with the Society of Biblical Literature (NY: Harper Collins, 1996) - An outstanding resource. [book review]
• The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volumes 1 through 5, edited by George Arthur Buttrick (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962-1976) - An excellent resource.
• The New Bible Dictionary - edited by J.D. Douglas (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962)
• Oxford Companion to the Bible - edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993) - An excellent resource. [book review]
• The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopaedia and Scriptural Dictionary, Volumes 1-3, edited by Samuel Fallows, Andrew C. Zenos, & Herbert I. Willett (Chicago, Howard Severance Company, 1908) [MBE]
• The Search for the Twelve Apostles, by William Steuart McBirnie (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1973). In addition to presenting the biblical accounts of each disciple, this book presents an accumulation of annecdotal, circumstantial, and legendary accounts of each disciple. Though the historical reliability of most of the details is not verifiable, the book at least cites writings from which most details were derived and lays out a comprehensive account of the legends about each disciple, which readers should treat with scholarly skepticism.
• Smith's Bible Dictionary, edited by William Smith, revised by F.N. and M.A. Peloubet (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, reprinted 2003) [MBE]
• See also the indices in the back of the books listed in:
  • Commentaries - Entire Bible
  • Commentaries - New Testament
  • Histories - Entire Bible
  • Histories - New Testament and Early Christianity