Board index ‹ The Apostles – Jesus's Disciples

[Blacker]

Why do we only have historical accounts of Peter James and Paul?

Where did the other apostles go and what did they do after Jesus’ ascension, especially Thomas

Thanks for being awesome and answering all of my questions today this sub is great

[jimwalton]

Here's what we know.

James was killed by Herod Agrippa (Acts 12.2) in AD 62. There is no extra biblical record of this execution.

As you mentioned, we have historical record of Peter. Peter as a historical person, and his martyrdom, is reported by Clement of Rome (in his letter to Corinthians, chapter 5), Ignatius, Dionysius of Corinth, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Eusebius, and more.

Andrew: Very little is known about Andrew after the resurrection. It is thought (supposedly by the Acts of Andrew, a document that is no longer extant, but is referred to by Hippolytus in the 3rd c. and by another source in the 6th c.) to have been martyred by crucifixion at the city of Patras in Achaea, on the northern coast of the Peloponnese.

We just have traditions about Philip. The book of Acts records one event concerning him (Acts 8). After that, he disappears from the record. Eusebius (AD 300), naming his source as Polycrates of Ephesus (130-196), tells us that Philip "has fallen asleep in Hierapolis, [as have] also his two daughters who grew old in virginity." Stories of his death come from "The Acts of Philip," also a 4th c. work. According to one tradition, he was crucified upside-down; in another he was martyred by beheading.

Bartholomew (Nathanael): One tradition says he was a missionary to India, while others place him in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, and Parthia. The accounts of his death are sparse (one tradition says he was flayed alive and crucified upside-down, while another says he was beheaded.) and their reliability is unknown.

Thomas: Nothing is known. Tradition says he was a missionary to India. Ephram the Syrian in the 4th c. says he was killed in AD 72 in India.

Matthew (Levi): Nothing is known. He disappears from the biblical record after early in the book of Acts. Tradition says he was beheaded at Nad-Davar in Ethiopia.

James, the son of Alphaeus: Very late tradition (not reliable at all) says he was crucified in Egypt.

Thaddeus (Judas, not Iscariot): Nothing is known. Late tradition says he was martyred in Lebanon (Roman Syria).

Judas: suicided before the crucifixion of Jesus.

Simon the Zealot: Nothing is known. Traditions vary from dying peacefully to being martyred by being sawn in two or being crucified in Syria.

John, son of Zebedee: We know he ministered in Ephesus, and then some say he was exiled to the island of Patmos. Little or nothing is known about his death.

As for the Apostle Paul, much is known, obviously. He's an established historical figure. We don't know when or how he died. Various traditions disagree. Ignatius of Antioch, in about 110, writes that he was martyred (Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 12). That's the earliest account. Dionysius of Corinth (in about 170) also says that Paul was martyred.

Little is known about the reliability of most these accounts, and yet they are the only accounts we have. There is no evidence to the contrary, but that doesn't make these traditions true. Nor does it make them false. The truth is, this is all we know, and it's precious little.

> Why do we have so few records?

We don't know. We don't if they disappeared into the population, if they were faithful evangelists that no one bothered to write about, or if they were written about and these writings are lost. All we know is that most of them disappeared from the biblical and historical record except for a tossing of traditions available.