People of the Bible

Also: Cephas, Simon bar Jonah, Simon son of Jonas

A fisherman from Bethsaida in Galilee, Simon was the brother of Andrew and one of the first disciples called by Jesus. He was given the name Peter (Pe...

Also: Andrew the First-Called

A fisherman from Bethsaida and the brother of Simon Peter, Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptist. When the Baptist pointed to Jesus and...

Also: James the Greater, James the Elder, Boanerges (Son of Thunder)

The son of Zebedee and Salome, and the elder brother of the apostle John. James was a fisherman working with his father when Jesus called him and his ...

Also: The Beloved Disciple, Boanerges (Son of Thunder), John the Evangelist

The younger son of Zebedee and brother of James, John is traditionally identified as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23). Part of Jesus's inn...

Also: Philip the Apostle

Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter (John 1:44). He was called directly by Jesus with the simple command "Follow me" (John 1:...

Also: Nathanael, Nathanael of Cana

Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve in all four apostle lists (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14, Acts 1:13) but is never mentioned elsewhere in t...

Also: Levi, Levi son of Alphaeus, Matthew the Publican

Matthew was a tax collector (publican) sitting at the receipt of custom in Capernaum when Jesus called him with two words: "Follow me. And he arose, a...

Also: Didymus, Thomas the Twin, Doubting Thomas

Thomas, also called Didymus ("the Twin" in Greek), appears in all four apostle lists but is best known from three dramatic scenes in the Gospel of Joh...

Also: James the Less, James the Younger

James the son of Alphaeus is one of the most obscure of the Twelve. He is listed in all four apostle catalogs (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, Act...

Also: Judas son of James, Lebbaeus, Judas not Iscariot

Thaddaeus is listed among the Twelve in Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18, while Luke's lists (Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13) name "Judas the son of James" in the sam...

Also: Simon the Canaanite, Simon Zelotes

Simon is distinguished from Simon Peter by the epithet "the Zealot" (Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13) or "the Canaanite" (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18) — both terms m...

Also: Judas son of Simon Iscariot

Judas Iscariot was the treasurer of the Twelve and the one who betrayed Jesus. The Gospel of John identifies him as "a thief" who "had the bag, and ba...

Matthias was chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot as the twelfth apostle. Peter explained the qualification: the replacement must be someone "which...

Also: Saul of Tarsus, Saul, The Apostle to the Gentiles

Born as Saul in Tarsus of Cilicia, Paul was "a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee" (Acts 23:6), educated under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), and a Roman citizen ...