We Christians today are part of a history
that is ongoing- We all are not a part of a new phenomenon that began maybe a
century ago but indeed it stretches back 2000 years.
There is little specific information about
the early Apostles and their individual fate in their service to Jesus Christ ,that
is, little in the Bible its self, but there are some outside sources and “traditions” that have been handed down through
the generations, especially in the Eastern Church, some
of these are incomplete and with conflicting histories, but they may carry a germ of truth.
However it is useful from time-to-time to
review these "traditions" regarding the Apostles as they followed that ever expanding vision that Jesus gave
to them, (and to us), to take that message of salvation throughout the all Earth.
“But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my
witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea,
in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts: 1:8
Andrew- 60 AD, is said
to have preached in Greece establishing churches as he went. Some histories say
that while he was at Achaiahe preached to the Roman Governor Aegeas ’s wife
who became a Christian, and was baptized. The Roman Governor became angry that
his wife had became a believer.
Aegeas then demanded that Christians
sacrifice to the Roman gods. Andrew was said to have went to him at Patras and
asked him to become a Christian as well .
Aegeas then had Andrew arrested and crucified
on a X shaped cross. He is said to have lived three days upon the cross , the people of that place
seeing his faith, even as he hung on the cross, were so moved that they went and asked Aegeas to set Andrew free. Andrew heard
this, but asked God to let him die instead , he accepting death over deliverance from the cross.
After his death the tradition is
that a Bishop in that town, took Andrew’s body to Scotland and that it
was lost at sea during the journey. Andrew is often pictured
in church architecture or in art as an X,
or a fishing net.
Bartholomew
– (?) Some
believe that Nathaniel & Bartholomew are the same person, he is reputedly
having gone as far east as India, Phrygia, and Armenia. While in Alpanople, Bartholomew was held by
the Roman Governor, sliced with knives then Crucified. He is not widely represented in Christ art. He some times is symbolized by a sheath of skin draped on a
cross or by knives, or a fig branch.
James
the Elder or Greater 44 AD- He is the brother of John and shared the nick
name “Beoanerge” with his brother
John, meaning “Sons of Thunder”. Had
been a fisherman and was the first Apostle to be martyred by King Herod by
being beheaded in Jerusalem. He is depicted as a sea shell and or a sword.
James
the Younger or Lesser 62 AD- Son of Alpheus, how he was killed may have been by being thrown
from the Temple, then his body was beaten
with clubs, or stones, and possibly even
cut in two with a saw. Sometimes James is represented as a windmill but as to why he is, is unknown.
John
90’s AD- Is the only original twelve Apostle to die
of natural causes. He was under house arrest on Patmos. He was brother of James whom shared the name “Beoanerge”, “Sons of Thunder”. John had
been a fisherman like James. There are stories that John’s opponents and those
who withstood Christ attempted to poison John as he drank from a cup, yet
nothing happened to him. Some say they tried to boil him alive in oil but he
was unharmed. He was released from
Patmos and went to Ephesus and lived there until his death. In early art he is often
pictured as being young, or is also depicted as an eagle, or as an eagle in a
caldron, or a snake in a chalice.
Jude
(?) called Lebbeus in Matthew & Thaddeus in Mark.
- He wrote the Epistle of Jude, and he is thought to have traveled with Simon
to Arabia, Mesopotainia & Syria Jude is often pictured with Simon in early
art. He was martyred by being clubbed to
death, which is used as a symbol for him as well as a ship.
Luke
(?)-The Gentile doctor who wrote the Gospel and is
believed to have died by natural causes. Luke is pictured by an OX, which is shown in his
gospel account in which the father of John the Baptist is offering an OX.
Mark
or John Mark 74 AD- He traveled with his uncle Barnabas, Peter
& Paul. He is by tradition called Pater’s scribe and may have gotten his
information from Peter for his gospel. He was the First Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt.. It has been the tradition that anti-Christian
opponents entered the church assembly during the Resurrection service and tied a
rope around Marks neck and drug him through the streets. Mark has been
symbolized as a winged lion.
Matthew
(?) He was one of the original 12 had been a tax collector
and was shunned by the Jewish people as working for the Roman occupation and being considered corrupt as most tax
collectors were. Some traditions from the earliest times record Matthew as
traveling to Persia and or Ethiopia where it is likely he was martyred. He is
symbolized by sword or a money bag, and a winged man.
Matthias
(?) who replaced
Judas. There are very little records of
him. He is believed to have traveled to the area around the Caspian Sea or
maybe Ethiopia like Matthew .It is not known how he was killed. Is often represented
by an sword or ax.
Paul
65 AD- We
have a great deal of information regarding Paul, born in South East Asia minor , part modern
day Turkey, in Tarsus. Well educated, a Roman Citizen by birth. Had been instructed by the Rabbi Gamaliel
in Jerusalem. After Paul’s conversion he
wrote many of the epistles. Traveled
on 3 primary missionary/evangelism tours to Cyprus, Asia Minor,
Macedonia and Acaea & as far as and
Rome & Spain to the west and in the Mediterranean area. Paul Taught mostly Gentiles. Paul by tradition was
beheaded on the Apian Way under orders
of Nero on June 29th He is
symbolized by a scroll or book with a sword and the word “Spritus Gladus”= which means the "Sword of the Spirit" , or by two crossed swords and a snake in a fire.
Simon
Peter also Caphes 64 AD- A Galeeian
Fisherman who lived in Capernaum was the
first to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah then, denies that he knew Jesus . After the
resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost, Peter becomes the, or one, of the primary
leader(s) of the eraly church. In 64 AD,
He traveled throughout the region as far as Babylon to the east and Roman in
the West while at Rome Peter was
arrested by Nero and Crucified upside down on a cross. He is represented by a roster, upside down cross and a set of
crossed keys, keys & a cross together.
Philip
(?)- He is mentioned as being apart of the
feeding of the 5000, he is believed to have preached in Galatia & Phrygia.
After being arrested he was crucified then stoned. One account is that he was killed by a spear. Philip
is pictured by bread baskets, a cross
flanked by breadbaskets, or a cross with
a carpenter’s angel, or a cross and spear.
Simon
the Zealot (?)- May
have been called this being associated with anti Roman government movement, or
that he was zealous for the mission of Jesus. Simon may have traveled with Jude
after being in Egypt for a time. Then at
some point he may have returned to
Jerusalem and worked with James the younger until he himself was martyred .He is
pictured by a fish & book or a hook.
Stephen 35 AD- Was a Deacon
& the first Christians martyr, not counting Jesus. He was stoned by the mob of angry Jews for
preaching about Jesus Christ. He is
often represented by a shroud and stones.
Thomas
(?)- Was a twin, also called doubting Thomas, after
he sees the resurrected Jesus he strengthen in faith. It is believed that he preached to the
Parthians , Persians, Meads the
Hiricurieans, and the Bactrains. There
are old accounts of Thomas going to India and preaching there for years even
converting as well an Indian Queen whose husband was angry that she had come
to Jesus. He then attempted to kill Thomas several times, each time failing.
The King then ordered Thomas to worship an idol of the India sun god; he would
not do it, saying God would destroy it. The story is that the idol melted before all them, the sun god’s priest then took a spear or sword
and killed Thomas. Stones and spears often represent Thomas as a martyr.
We Christians of today may never know with
certainty what befall the early Apostles, that is, at least this side of eternity we may never know, but we
can know that they were faithful to the charge that Jesus placed upon them to
go and proclaim the Gospel, had they fail in this , we today would simply not be followers of our Lord Jesus. We are the
evidence of their faithful service in the work of the great commission.
May it be that we, like they, will be as
faithful and participating in proclaiming that message of Jesus Christ. Amen
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
Fountain of Life Church
Washington, Pa
Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP Radio 1710 & 1670 in Washington, Pa.
And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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