The twelve disciples (apostles) of Jesus were Simon Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus (also called Lebbaeus or Judas the brother of James), Simon the Canaanite (Simon Zelotes) and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. After Judas died, Matthias was chosen to take his place (Acts 1:26). The names are listed in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:13-16 and Acts 1:13.
Jesus had many followers, but He chose twelve men to be with Him in a special way. Mark says He ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach (Mark 3:14). They were a surprising group: fishermen, a tax collector, a political zealot, a skeptic and a future traitor. None of them were religious leaders or scholars. They misunderstood Jesus often, argued about who was greatest and ran away when He was arrested. Yet after the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, these same men turned the world upside down. The number twelve was not random. Israel had twelve tribes, and by choosing twelve, Jesus was showing that He was gathering a renewed people of God. The word disciple means learner or follower, and apostle means one who is sent. The twelve were both. The King James verses below cover their calling, the lists of names and the stories of several apostles. Some apostles have more than one name, which can be confusing, so the notes explain who is who. For what it means to follow Jesus today, see Bible verses about being a disciple.
Jesus chooses the twelve: the names
1. Mark 3:13
"And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him."
He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. Luke adds that Jesus prayed all night before choosing them (Luke 6:12-13). The twelve did not apply for the job. Jesus called whom He wanted, and they responded. That is still how discipleship begins: with His call and our response. Notice too that He chose them after prayer. Every name was deliberate, including Judas.
2. Matthew 10:2-4
"Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."
Matthew's list pairs the apostles two by two, perhaps reflecting how Jesus sent them out (Mark 6:7). Peter is always named first and Judas Iscariot always last in the lists. Matthew humbly calls himself Matthew the publican, a tax collector, a detail the other lists leave out. Lebbaeus Thaddaeus is the same man Luke calls Judas the brother of James, and Simon the Canaanite is the same man Luke calls Simon Zelotes.
3. Acts 1:13
"And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James."
After Jesus ascended, the eleven gathered into an upper room and prayed with Mary and other believers. This list, without Judas, is the last time all their names appear together. Luke uses Simon Zelotes, meaning Simon the Zealot, possibly a man who had once supported violent resistance to Rome. In the same group sat Matthew, who had worked for Rome. Jesus brought together people who would never have chosen each other.
4. Luke 9:1
"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."
Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Jesus did not only teach the twelve. He sent them out on practice missions to preach the kingdom and heal the sick, two by two. They came back amazed at what God had done through them (Luke 9:10). Discipleship with Jesus was learning by doing, not just listening to lectures.
How some of the disciples were called
5. John 1:40
"One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother."
Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist. When John pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:36), Andrew followed Jesus and spent the day with Him. Then he went and found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus, who named him Cephas, or Peter, meaning a stone. Andrew is always bringing someone to Jesus: his brother, the boy with five loaves (John 6:8-9) and some Greeks (John 12:22).
6. Matthew 9:9
"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."
Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, his tax booth, and said, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. Tax collectors were despised as collaborators and cheats. Mark and Luke call him Levi. Right after his call, Matthew threw a feast for his tax-collector friends to meet Jesus (Luke 5:29). The man everyone avoided became an apostle and wrote the first Gospel.
7. John 1:47
"Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"
Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, and Jesus said, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael had been skeptical, asking whether anything good could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46). Nathanael is not named in the other three lists, and since early times many have identified him with Bartholomew, who is paired with Philip in the lists. He was honest about his doubts, and Jesus honored that honesty.
8. John 20:24
"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came."
Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. Didymus means twin. Thomas would not believe the resurrection until he saw the nail prints. A week later Jesus appeared and invited him to look and touch, and Thomas answered, My Lord and my God (John 20:28), one of the clearest confessions of faith in the Gospels. Doubting Thomas could just as well be called believing Thomas.
Judas, Matthias and the apostles' legacy
9. Mark 14:10
"And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them."
Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. The Gospels never stop being shocked by those words, one of the twelve. Judas had seen the miracles and heard the teaching. John says he kept the money bag and stole from it (John 12:6). His story is a sober warning that being close to Jesus is not the same as truly belonging to Him.
10. Acts 1:26
"And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
After Judas died, Peter said another man should take his place, someone who had been with them from John's baptism to the ascension. Two names were put forward, they prayed, and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. This is the last time the Bible mentions casting lots to make a decision. Days later the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, and the twelve were complete again.
11. Acts 12:2
"And he killed James the brother of John with the sword."
King Herod Agrippa killed James the brother of John with the sword. James was one of the inner three, with Peter and John, who saw the Transfiguration. He is the only apostle whose death is recorded in Scripture. Church tradition says most of the others also died for their faith in different lands, while John lived to old age. Those traditions vary, but the Bible's witness is clear: they believed Jesus rose, enough to give their lives.
12. Revelation 21:14
"And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
In John's vision of the New Jerusalem, the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The gates carry the names of Israel's twelve tribes (Revelation 21:12). Ordinary men who once argued, doubted and ran away are honored forever as foundations of God's city. Paul says the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone (Ephesians 2:20).
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, You called fishermen, a tax collector and a doubter, and You made them Your apostles. Thank You that You still call ordinary people. Like Andrew, help me bring others to You. Like Matthew, help me leave what holds me back and follow You. Like Thomas, meet me in my doubts. Keep me from the path of Judas, and make my faith a foundation for those who come after me. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Learn the twelve names with the free Bible crossword puzzles · Study one apostle a week in the SOAP Bible Study Journal · See which apostles wrote books with the free Books of the Bible printable
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the 12 disciples in order?
Matthew 10:2-4 lists them as Simon Peter, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Lebbaeus Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot. The order changes a little in each list, but Peter is always first and Judas is always last. Matthias replaced Judas in Acts 1:26. Test your family on the names with the free Bible crossword puzzles.
What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?
A disciple is a learner or follower, and Jesus had many, including a group of seventy He sent out (Luke 10:1). An apostle is one who is sent with authority. The twelve were both disciples and apostles. Paul was also called an apostle, as was Barnabas (Acts 14:14). Every Christian is called to be a disciple. See Bible verses about being a disciple and Bible verses about the church.
Which disciples were brothers?
Two pairs of brothers were among the twelve: Peter and Andrew, the sons of Jonas, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee, whom Jesus nicknamed Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). All four were fishermen from Galilee. Some think James son of Alphaeus and Matthew (Levi, the son of Alphaeus, Mark 2:14) were brothers too, but the Bible does not say so directly. See Bible verses about brothers.
Why did Jesus choose twelve disciples?
The number matches the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus told the apostles they would sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). By choosing twelve, He was showing that He had come to restore and renew God's people. That is also why the apostles made sure to replace Judas and keep the number at twelve before Pentecost. Read more in Bible verses about leadership.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Being a disciple · The church · Leadership · Brothers · Friendship · Faith · Love of Jesus · Kingdom of God
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