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Fishers of People

Stained Glass Light

Roles of the Disciples

  • Witnesses to Events

  • Friends of Jesus

  • Students of Jesus (really slow students) so that questions and deeper understandings of Jesus’ teaching could be explained. (Matthew 15:15-16)

  • People who shared the story of Jesus and become the first Christian Missionaries. (Matthew 28:16-20)

A List of The 12 Disciples (Then 13)

Did you know 12 is a holy number? (Can you name other things with "12" from the Bible?)


Simon Peter: 

Scripture: "Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'" - Matthew 16:16 (NRSV)

Andrew (Simon Peter's brother): 

Scripture: "The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah' (that is, the Christ)." - John 1:41 (NRSV)

James (son of Zebedee): 

Scripture: "About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword." - Acts 12:1-2 (NRSV)

John (brother of James): 

Scripture: "When he saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, 'Woman, here is your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home." - John 19:26-27 (NRSV)

Philip: 

Scripture: "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.'" - John 1:45 (NRSV)

Bartholomew (Nathanael): 

Scripture: "Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, 'Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!'" - John 1:47 (NRSV)

Matthew (Levi, the tax collector): 

Scripture: "As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him." - Matthew 9:9 (NRSV)

Thomas (Didymus): 

Scripture: "Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'" - John 20:28 (NRSV)

James (son of Alphaeus):

Scripture: "Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him." - Matthew 10:4 (NRSV)

Thaddeus (Lebbaeus): 

Scripture: "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus." - Matthew 10:3 (NRSV)

Simon the Zealot: 

Scripture: "Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him." - Matthew 10:4 (NRSV)

Judas Iscariot:

Scripture: "Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." - Matthew 10:4 (NRSV)



Every Disciple is an Apostle, but not all Apostles are Disciples. 


Matthias: (Replaced Judas)

Scripture: "So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." - Acts 1:21-22 (NRSV) 

Scripture (Matthias Chosen): "And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles." - Acts 1:26 (NRSV)


Disciple (of Jesus):

  • Anyone who followed and learned from Jesus during his earthly ministry. But Mattias replaced Judas and did not really follow Jesus during his life. 

Apostle (of Jesus):

  • The twelve chosen by Jesus, including Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot, held a special role as witnesses to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Apostles who were not Disciples: Paul and Barnabus... maybe others? 

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