You’ve probably heard of the 12 disciples. This group of guys went everywhere with Jesus during His ministry. They had a front row seat to His teachings, healings, and miracles. No one would have known Jesus better during these three important years than they did. And after Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven, the 12 disciples were the ones who shared Jesus’ teaching with others and started the early church.
But … who were these men, as individuals? What were they like? What were their relationships with Jesus like?
The Bible doesn’t give us the disciples’ biographies, but by reading the four gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) we can piece together some basic information about what they were like.
Table of Contents:
What’s a Disciple?
First, though, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about a simple question: What is a disciple?
We’ve written another Finds post on this topic, so check it out if you want to learn even more. In that article, we say, “A disciple is just someone who keeps turning toward Jesus in real-life moments and who lets those steps, big or small, shape who they’re becoming.”
We see this truth play out in the lives of the 12 disciples of Jesus. Each of them has to choose, over and over again, to turn toward Jesus:
- When He calls them for the first time
- As they experience outside opposition
- As they struggle with their own sin and doubt
And as many of the 12 disciples of Jesus make that choice, we see their lives begin to change. They go from being impulsive, hot-headed, and ego-driven to being wise, caring representatives of their Savior and Friend. Let’s take a look.
A Simple Guide to the 12 Disciples of Jesus
Who Were the 12 Disciples of Jesus?
The 12 disciples of Jesus were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas. Let’s get to know each of them.
Peter
Background: Like all of the disciples, Peter lived in Judea, in the region of Galilee. He and his brother, Andrew (more on him in a second), were both fishermen by trade, along with their father. Before Peter met Jesus, his name was Simon. While we never encounter Peter’s wife in the gospels, we know he was married because Jesus would go on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law.
Personality: Of all the disciples, we have the best sense of Peter’s personality. He was bold, outspoken, and sometimes impulsive. He would rush into situations with the best of intentions—sometimes this worked out in his favor, and sometimes it blew up in his face. Despite his bravado, when he realized he was in over his head, he could sometimes become fearful or defensive in response.
Calling: Jesus called Peter to follow Him while he was fishing with his brother, Andrew. While we don’t know what it was about Jesus that prompted Peter to follow Jesus’ call, we do know that he left his nets immediately.
Relationship with Jesus: Peter was part of Jesus’ inner circle; he was one of three disciples present for major moments of Jesus’ ministry, like the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew the influence he would have on the early church, which was why he gave Simon a new name—Peter or Cephas, meaning “rock.”
Peter experienced some of the biggest ups and downs of any disciple. He both boldly claimed that Jesus was the Messiah and denied knowing Jesus three times following His arrest (their relationship was later restored after Jesus’ resurrection).
A Classic Peter Story: Peter walks on water.
Andrew
Background: Andrew was Peter’s brother and worked as a fisherman alongside Peter and their father. He also showed an early interest in spiritual matters that we don’t see from Peter. The Gospel of John tells us that, prior to meeting Jesus, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.
Personality: While we don’t know much about Andrew’s personality, we do know that he seemed enthusiastic about faith and was quick to put his trust in Jesus, even when he wasn’t sure what would happen next.
Calling: In John 1, we’re told that Andrew was with John the Baptist when they saw Jesus pass by. John remarked, “Look, the Lamb of God!” Curious, Andrew began following Jesus and spent the rest of the day with Him.
Relationship with Jesus: Because of this story, Andrew is considered an early follower of Jesus. While we don’t know what they discussed that day, we do know that after this meeting, Andrew went to his brother Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah.”
Philip also showed remarkable faith by bringing the boy with the loaves and fishes to Jesus during the story of the feeding of the 5,000 in hopes that Jesus would be able to do something with the boy’s small lunch.
A Classic Andrew Story: Andrew follows Jesus.
James
Background: James was the son of a man named Zebedee, and along with his brother John, he worked as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.
Personality: James, John, and even their mother, Salome, are shown to be ambitious and zealous (sometimes to a fault).
Calling: Like many of the disciples, James was called by Jesus while fishing with his father.
Relationship with Jesus: Because of their zeal, Jesus named James and John the “Boanerges,” or the “sons of thunder.” While their ambition sometimes got the better of them (like when their mother came to Jesus on their behalf and asked whether He would allow her sons to sit on His left and right sides in the kingdom of heaven), James was still a part of Jesus’ inner circle.
James took his faith seriously, and after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, he was the first of the apostles to be martyred for his faith.
A Classic James Story: James and John ask permission to call down fire.
John
Background: John was also the son of Zebedee and worked as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee with his brother, James.
Personality: Early on in Jesus’ ministry, John’s personality mirrors that of his brother, James. He is passionate and, at times, capable of going overboard. But over the course of Jesus’ ministry, we see John’s personality shift, becoming more tolerant and focused on loving others.
Calling: John is called by Jesus while fishing with his brother, James.
Relationship with Jesus: John was part of Jesus’ inner circle, and it appears that out of all of the disciples, Jesus might have been closest to John. The Gospel of John is often attributed to John the Apostle, and in this book, John refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Jesus also entrusted John with the care of His mother Mary as He was hanging on the cross.
A Classic John Story: John outruns Peter to Jesus’ tomb.
Philip
Background: Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee. His name was Greek, and the Gospel of John portrays him as having links to the Greek community. It’s possible he had some Greek heritage, in addition to being Jewish.
Personality: The stories we have of Philip show him to be practical and analytical, raising logical points and seeking reassurance from doubt.
Calling: According to the Gospel of John, Philip was called by Jesus the day after Andrew and Peter began following Him.
Relationship with Jesus: When Jesus called Philip, his life immediately changed. He was responsible for introducing one of the disciples, Nathanael, to Jesus. He was also mentioned as being present for a number of big moments in Jesus’ ministry, such as the feeding of the 5,000.
A Classic Philip Story: The feeding of the 5,000.
Nathanael
Background: Most of what we know of Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew in some of the gospel narratives) comes from a single story in John 1. Nathanael was a friend of Philip’s and also lived in Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee.
Personality: In this single story, Nathanael’s personality stands out. Upon being told by Philip that he’d found the Messiah and that this long-awaited Savior was from the town of Nazareth, Nathanael responded with heaps of skepticism: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” But this snarky side of Nathanael is short-lived.
Calling: When Nathanael meets Jesus for the first time, he is amazed at Jesus’ knowledge of him, despite them having never met. He immediately declares Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel.
Relationship with Jesus: Beyond this story, we don’t know much about Nathanael’s relationship with Jesus. Outside of his calling, the only other time he’s mentioned is in Acts, when he is described as being with the rest of the disciples following Jesus’ ascension to heaven.
A Classic Nathanael Story: The Calling of Nathanael
Matthew
Background: Matthew was also known as Levi, son of Alphaeus. (Another disciple, Simon, was also called “son of Alphaeus.” Some traditions believe that he and Matthew were brothers.)
Matthew worked as a tax collector in Galilee. This position could have put a wedge between him and his Jewish friends and family members, since tax collectors collected taxes on behalf of the occupying Roman government.
Personality: We don’t know much about Matthew’s personality, but across multiple gospel accounts, he is shown to be hospitable. After choosing to follow Jesus, he hosted a large dinner at his house and invited Jesus, Pharisees, tax collectors, and “sinners” to take part.
Calling: Matthew was working at his tax collector’s booth when Jesus approached and invited Matthew to follow Him. Matthew followed Jesus immediately and, as described above, invited Him and many others to his house for dinner.
Relationship with Jesus: Apart from his calling, Matthew only appears in lists of the other disciples. But the Gospel of Matthew—the first book in the New Testament—is traditionally attributed to him.
A Classic Matthew Story: The Calling of Matthew
Thomas
Background: The only thing we know about Thomas’ background is that he was sometimes called “Didymus,” a name which meant “twin.”
Personality: While Matthew, Mark, and Luke don’t mention Thomas beyond listing him with the other disciples, the Gospel of John gives us a sense of what Thomas was like. Repeatedly, he’s shown to be relatable—he was loyal, but also a bit pessimistic; he was skeptical, but also desired to believe.
Calling: None of the gospels describes Jesus’ calling of Thomas.
Relationship with Jesus: The longer Jesus continued His ministry, the more the religious leaders of His day wished to put Him to death. Thomas was obviously cognizant of these threats, and at times believed it was only a matter of time before he and the other disciples met the same fate. But that didn’t stop Thomas from following Jesus.
But the biggest moment for Thomas’ relationship with Jesus followed Jesus’ death and resurrection. After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples—but Thomas wasn’t with them. The next time Thomas was with the disciples, he refused to believe that Jesus was actually alive … right up until Jesus appeared in front of him and allowed Thomas to examine His hands and side where He had been wounded on the cross. Thomas believed in this moment and proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”
A Classic Thomas Story: Jesus Appears to Thomas
James, Thaddaeus, and Simon
The gospels don’t give us much information about the next three disciples—James, Thaddaeus, and Simon. Here’s what we do know.
James: James was sometimes called “son of Alphaeus.” Some traditions believe that he was the brother of Matthew, also sometimes referred to as “son of Alphaeus.”
Thaddaeus: The Bible tells us that Thaddaeus was the son of a man named James. He’s also occasionally referred to as “Judas,” but the gospels always go out of their way to differentiate Thaddaeus from Judas Iscariot.
Thaddaeus speaks to Jesus in John 14, when he questions why Jesus has shown Himself to the disciples, but not the world. This question reveals just a glimpse into his personality—here, we see a little curiosity and a desire to better understand.
Simon: A different disciple from Simon Peter, this Simon is often referred to as Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were members of a Jewish political movement that wished to incite the people of Judea to rebel against their Roman occupiers.
While the gospel accounts never make mention of any tension between Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector, many have wondered whether the two would have experienced conflict as a result of their different backgrounds and relationships with the Roman Empire.
Judas
Background: While Judas is a well-known disciple, we don’t know much about his background. The only thing the gospels tell us is that he was the son of Simon Iscariot.
Personality: Most of the gospels only describe Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, but the Gospel of John tells us a little more. In John 12, we’re told that Judas was greedy and a thief—he was entrusted with the disciples’ finances, but would help himself to what was in it.
Calling: None of the gospels describes Jesus’ calling of Judas.
Relationship with Jesus: Jesus called Judas to follow Him, just like He did the rest of the disciples. And Judas followed Jesus for three years. We don’t know what convinced Judas to betray Jesus. Maybe he was like Thomas—maybe he recognized that the Pharisees were going to kill Jesus, one way or another, and decided that he would do what he needed to do to save himself.
Whatever transpired, Judas betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders for 30 pieces of silver. After Jesus’ arrest, Matthew 27 tells us that Judas felt remorse for his actions and even went to the chief priests to tell them that he had betrayed innocent blood. When the chief priests turned their backs on him, Judas threw the money into the temple, went away, and hanged himself. It’s a tragic end—and one often contrasted with Peter’s denial of Jesus (and eventual forgiveness and restoration).
You’re a Disciple, Too
If anything sticks with you after learning more about the 12 disciples, I hope it’s this—the 12 disciples were very different people. They came from different backgrounds. They had different political alliances. They were of different socioeconomic statuses. And Jesus called all of them.
The 12 disciples weren’t the only disciples. Every person who has made the choice to follow Jesus is His disciple, too.
And Jesus has called you, too. The 12 disciples weren’t the only disciples. Every person who has made the choice to follow Jesus is His disciple, too. No matter how different you might be from every other Christian you know, you are just as much a disciple as anyone else. So take heart, and in big and small ways, keep turning toward Him.