Anyone know how each of the apostles died?

[aReformedPatriot]

Anyone know how each of the apostles died?

 

[rural_preacher]

They quit breathing!

I think Fox's Book of Martyrs is a good place to start. I don't have it in front of me (it's over in my office at the church building). I'll do some looking and post later if no one else posts something before me.


---

 

[Gold Dragon]

This link describes some of the traditional theories of how the apostles died.

Fate of the Apostles

1. INTRODUCTION

Readers of the New Testament may eventually find themselves wondering about the fate of the many people that appear, especially the apostles who were so important to Jesus and to whom he gave his commission to take the Gospel to the world. Little can be gleaned from the New Testament, but other sources throw some light on what may have happened to a few of these men (and women).

Of the twelve original apostles, Judas Iscariot died at the time Jesus was sentenced to death. Of the remaining eleven, there is only a New Testament account of the death of James the Greater, the son of Zebedee and brother of the apostle John some ten years later. The fate of the remainder and where they preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes from a variety of ancient traditions.

Such traditions also apply to Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot, and to the death of the apostle Paul.

Few, if any of the traditions can be proved, but for some, the circumstantial evidence appears quite strong.

This part actually starts with John the Baptist whose fate, in contrast with most of the apostles, is documented in three of the Gospels.

....

 

[Dust and Ashes]

Oops, just realized this was the Baptist forum and here I go trying to answer a question. I was Southern Baptist for 12 years so it's an honest mistake.

 

[ZiSunka]

There are a bunch of legends about how each of them died, but no historical record bears out those legends, except that James was beaten to death, John died in exile and Paul was probably beheaded by the Romans. The historical and Biblical record is silent on the fate of all the other apostles. Tradition has it that they all died martyrs' deaths, but no one can say for certain what their fate was.

Since Christ said that some of that generation would be alive at the second coming, who knows if they are even all dead?

 

[Gold Dragon]

Since Christ said that some of that generation would be alive at the second coming, who knows if they are even all dead?

I just want to clarify which verses you are referring to for those who are not familiar with Jesus' words on this.

NASB - Matthew 16:28

Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

NASB - Mark 9:1

And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."

NASB - Luke 9:27

But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.

Matthew's passage says he is talking to the disciples.
Marks' passage says he is talking to the disciples and a crowd (chapter 8).
Luke's passage says he is talking to the disciples alone.

All of them talk about seeing something about the kingdom. I'm not sure if that is the same as being alive for Jesus' second coming although that is open to debate and interpretation.

 

[ZiSunka]

I just want to clarify which verses you are referring to for those who are not familiar with Jesus' words on this.


Matthew's passage says he is talking to the disciples.
Marks' passage says he is talking to the disciples and a crowd (chapter 8).
Luke's passage says he is talking to the disciples alone.

All of them talk about seeing something about the kingdom. I'm not sure if that is the same as being alive for Jesus' second coming although that is open to debate and interpretation.

Hey, it's not my personal belief, it's just an opening to a deeper discussion on the topic of the deaths of the apostles.

Why just rehash the legends when we can look at scripture like you just did?

 

[Gold Dragon]

Hey, it's not my personal belief, it's just an opening to a deeper discussion on the topic of the deaths of the apostles.

Why just rehash the legends when we can look at scripture like you just did?

For sure.

 

[JPPT1974]

Excellent question but the person who knows for sure is the good Almighty Lord!

 

[Matthan]

I read somewhere on the web that Peter's bone box was found in Jerusalem in 1953, in a first-century Christian burial chamber, by some franciscan friars. they wrote a book about finding it. The friars also found the bone boxes of "Mary and Martha" and "Lazarus" near where Peter's box was found. all were supposedly authenticaded by RCC scholars and archeologists.

Matthan <J><

 

[aReformedPatriot]

Excellent question but the person who knows for sure is the good Almighty Lord!

For sure yes, but that doesnt mean we cannot speculate. I read somewhere that andrew was skinned alive... cant remember the source... No one has any links or any clue?

 

[ps139]

Here is what I've found about Andrew:

It is generally agreed that Andrew was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin and Greek Churches keep 30 November as his feast.

 

[ps139]

Seems like no one really knows what happened to Matthew, but there are a lot of theories:

Of Matthew's subsequent career we have only inaccurate or legendary data. St. Irenæus tells us that Matthew preached the Gospel among the Hebrews, St. Clement of Alexandria claiming that he did this for fifteen years, and Eusebius maintains that, before going into other countries, he gave them his Gospel in the mother tongue. Ancient writers are not as one as to the countries evangelized by Matthew, but almost all mention Ethiopia to the south of the Caspian Sea (not Ethiopia in Africa), and some Persia and the kingdom of the Parthians, Macedonia, and Syria. According to Heracleon, who is quoted by Clement of Alexandria, Matthew did not die a martyr, but this opinion conflicts with all other ancient testimony. Let us add, however, that the account of his martyrdom in the apocryphal Greek writings entitled "Martyrium S. Matthæi in Ponto" and published by Bonnet, "Acta apostolorum apocrypha" (Leipzig, 1898), is absolutely devoid of historic value. Lipsius holds that this "Martyrium S. Matthæi", which contains traces of Gnosticism, must have been published in the third century. There is a disagreement as to the place of St. Matthew's martyrdom and the kind of torture inflicted on him, therefore it is not known whether he was burned, stoned, or beheaded. The Roman Martyrology simply says: "S. Matthæi, qui in Æthiopia prædicans martyrium passus est". Various writings that are now considered apocryphal, have been attributed to St. Matthew. In the "Evangelia apocrypha" (Leipzig, 1876), Tischendorf reproduced a Latin document entitled: "De Ortu beatæ Mariæ et infantia Salvatoris", supposedly written in Hebrew by St. Matthew the Evangelist, and translated into Latin by Jerome, the priest. It is an abridged adaptation of the "Protoevangelium" of St. James, which was a Greek apocryphal of the second century. This pseudo-Matthew dates from the middle or the end of the sixth century. The Latin Church celebrates the feast of St. Matthew on 21 September, and the Greek Church on 16 November. St. Matthew is represented under the symbol of a winged man, carrying in his hand a lance as a characteristic emblem.

I'm getting all of this from www.newadvent.com, just look up a name of an apostle, scroll to the last paragraph, and it will have an account of all recorded history of this apostle's life.

 

[ps139]

Here's what I got for Simon the Zealot:

The Abyssinians accordingly relate that he suffered crucifixion as the Bishop of Jerusalem, after he had preached the Gospel in Samaria. Where he actually preached the Gospel is uncertain. Almost all the lands of the then known world, even as far as Britain, have been mentioned; according to the Greeks, he preached on the Black Sea, in Egypt, Northern Africa, and Britain, while, according to the Latin "Passio Simonis et Judae" -- the author of which was (Lipsius maintains) sufficiently familiar with the history of the Parthian Empire in the first century -- Simon laboured in Persia, and was there martyred at Suanir. However, Suanir is probably to be sought in Colchis. According to Moses of Chorene, Simon met his death in Weriosphora in Iberia; according to the Georgians, he preached in Colchis. His place of burial is unknown.

 

[ZiSunka]

I read somewhere on the web that Peter's bone box was found in Jerusalem in 1953, in a first-century Christian burial chamber, by some franciscan friars. they wrote a book about finding it. The friars also found the bone boxes of "Mary and Martha" and "Lazarus" near where Peter's box was found. all were supposedly authenticaded by RCC scholars and archeologists.

Matthan <J><

James's bone box was supposedly found, but by an antiquities dealer, not by friars, but its authenticity is in considerable dispute.

 

[ZiSunka]

Here is what I've found about Andrew:

I've got troubles with words like, "generally agreed" and "thought to be". Those just show conjecture, not fact. There are like ten hypotheses about what happened to Matthew, and even Paul's death isn't certain.

I'd like to know if there are any historical records of what happened to them? Anything from Roman records or other history that can state what happened to any of the apostles? Legend and supposition don't really do it for me.

 

[Dust and Ashes]

I've got troubles with words like, "generally agreed" and "thought to be". Those just show conjecture, not fact. There are like ten hypotheses about what happened to Matthew, and even Paul's death isn't certain.

I'd like to know if there are any historical records of what happened to them? Anything from Roman records or other history that can state what happened to any of the apostles? Legend and supposition don't really do it for me.

Then the point is moot since there are no historical records that would raise any of the "answers" above the level of conjecture. I mean, why would the Roman government keep records about crucifying or beheading members of a radical Jewish sect? There might be some obscure record about Paul because he was a Roman citizen and appeared before some high ranking Roman officials but it's unlikely to find even that. If it's facts you seek, you will likely be disappointed in this life. Although it is "generally agreed" that John 21:18-19 signifies that Peter would be crucified.

 

[ZiSunka]

If it's facts you seek, you will likely be disappointed in this life.

Disappointed in any discussion of what happened to the apostles, but not at all disappointed in life.

 

[Dust and Ashes]

Disappointed in any discussion of what happened to the apostles, but not at all disappointed in life.

Aye, I meant disappointed with the lack of facts in this life. But just think, perhaps one "day" we can sit down at the table with all of them and get the facts straight from them.

 

[ZiSunka]

Aye, I meant disappointed with the lack of facts in this life. But just think, perhaps one "day" we can sit down at the table with all of them and get the facts straight from them.

I expect we will.