What Happened to the Apostles? by Gary Davenport We often talk about the ‘doubt’ of John the Baptist and Thomas. Lest we speak too harshly, it would be better to think what we would want our ‘life response’ to be: faithful to the end! The apostles were promised they would be persecuted, and some would have to drink the cup of death (Matthew 10:25; 20:23; Mark 14:31, 36; John 13:37; 15:20, 17:1); history and tradition also tell us that the apostles gave their lives for Christ. James the son of Zebedee (James the Great) felt Herod’s sword in 44 A.D., the first apostle to die (Acts 12). Philip, after preaching in upper Asia, was scourged, thrown in prison, and then crucified in 54 A.D. at Heliopolis in Phrygia. Matthew, after preaching in Parthia and in Ethiopia, was slain in A.D. 60 by a halberd at Nadabah, Ethiopia. James the Less, at 94 years, after being beaten and stoned by the Jews, “finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club.” As to Peter, “Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was [he said] unworthy to be crucified after the same form and ” Jude (Thaddeus), brother of James the Less, was crucified at Edessa, 72 A.D. Bartholomew, after preaching in India, was “cruelly beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.” Thomas’ ministry in Parthia and India was ended with a spear thrust. Simon Zelotes evangelized in Mauritania, Africa, and Britain before his crucifixion in 74 A.D. Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded. Andrew’s service was in Asia; at Edessa he was baptized in suffering, being “crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground.” The beloved John, at the command of anti-christ Domitian, was exiled “in the isle that is called Revelation 1:9). After being 23). After Paul had been stoned, left for dead, beaten with rods, jailed for years, he still aspired to “fill up . . . that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ” in his flesh (Colossians 1 :24). He is said to have been beheaded by Nero in Rome. (by Hugo McCord, The Beatitudes)
Posted on: Sun, 02 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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