Religious Articles

The Fate of the Apostles

The historical record shows the fate of the apostles as follows:

Andrew (Brother of Simon Peter): After being ruthlessly whipped by seven soldiers, he was crucified. The soldiers tied his body to a cross with cords to extend the agony of his crucifixion. Andrew continued to preach to his persecutors until he finally died. This occurred in Achaia. A.D. 70
Barnabas: Burned to death in Cyprus, A.D. 64
Bartholomew was flayed (skinned) alive, and then beheaded in the Caspian Sea area.
James (The Greater. The son of Zebedee, brother of John, and a fisherman by trade): He was ultimately beheaded in Jerusalem by King Herod. The Roman officer who guarded James and watched over him in trial, also walked beside James to the place of execution. The guard must have believed what James said, because that same guard declared his faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept his own beheading as a Christian. This occurred in 44 A.D.
James (The Less. The son of Alphaeus. Not to be confused with James, the brother of Jesus): thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When his persecutors discovered the 100-foot fall had not killed him, they proceeded to beat him to death with a fuller's club. This happened in Jerusalem. A.D. 63
John (The son of Zebedee, brother of John, and a fisherman by trade): Although he was put in a huge basin of boiling oil in Rome, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos where he wrote the prophetic Book of Revelation. He was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He was the only apostle to die peacefully at Ephesus in 100 A.D.
Jude (Also called Thaddeus. He should not to be confused with Jude, one of the brothers of Jesus): He was with Simon the Zealot when the two of them were killed. There is some confusion as to exactly how he died. It is believed that he was either crucified or hacked to death in Persia, 74 A.D.
Jude (The brother of Jesus): Shot to death with arrows for refusing to deny his faith in 72 A.D.
Judas (No, not that Judas): Was also shot to death with arrows for refusing to deny his faith in 72 A.D.
Luke: Hanged on an olive tree in Greece, A.D. 93
Mark: Dragged to death by horses in the streets of Alexandria, A.D. 64
Matthew (Also known as Levi, the tax collector/publican): Killed with a sword in Ethiopia, A.D. 70
Matthias (Chosen by lot to replace that Judas): First stoned, then beheaded in Jerusalem.
Paul (Saul of Tarsus): First tortured, then beheaded in a place that is called Tre Fontane, in Rome, A.D. 67
Peter: Crucified with his head in the downward position on an "X" shaped cross. This was done because he told his persecutors that he felt unworthy to die in the same fashion as Jesus Christ. This occurred in Rome, A.D. 69
Philip: Stoned to death in Phrygia (west central Turkey), A.D. 54
Simon (The zealot or patriot): He was with Jude (Thaddeus, not the brother of Jesus) when the two of them were killed. There is some confusion as to exactly how he died. It is believed that he was either crucified or hacked to death in Persia, 74 A.D.
Thomas (Thomas Didymus, or better known as 'Doubting Thomas'): Speared to death in Calamino, A.D. 70

Not a single person ever recanted their story, or denied their faith.

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:27-28 KJV

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