In the previous article, I talked about Andrew the Apostle, a disciple of the Lord Jesus who preached in northern Iraq, Constantinople, Russia, and Greece, where he was martyred by crucifixion. I also mentioned the two disciples: James, the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who are considered among the three closest to the Lord Jesus; James the Apostle preached in Spain and was martyred by King Herod, becoming the first of the disciples to be martyred; while John the Beloved remained in Jerusalem until the dormition of St. Mary, then preached in Ephesus until he was exiled to the island of Patmos until his departure.
Philip the Apostle
“Philip” is a Greek name meaning lover of horses or friend of horses. The Lord Jesus called him to follow Him: The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me’ (John 1:43). He was from the city of Bethsaida, as the Scripture states: Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida (John 1:44). Philip the Apostle studied the Torah and was among those who awaited the coming of the Messiah. He was the one who invited Nathanael to meet the Lord Jesus; he also introduced the Greek Jews who wanted to see the Lord Jesus to the Lord Jesus along with Andrew. He preached in Iran, Turkey, and Chechnya, and was martyred in Turkey by crucifixion, head downwards, on 18 Hathor (November 27). It is mentioned that at the time of his martyrdom, a great earthquake occurred, and his crucifiers fled, so the believers wanted to save him from death, but he refused, desiring martyrdom for the name of the Lord Jesus
Bartholomew the Apostle
Bartholomew is Nathanael; Nathanael is the disciple’s personal name, while Bartholomew is the family title. Nathanael is a Hebrew name meaning gift of God or God has given. As we mentioned, Philip was the one who invited Nathanael to see the Lord Jesus:“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth?Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit! Nathanael said to Him, How do You know me?Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered and said to Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”(John 1:45-50). Nathanael was from the city of Cana and learned fishing. Nathanael the disciple preached in Yemen; some historians mention that the saint preached in India; he also preached in Armenia and served there for about 16 years. He is considered the patron saint of it and was martyred there on 1 Tute (September 11).
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas is a name meaning twin in Aramaic: “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve”(John 20:24). Thomas was born in Galilee and worked as a fisherman. The Lord Jesus chose him to be among His twelve disciples. He showed his love for the Lord Jesus when the Lord Jesus wanted to go and raise Lazarus from the dead, and the disciples knew that the Jews were preparing to kill Jesus, so Thomas said: “Let us also go, that we may die with him!” (John 11:16). After the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples, and Thomas was not with them; when they told him, he said that he would not believe unless he saw the mark of the nails and put his hand in His side. So the Lord Jesus appeared to them a second time, and Thomas was with them: Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’ (John 20:27-29). Thomas also saw the body of the Virgin Mary and angels carrying it to heaven after her Dormition, and he informed the disciples of this. Saint Thomas preached in Judea, Iraq, Ethiopia, and India; where he spent a long time, and Thomas the Apostle is considered the patron saint of India; where he was martyred on 26 Pashons (June 3).
To be continued… for stories in Beautiful Egypt never end!
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
