Soldiers for Christ: What Happened to the Apostles

This morning I woke up early, couldn't sleep, and began to read in the book called The Revelation.

That's a tough book. A little weird at points, it seems. But if you recall anything about the book, there are a series of judgments in the book. you have the seal judgments you have the trumpet judgments you have the bowl judgments trying to discern and understand it all will boggle your mind but as I read in the seal judgments when you get to the fifth seal there is a quote where those who are around the altar of God him and say, Lord, how long, sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

sense that around the throne in heaven, the martyrs are asking, how long, Lord, how long before you wrap things up? And he says, a little longer, because there are more who are going to be martyred for the faith before I wrap things up. Two different sets of people asked me over the last several months to consider doing a lesson on what happened to the 12. And so today we're going to very quickly go through and try to summarize what we believe happened to those we know as the 12, as the disciples. We know very little from the Bible about what happened to the twelve in terms of how they died.

But many historians believe that the disciples, after the return of Christ, after Christ ascended back into heaven, the disciples developed a plan that they were going to evangelize the world and they, in essence, assigned disciples to go to various parts of the world so they could scatter and try to reach unreached people with the gospel of Christ. And you're going to see this morning as I go through and tell you what history indicates happened to these disciples, that they were scattered all over the world when they met their end. So I've given you a handout today where I've listed the names of the disciples, and I'm going to go start with the last disciple and work toward the front. So we're going to start today with Matthias. Do you remember Matthias?

He wasn't one of the original twelve, but Matthias was Judas' replacement. After Judas Iscariot hanged himself, Matthias was selected to be his replacement. Here's the story of Matthias. There are two different traditions. One tradition indicates that he was stoned to death as he was evangelizing in the city of Jerusalem and then was beheaded.

Another tradition indicates that he went to the country of Syria and there was burned to death as he witnessed for Christ, because of his witness for Christ. not an easy job to be a replacement for one of these folks was it another the next disciple Judas the one known as Iscariot we know from the scriptural record that Judas the betrayer committed suicide by hanging and thus ended his life by his own hand the next disciple Simon the Zealot. It is believed that Simon the Zealot went to the country of Persia and there was proclaiming the gospel to the people in that country. It was while he was there that one of the governmental officials demanded that instead of preaching the gospel, he sacrificed to the Persian sun god, the S-U-N god. And upon refusing to do so, Simon the zealot, who was zealous for Judaism to assert its rightful place before he came to Christ, and then after he came to Christ, was zealous that the name of Christ be lifted up.

he there in Persia was burned for failing to sacrifice to the sun god.

Thaddeus, also known as Judas, son of James. We know my research, and when you do research on these things, folks, you're going back and looking at the writings of ancient historians, people like Eusebius and Josephus and other people. I could find nothing on Thaddeus. So I don't know what happened to Thaddeus. But most believe he died, but the circumstances, the location, the place, I could really find nothing to indicate what happened to this disciple.

James, the son of Alphaeus. We actually have a report in Josephus. Josephus was an ancient historian, lived during the first century A.D. his report is that James the son of Alphaeus went to the country of Syria and there he was stoned and while not being killed by the stones was then clubbed to death because he had been witnessing for Christ. Thomas the...

Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. All right. Good. I'm glad you're taking notes. So I'll recap real quick. Matthias, some believe he was stoned to death in Jerusalem.

Others burned to death in Syria. Judas Iscariot died by hanging. Simon the zealot went to Persia and there was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

Thaddeus, also known as Judah, son of James, really know nothing much about what happened. And then James, the son of Alphaeus, ministered in Syria and was stoned, not killed by the stoning, but then clubbed to death. Thomas, Thomas, you know Thomas, the doubter, but upon seeing the resurrected Christ, exclaims my lord and my god and he was no longer a doubter he went to India there's a strong tradition that Thomas was the disciple assigned to evangelize in India there are a group of Christians in India known as the Martoma you can see part of his name in that right Thomas the Martoma Christians, claim him as the founder of their faith. But accounts tell us that while Thomas was there evangelizing, four soldiers approached him, demanding that he quit testifying about the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon his refusal to do so, The four soldiers took their spears and all four of them ran him through, speared to death by four soldiers, and then thrown into a burning oven where his body was burned.

The remains, the ashes of his body were buried near Madras in India. This is a pretty strong tradition, So we have a pretty high level of confidence that we know what happened to the apostle known as Thomas.

Joe D? Okay. Matthew. I have a particular fondness for Matthew because it's believed he was given the country of Ethiopia. and that he actually traveled to Ethiopia and there became an acquaintance with the queen of Ethiopia who was Queen Candace at that time.

Again, as he evangelized, he was executed. The form of his execution was a little different than any of the others we have mentioned so far. He was thrown on the ground, pinned down, and there they took a halberd. You know what a halberd is? It's sort of a spear and axe combination weapon.

Got a pointed spear but then an axe that's a part of the weapon. And they took the halberd and they beheaded him as he was pinned to the ground. the report is that this occurred in the city of Nadiar in Ethiopia. And so he is the apostle of the Ethiopians. Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, we think.

There's a lot of debate. In some list it's Bartholomew and the list of the disciples. And we're not certain, but we think Bartholomew and Nathaniel were the same person. We believe his full name was Nathaniel. Bartholomai, which means Nathaniel, son of Talmai. So sometimes he's referred to as Nathaniel, other times as Bartholomew. Many believe that he initially went with Thomas to the country of India.

They went as companions to take the gospel. But then that Bartholomew later went to the country of Armenia.

And in Armenia, he was executed by first being flayed. I think that means they sort of skinned him. And then they beheaded him. The king who is said to have been responsible for ordering his death is a king known as Astyagos, A-S-T-Y-A-G-E-S. King Astiagos ordered the flaying and then the beheading of Bartholomew.

Philip, his assignment was Carthage in North Africa. It's interesting. We know a little more details about Philip. He apparently didn't limit his evangelism to those who were non-governmental officials, but he actually went into the seat of government and was evangelizing the Roman consul and the Roman consul, excuse me, Roman proconsul's wife. And the story is that as he evangelized, while the Roman proconsul rejected Christ, the proconsul's wife accepted Christ.

And the Roman proconsul was enraged that Philip had persuaded his wife to embrace what this Roman proconsul viewed as a pagan deity, Jesus Christ. So in retaliation, the Roman proconsul had Philip arrested and he decided to use the cruelest form of Roman execution on Philip. He executed him by crucifixion. But there's a story about Philip's wife.

as Philip was being crucified, according to tradition, his wife was there at the foot of the cross. And she encouraged him, as he was dying, to remain strong in the faith.

Not to recant his faith, but to stay strong in the faith. And as he died and passed from this life to the next, the story is that the ministry of Philip, the preaching of Philip, was taken up by his wife. And there, as her husband expired on the cross, she turned and began to preach to the crowd the gospel of Jesus Christ. And they stoned her to death at the foot of the cross of her husband, Philip. it wasn't just strong men folks it was strong women too

I don't know her name I don't have her name in the accounts I read it was just Philip's wife is how she was referred to and I did not see a name given for her we're going to have one other story of another wife and again it's this apostle's wife John son of Zebedee one of at least a pair of brothers that we had among the twelve. He was the brother of James, also the son of Zebedee. John is credited with having founded the seven churches that we read about in the book of Revelation. All of these churches were located in Asia Minor. Here's the story on John, a very interesting story.

You recall as Jesus died on the cross, as he was dying on the cross, he commended one of the disciples who was there at the foot of the cross, many believe it was John, to care for his mother, Mary. And the story is, and there's a strong tradition of this, that Jesus' mother, Mary, went with the apostle John to the city of Ephesus. And there in the city of Ephesus, John cared for and looked after Jesus' mother Mary until she died. I have never been to Ephesus. I hope to go one day.

And if you go there, you will hear reports even today of how they believe this is where Mary lived when she was in the city of Ephesus. While John was living in Ephesus under the emperor Domitian, a great persecution of Christians arose. This is toward the end of the first century A.D. The historian Tertullian tells us a story. It's a fascinating story.

Some doubt its truthfulness, but it's a fascinating story that Tertullian records. It is recorded that the Emperor Domitian ordered that this apostle named John, who would not quit professing the name of Jesus Christ, be brought to Rome. And there John was sentenced to die by being boiled in a huge cauldron of boiling oil. And according to Tertullian, John was thrown into this huge vat of extremely heated boiling oil. They threw him in, but lo and behold, it didn't burn him.

and after leaving him in for a while they realized that miraculously he was being delivered from death in the boiling oil according to Tertullian and they removed John he ultimately he was then exiled to the island of Patmos and it was on the isle of Patmos that he wrote the book that we call the Revelation

after Domitian's death in AD 96 was released from the Isle of Patmos and returned to Ephesus. And there died around A.D. 98. The only one of the original twelve to die by natural causes. Based on the history that we have. But he suffered greatly for the faith.

But he's very much associated with the city of Ephesus. James.

we know what happened to James because this is recorded in scripture you can go read about it in Acts 12 verses 1 and 2 the first of the twelve to be martyred his execution is recorded he was executed by the descendant of Herod the Great you remember Herod the Great that sweet king who ordered all male born children under the age of two to be executed grandson, Herod Agrippa I, followed in the tradition of his grandfather of being a pretty cruel sort of fellow. And it was under Herod Agrippa I that James, the son of Zebedee, around A.D. 43, we believe, was executed. And according to scripture, he was executed with a sword, probably being beheaded. Here's the story of his execution, though.

We have a guy, an ancient historian named Clemens Alexandrinus, who records this. While James was being led to his execution, he displayed such extraordinary courage and such fearlessness that the Roman soldier who was escorting him, excuse me, it wasn't a Roman soldier, it was a Jewish entourage that was escorting him, his escort fell on his knees before the Apostle James, asked his forgiveness for what was about to happen. And then the soldier who was escorting him

and said it was his belief that James should not die alone. James looked at the soldier, and according to this ancient historian, simply said, Peace be with you, leaned over, kissed the soldier on the neck, and then they both were beheaded together. Herod Agrippa I, upon seeing how this execution pleased the Jews, this is according to Scripture, Then had the apostle Peter arrested. And you can go read in the book of Acts how Peter was arrested. But then the angel of the Lord came and helped get him out of prison.

So James, the son of Zebedee, died by beheading under the reign of Herod Agrippa I.

Andrew, brother of Peter. According to tradition, Andrew went to the land, what is called the land of the man-eaters, which was what we would call today Russia. Russian Christians say that it was Andrew who first brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to their country. He then apparently went from the area of Russia to modern-day Turkey, what was then called Asia, Asia Minor. and then from there he went to Greece.

So from Russia to Asia Minor to Greece. It is recorded that in Greece he died by being crucified but he was crucified on a different shaped cross. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross. The cross was like this in the ground which you see would fit very well for the arms and the legs. that X-shaped cross is now today called the St. Andrew's Cross.

And it's called that because by tradition it was that type of cross on which St. Andrew was executed. It's interesting to me, just a side note, how many of the brothers that were disciples, Peter and Andrew, James and John. So it was these brothers who were very much involved in being a part of the spread of the gospel as disciples. And then lastly, Peter.

Simon Peter. I think clearly the leader of the twelve. In every listing of the twelve, and I gave you in your handout the places where in Scripture the names of the twelve are recorded. in every list, one name comes first, Simon Peter. We know that Simon Peter was married.

There's a report about his mother-in-law being sick. He had a mother-in-law. He had a wife, right? And Jesus went and healed his mother-in-law. That's recorded in the Gospels. But the story of Peter is that he was imprisoned in Rome under the Roman Emperor Nero, as was Paul after the great fire in the city of Rome in July of AD 64. The Christians were the scapegoats who were blamed for the fire. And the report is that Peter was too imprisoned in the Mamertinum prison, which is just in Rome. Today it's not far from the Colosseum. Many believe that he and the Apostle Paul, at least for a period of time, were together imprisoned. Before his imprisonment, the Christians in Rome knew that Nero was looking for the leaders of the Christian church.

And they urged Peter to leave the city of Rome. And there's an interesting story about what when Peter was leaving Rome. He took the advice, according to tradition, of the Christians that he should get out of Rome. This tradition is called the Quo Vadis tradition. Have you ever heard of the movie Quo Vadis?

It's an old movie. I don't remember. Richard Burton, one of those folks back in there, was in it. Quo Vadis, Q-U-O, that's one word. Vadis, V-A-D-I-S.

It's Latin. Where do you go? Quo Vetus. Where do you go? What is the Quo Vetus tradition?

Here's the tradition. The tradition is that while this terrible persecution was going on in Rome under Nero, at the urging of the Christians, Peter was leaving Rome to find a safe retreat.

He left during the night. And as he left Rome, he was on the Appian Way when there in a vision the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him. The Lord Jesus Christ there before him startled Peter. And according to the tradition, Peter felt ashamed that he was leaving and fell on his face there before the vision of Christ. And he cried out,

Quo vetis domini, Quo vetis domini, Where do you go, Master? Where do you go, Master? He's asking Jesus that because he sees Jesus appearing on the Appian Way. It's like Jesus is walking down the road. He says, Where do you go, Master?

And this is according to tradition what Jesus said to him. Jesus said to Peter, If you desert my people, I am going to Rome to be crucified. time.

Whereupon, according to tradition, rather than having his master go back to Rome where he would be crucified a second time, Peter got up, turned around and walked back in the city to be there with the Christians in the midst of the persecution rather than leaving the Christians to face

According to tradition, after being imprisoned in the Mamertinum prison, he was then executed right at the Vatican Hill, right where St. Peter's Basilica is located today.

Can you see that? That's St. Peter's Basilica. There's a huge, there's a spire right here with a cross on it. And this is believed to be the place where Peter was executed.

And if you recall the tradition, he was executed at his request by crucifixion upside down because he did not view himself as being worthy to be executed in the same way as his Lord had been executed.

I've been to St. Peter's Basilica. It's a very interesting place. It is believed, and there is much to commend this belief, that the Apostle Peter's tomb is actually underneath the basilica. And if you walk into the basilica, which is the dome-shaped building right in the center, if you go into the basilica on that main floor, you will come to an area where there's a hole in the floor, and you can look down onto what they say is the tomb of St. Peter.

And they believe his remains are there. And you can actually go down into the basement of the basilica of many of the popes are buried there and they have Peter's tomb there and of course they view Peter in the Catholic tradition as the first pope so to speak. And many historians believe this is not unlikely that his remains are here because it's very near what is believed to be his place of execution. Interestingly, we have a tradition about Peter's wife.

The tradition is that, and we're not certain exactly the timing. Was she executed first? Was Peter executed first? The thought is that she was taken from Peter.

And they took her and they threw her into the arena with wild animals. and she was killed by being attacked by these wild animals. And the apostle Peter, many believe, knew prior to his death that his wife, because of her faith, was likely to die as well for her faith as he was.

The belief is, one account I read said it, that their executions actually occurred on the same day. She in the arena, Peter, by being executed upside down.

Easy job being a disciple, isn't it? Well, we need to learn some lessons from these amazing stories. Here are my lessons. Are we people of conviction like the apostles?

Rick Warren quotes Howard Hendricks in his, Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Church. And this is what he says. He says, a belief is something you will argue about. A conviction is something you will die for. I'm asking, are we people of conviction?

is there anything we would die for is there anything we would give up our stuff for one of my favorite scenes in a movie is sean connery in the wind and the lion how many of you have seen this movie you need to go get this movie it's an old movie you may have a hard time finding it. But in the movie, Sean Connery is in Morocco, and he's the head of a Middle Eastern tribe that is engaged in all sorts of battles, and he gets in battles to protect his tribe from his enemies and so forth and so on. But at the end of the movie, Sean Connery, this tribal chieftain, has lost everything in his efforts to save his tribe. Everything. He has nothing except the animal he's riding and one servant with him.

And at the end of the movie, the servant, Salif, moans to Sean Connery, who in the movie is the great Rasuli. That's his name. Salif says to the great Rasuli, We have lost everything. All is drifting on the wind, just as you said. which the great Rasuli replies in that Sean Connery way, Salif, is there not one thing in your life that is worth losing everything for?

What a great question. Is there anything in our lives that we would lose everything for?

What have we done for Jesus lately? it's time to get off the bench and get into the game.

I just read a book by John Piper called Don't Waste Your Life. He tells a story about the youngest Medal of Honor winner in World War II. His name was Jack Lucas. Jack Lucas enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 14 years old. He lied to the recruiter about his age.

He was kind of a big burly guy. They assigned him to Hawaii to drive trucks. and he got very bored driving trucks while the troops were fighting. So one day when the troops were setting out for a place called Iwo Jima,

he snuck on to one of the transport ships leaving out of Hawaii.

The Leathernecks admired him for this. By this time he was 17 years old. He'd been in the Marine Corps for three years. He lands on Iwo Jima with the troops without a rifle. he picks up a rifle off of a dead marine and begins to fight on the second day on the island of Iwo Jima eight Japanese surprised Jack Lucas and his other marines Jack shoots and kills one of the Japanese and begins to fire at others when one of the Japanese throws a grenade right at the foot of Jack Lucas and his men that were following with him a second Japanese throws another grenade, two grenades in the group, two grenades very close together. And this 17-year-old jumps on both grenades, lays on both of them. The grenades explode, but he survives. 21 operations later, very much disfigured and damaged, he lives. And he is awarded the medal of honor for his courage in the battle the youngest person ever to win the medal of honor at the time he was still technically a high school freshman because he started in winning the marine corps he was 14 high school freshman and the reason john piper tells that story he wants to know what are we doing where are the jack lucases of the christian faith who refuse to sit on the sidelines behind in safety driving trucks and are willing to go into the front lines and fight the battles? It's a good question to ask, isn't it? Thirdly, I encourage you to read inspiring stories about committed Christians.

I would highly encourage you to subscribe to a magazine called Christian History Magazine. Christian History Magazine. A great Christmas gift. A great Christmas gift. Don't go to Kmart.

Do they still exist? Don't go to Walmart. Get them a Christian History subscription. Great stories. Buy them Fox's new book of martyrs that tells not only about ancient martyrs, but modern day martyrs.

by Elizabeth Elliot's through gates of splendor. Through gates of splendor. Read stories like that. Fourthly, the transformation and bold witness of the apostles after the crucifixion of Christ is a powerful testimony for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I don't want you to miss this point.

After Jesus' crucifixion, what were the disciples like? they were running scared they essentially deserted but then something happened this scattered deserted afraid band of followers of Jesus Christ was transformed into the most powerful band of witnesses for Christ history has known what happened what changed them from scared and for Christ. I submit to you, it was they saw the resurrected Lord. And history tells us that all of these men went to their deaths

proclaiming Jesus Christ as the resurrected Lord. Except for, went to their violent deaths, except for the Apostle John. They went to their violent deaths standing true to the fact that Jesus Christ was the resurrected Lord. And history indicates none of them recanted that view. I submit to you, they would not have all been willing to die for a lie.

The fact that they were willing to go to their deaths shows their conviction that they had in fact seen the resurrected Lord and is a powerful testimony for the reality of the resurrection. And they were even willing, some of them, for their spouses to go to their deaths.

Based on the reality that Jesus Christ lived. Now you might be willing to die for something you knew to be a lie just to sort of save face. But how many of you would be willing for your spouse to die for what you knew to be a lie? I don't think you would. So the reality is, I think, that their willingness not only to die themselves, but even sometimes to see close family members die shows the reality that they knew that they served a resurrected Lord.

Fifthly, think bigger for Christ, but be willing to serve smaller.

My point there is, we often are satisfied with simply showing up and sitting and listen to a lesson and then we go about our normal lives throughout the week and don't think much about Christ or the Bible throughout the week. We have very small standards for what we believe is a good Christian. I'm saying think bigger. Think bigger. Do more for Christ, trusting that he will help you to do it.

I don't know what he's called you to do specifically, but find some way to serve him and do it wholeheartedly. let's invest our limited resources strategically to advance Christ's kingdom we see the disciples I think being very strategic in how they tried to position themselves to spread the gospel we have limited resources in a sense money resources people resources let's be sure we're using them well Greer First Baptist Church when we spend our money do we spend it on things that most effectively? Or do we just feather our own nests?

Lastly, stop doubting and believe.

Hear the words that Jesus said to Thomas.

Confucius' tomb is occupied as is Buddha's and Muhammad's, but Jesus' tomb is empty. Let's start living like it. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for the inspiring examples of these disciples. May we

be willing to live for you in the same way that they were willing to die for you. For it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.