Out of the original twelve apostles, only two are Gospel writers: the Apostle John and the Apostle Matthew. John’s Gospel reveals a number of details and facets the other Gospels don’t include. While people hand out single copies of John’s Gospel, it’s not uncommon for us to overlook the value in the other three…including the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew, also known as Levi, is an apostle with a rich history many overlook. In addition to his Gospel, Matthew led a... Read more
Some of the Biblical apostles reveal the complicated relationship between being called by God and being a human being. We see this in Peter‘s temper and James and John desiring positions of honor in the Kingdom. Perhaps there’s no greater example of the humanness of the apostles than that of the Apostle Thomas. Known forever as “the doubter,” Thomas went on record as doubting the resurrection of Jesus. While his best-known move, this wasn’t Thomas’ only theological misstep during His... Read more
The New Testament abounds with central and not-so-central figures who share first names. Among the apostles alone, there were two Simons, two Judes/Judases, and two Jameses. It doesn’t help that some also have additional names, nicknames, or surnames. To make matters more confusing, some of them were also brothers. It’s easy to confuse people, especially the more one studies. Who is who, and why does it matter? In this column we will examine the life of James son of Alphaeus,... Read more
Learning about the lives and work of the twelve apostles reveals much to us about leadership present in the early church. It is also a study in the way that God chooses us. God isn’t about having the perfect resume. He knows when He calls us what we can do for Him, even if we don’t see it in ourselves. We’ve reached the halfway point of six apostles, and now we are going to learn about one most never consider:... Read more
In our study of the first twelve apostles, we’ve examined the lives and ministries of those both known and unknown: Peter, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, and Philip. There are some we know much about, and others whose lives remain mysterious. In this study, I’ve discovered a third category of the twelve: those who have well-documented histories but, for whatever reason, we don’t hear much about their contributions to the faith. The Apostle Bartholomew (also called Nathanael or Nathaniel)... Read more
Among the twelve apostles, there were two sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew and James and John, sons of Zebedee. In this column, we will be looking at the second brother of the second set: the Apostle John. So far, we’ve seen the way Peter, Andrew, James (the Greater) and Philip influenced early Christianity, even unto their death. They speak to us about the virtues of ministry leadership. We are inspired by both their humanity and their courage under fire.... Read more
Our examination of the twelve apostles has, so far, revealed the lives and ministries of three of them: Peter, Andrew, and Philip. We’ve seen the incredible journeys they made, moving from people living ordinary lives thrust into a powerful world of Kingdom transformation. They teach us about good leadership, overcoming flaws, and learning to seek faith in a deeper way. In this installment, we will learn about the Apostle James (son of Zebedee). Among apostles with short biographies, the Apostle... Read more
By now, most have heard about Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s speech made at Benedictine College. Between memes, celebrity responses, and social media commentary, his speech hit a nerve among a world that doesn’t quite agree on the future of faith, politics, and the overlap. While some virulently disagree, others defend his views and right to free speech. Others argue the internet’s propensity to malign statements, saying both social and secular media took his statements out of context. In... Read more
So far, we’ve examined the lives and ministries of two apostolic brothers: Peter and Andrew. Among the twelve, Peter and Andrew are both named more than once in the Bible, and don’t have obscure ministry histories. We know much of the work they did and the influence they had on the early church world, even through their martyrdom. They speak to us about the virtues of ministry leadership. But what about others, such as the Apostle Philip? Unfortunately, we don’t... Read more
In our last column, we explored what we know of the life and ministry of the Apostle Peter. As a major figure, Peter is mentioned frequently in the Bible. We are able to learn a few key things about his life, including his marital status and that he had a brother named Andrew. Andrew is also one of the twelve apostles of the lamb, among the first to follow Jesus. The Apostle Andrew’s history is both fascinating and spiritually rich,... Read more
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