This Bible study covers the 14 apostles; the 12 called by Jesus, the one replacement and the one born out of due time.

• Intro into 1st Century Israel
• Andrew & Simon Peter
• James and John Zebedee
• Philip & Nathanael
• Thomas & Matthew
• James the Lesser & Simon the Zealot
• Jude & Judas Iscariot
• Pentecost-and-Mathias
• Saul the Persecutor
• Paul the Apostle

Intro to 1st Century Israel: Setting the Stage

The first lesson in this series sets the stage for the actors, the Apostles, that will follow. We cover geography, geology, agriculture, culture, architecture, and more. Below you will find the pdf of my slides which I presented in this video.

Brothers at Heart: Andrew & Simon Peter

Andrew was already a spiritually sensitive individual, we know this because he was following the unique yet poignant John the Baptist. But one day John the Baptizer saw his own cousin, Jesus, walking along the shore of the Jordan river and declared that it was Jesus who was the lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world. At such news, Andrew and his cohort (John Zebedee) followed Jesus back to Galilee where Andrew introduced his own brother Simon to Jesus. From there we can see the trajectory of the life, and subsequent death of Peter…as well as the personalities, mannerisms and moods of both he and Andrew.

The pdf below is the slides which I presented during the study on Andrew & Simon Peter.

Sons of Thunder: James and John

James and John were the sons of Zebedee. Business partners with Andrew and Simon (Peter), they ran a seemingly successful fishing business in and around the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. But why were they called the sons of Thunder? And what was their interaction among the other disciples and with Jesus Himself? Bible passages used: Matthew 4:18-24 Matthew 17 Mark 3:13-14 Luke 5:8 Luke 9:46-56 John 3:17-18

Friends Bring Friends to Jesus: Philip & Nathanael

Philip was a friend of Andrew and Peter, having grown up in Bethsaida. Philip was Greek in language, culture and appearance yet he was also a Jew. Immediately after Jesus called him, he brought in Nathanael. Evangelism, connection, relationship are all important in following Jesus. Bible passages used: Matthew 10 Mark 3:7-13 Luke 6:6-14 John 1:39-49 John 6:7 John 12:20-30 Acts 1:12 Isaiah 11

Personal Relationships: Thomas & Matthew

The pdf below is the slides which I presented during the study on Thomas & Matthew.

Thomas is revealed to be a pragmatic realist. Its not that he doesn’t have faith in Jesus, he simply wants to see it for himself. We can all relate to Thomas in that way. But we have the inspired scriptures which exclaim the divinity of Jesus and the work to which He completed on the cross and over the grave. His interpersonal interactions with the other disciples and Jesus show that he is a friend indeed. Matthew’s story is a little different. Based on his choice of career, location and success, we can gather that his pre-Jesus relationships with the disciples was probably not so good, tenuous at best. But then Jesus…so many lives change with that phrase. We see Matthew, who had not only rejected his people, his culture, his God…now becoming a new creation in Christ ready to promote Him to the very end.

The Paradox of Life Before & After Jesus: Little James & Simon the Zealot

Little James, also called James the Lesser, has very little information in the scriptures. His faith appears to be a result of a family tie with Jesus. Seemingly mild and meek, he was called by Jesus for a reason. Simon the Zealot was likely a member of the sect of the same name, but a divine encounter with Jesus redirected his passions from perceived righteous actions to eternal kingdom building ones.

It Shall Come to Pass: Jude & Judas Iscariot

In this study we uncover the last 2 of the original 12 Apostles. Who was Judas and why was he called by so many names? And what was the outcome of Judas Iscariot after he betrayed Jesus?

The Mission Remains, the Game Changes: Pentecost & Mathias

As Jesus ascends in a cloud, the Apostles select a replacement for Judas the betrayer. The followers of Jesus go from a small intimate group of Jews to an ever widening movement of the Holy Spirit

Jew of Jews: Saul the Persecutor

Saul was a zealous individual, who sought the approval and promotion of his heroes, namely the Sanhedrin. He desired to be the ideal Jew, rooting out anyone or anything that was contrary to the traditions and instruction of the Torah and the Talmud. But this is not the end of his story, it is the beginning.

Living to Die: Paul the Apostle

Paul was shunned by his Jewish brethren because of his actions prior to his salvation in Jesus. And understandably, they were concerned about his presence in their community given his heinous actions against their friends and family. However, God allowed this to happen so Paul would be better suited to then go out and evangelize the Gentile world beyond Jerusalem.