The twelve apostles of Jesus, How did they die?

Question

I heard they were all killed except John. Iscariot does not apply, was it Matthias who took his place?

believer, I too am a follower of Jesus

to everbody else, serious question folks!

absolutely stunned at the way they gave their lives, Wow, The Gospel is a radical call.

Answer 1

Every historical account does indicate that all of the apostles except John were martyred. The best concise source I know of for this is the Forbush edition of Fox's Book of Martyrs which I have linked below (should take you to the pertinent page). Scholars do not view Fox's history at this point to be beyond question, but it is still a good place to start in a search for specifics.

Answer 2

John, if he was the one who wrote the Revelation of John, is believed to have died while in exile on the Island of Patmos around 100AD. My guess is, because he was in exile, then his death was of natural causes. Every other one died somehow through persecution. A couple that I know of are Peter and Paul, who were both martyred during Emperor Nero's major persecution between 66 and 68AD. The Apostle Peter is believed to have been martyred around 66AD, crucified upside down, according to tradition, because he was not worthy of being crucified in the same position as his Lord and Saviour. The Apostle Paul is believed to have been martyred around 68AD, beheaded according to tradition. All of the other apostles were martyred in some other way, but all of them did die at some point, I can tell you that much.

Answer 3

The Bible doesn't tell us how most of the original 12 disciples died—although there is no evidence to suggest any were taken directly into Heaven. Only two persons (other than Jesus) were given that honor: Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).

Of the original 12, only Judas died a shameful death, taking his own life after betraying Jesus for money (see Matthew 27:3-5). Both the Bible and early church records indicate all the rest died because of their faith in Christ—a faith they refused to deny. Our last glimpse in the Bible of one of the Twelve is of John, in prison on the island of Patmos "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 1:9).

Why were they willing to suffer and die for their faith? The reason was because they were convinced the Gospel was true. They had known Jesus in the flesh, and they also had seen Him suffer and die. But more than that, they had witnessed His resurrection and ascension into heaven. They could say with Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him" (2 Timothy 1:12).

You and I today know of Christ because of their faithfulness, and their commitment to bring the Gospel to the world. Is your faith in Christ, and are you seeking to share the good news of His salvation with others?

Answer 4

John the apostle was not the John in Patmos. The John in Patmos was the one who wrote Revelation, but it wasn't the apostle John.

Can you imagine them dying the awful ways they did just to try to get people to believe a lie? Of course not, which is one of the reasons we know the resurrection is true and that they had first hand knowledge to believe it. Nobody will take torture and die for something they don't even believe in.

Answer 5

You are right about Matthias

Simon Peter: Crucified upsidedown.
John: He probably died a natural death
Andrew: He was crucified at Edessa on a X shaped cross
James Brother of John: He was killed by the sword of Herod
Phillip: scourged, thrown in prison, and crucified at Phrygia
Matthew: Beaten to death in Nabadah
Bartholomew: beaten and crucified in India
Judas Iscariot: hung himself
Thomas: tortured with fire and killed with spears in India
James son of Alphaeus: killed in Egypt
Simon the Zealot: Crucified in Britain
Judas brother of James the less: killed in Persia

Answer 6

The only apostle’s death the Bible records is James' (Acts 12:2). King Herod had James put to death “with the sword” – likely a reference to beheading. The circumstances of the deaths of the other apostles can only be known based on church traditions, so we should not put too much weight on any of the other accounts. The most commonly accepted church tradition in regards to the death of an apostle is that the Apostle Peter was crucified, upside-down on an x-shaped cross, in Rome, in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy (John 21:18). Following are the most popular “traditions” in regards to the deaths of the other apostles:

Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound. John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The Apostle John was later freed and returned to what is now modern-day Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

James, the brother of Jesus (not officially an apostle), the leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a club. This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the temptation.

Bartholomew, also know as Nathanael, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed in present-day Turkey and was martyred for his preaching in Armenia, when he was flayed to death by a whip. Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers, Andrew's body was tied to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it." He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died. The Apostle Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church there. Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded. The Apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. There are traditions regarding the other apostles as well, but none with any reliable historical or traditional support.

It is not so important how the apostles died. What is important is the fact that they were all willing to die for their faith. If Jesus had not been resurrected, the disciples would have known. No one will die for something he knows is a lie. The fact that all of the apostles were willing to die horrible deaths, refusing to renounce their faith in Christ – is tremendous evidence that they had truly witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Answer 7

Yes it was Matthias who took his place. They were all killed in brutal ways as most of God's servants were. It was not an easy life being a believer in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
John it seems died of old age but he was hardly out of persacution. He was in chains in a horrible jail system.
tortured by jail guards until he died.

Answer 8

yes all were murdered in some way except John. Matthias was the man who took Judas's place.

Answer 9

I heard they died horribly. Can't put the names to the deaths but, one was skinned alive, stoned, some were crucified upside down, so they would die slower and a much more painful death to be crucified that way. That's all I remember from a person that told me.

Answer 10

Looks like your up on your bible study. Good for you.
Most apostles died a martyrs death after going into hiding, then coming out of hiding after seeing the risen Jesus.